Jimmy Aquino: Man of Steel (SPOILERS!)

What? I can't be a steel man? Okay, fine. Anyway, I saw Man of Steel last night. Oh yeah, I did. Here are some SPOILERS filled highlights. You can also tune in to my podcast COMIC NEWS INSIDER to hear my pal Taylor and I review the movie. Episode 478 will be available Wednesday. 

• Let me get it out of the way. I loved it. I know it's split the fandom a bit (which I'll get to) but I still really enjoyed it. 
• Great cast. Henry Cavill as Superman is excellent. Russell Crowe as Jor-El is awesome. Kevin Costner and Diane Lane as Pa and Ma Kent are great. Amy Adams as Lois Lane is fantastic (though a small part of me wanted someone else...not sure whom. Still, she was superb). Michael Shannon as Zod was menacing and fun. German actress Antje Traue as Faora-Ul (Zod's right hand) stole many a scene with her badassery. 
• The romance between Lois and Clark was rushed but it made sense. I didn't feel they connected completely though there were some nice subtle moments. I'm sure they'll expand on it in the end. 
• Well directed by Zack Snyder. Great storytelling via flashbacks and present day. 
• The story was a retelling of the origin. Slightly different. Clark Kent still grew up in Smallville, Kansas. But when he got old enough, he didn't move to Metropolis and work for the Daily Planet right away. He traveled the world leaving no paper trail. Getting odd jobs here and there all the while secretly helping people. And if he was seen using his extraordinary gifts, he moved on to the next place. Really like this idea. 
• Some more changes in other characters. In the flashbacks, Clark is shown using his gifts to help others. Pa Kent emphasizes that he needs to keep them secret or he'll become a government experiment, etc. Even suggesting for a second that maybe Clark should let people perish if it means keeping the secret hidden. We're used to the always positive/do the right thing advice from Pa Kent. This shocker still worked as it just shows how concerned and how much love he has for Clark. I don't think it suggests Jonathan Kent is a bad person for thinking it. Parents will do anything for their children and this shows that strong bond between them. 
• Jonathan's death scene was very moving. The hand up stopping Clark. A little bit of mist may have entered my eyeball then. 
• Did I mention Antje Traue stealing scenes? Oh yeah. Her fight scenes were so bad ass. And the lines she delivered came out both menacing and even a bit flirty. Just perfect. Not gonna lie...I think she was the crush of the movie for me. 
• While there wasn't that classic John Williams theme we're so used to, I liked the music in it. Good stuff from Hans Zimmer. 
• Fun to see some Battlestar Galactica alums in the cast. Tahmoh Penikett ("Helo" on BSG) had a brief appearance and a few lines. And Allesandra Juiliani ("Gaeta" on BSG) had a very slightly bigger role. Surprised they used Juliani as he was also in the Smallville TV show playing "Dr. Emil Hamilton". Figured they'd want to stay away from any actors that were in previous iterations especially since another actor was playing the character of Hamilton in Man of Steel. Maybe they swapped notes. 
• No Jimmy Olsen in it. Perhaps the sequel. 
• Nice shots of other DC Universe things like a LexCorp tanker. And a WayneTech satellite. I hear there are other bits strewn in but I missed them. 
• Bit of a Matrix-y feel to Krypton with how they have their offspring. But still different enough and cool. 
• Great CGI. So great. Just moments of Superman hovering were incredible. Him learning to fly was really fun to watch as well. 
• Minor quibble I was thinking of while watching the climactic battle between Superman and Zod is all of the destruction they caused. SO MUCH. Buildings destroyed left and right. I thought, "Couldn't Supes have tried to lead him out of Metropolis?" But, heat of the battle and all that. 
• Which leads us to THE climactic scene. Now you read in the beginning how I'm SPOILING things so here it is again. SPOILERS! YOU'VE BEEN WARNED!!! Superman breaks Zod's neck. I audibly gasped (as did many around me). It is a complete break from the character as written in the comic book. But, yet...I understood it. I still wish he had found a way not to do it but at the moment there seemed to be no choice. Save humanity (or in this case just 4 or 5 people) from Zod's raging heat vision or take him out permanently. People are outraged by this and I understand why. Yet, I think it's another dimension to add to the character. So much is set up with the Jesus metaphors that this shows that he ISN'T that. He is flawed. And Cavill's reactions really sold it as you know he immediately regretted it and it will haunt him forever. Something they'll probably harp on in future movies. 
• I'm probably way off on this one. But during the scene where Superman's trying to shut down the "World Machine", these metal tentacles/arms attack him. Could this be Brainiac or an iteration there of? It would kind of make sense as Brainiac is an alien entity that has been altered a lot over the years. Still, he has a history with Krypton, Superman's home planet. 
• At the end, when Clark moves to Metropolis, he gets his job at The Daily Planet and dons the glasses. Great moment between he and Lois as he's introduced to her. It's made obvious that she was in on this and she knows he's really Superman. Which, while the glasses making him completely impossible to recognize has always been a stretch, works a bit better here because as an adult Clark Kent he was a drifter. So no one really knows him. 

Overall, I just really loved this film. Action packed with a great story. Not just a great superhero film, but a really great sci-fi adventure film! Go see it! And listen to us rave on about it in this week's Comic News Insider available tomorrow on the website and iTunes.