MAN OF STEEL - A Retro Review

Warning – Here be Spoilers, but look, this movie came out three years ago, and if you haven’t seen it, then you’ve brought this on yourself. And may God have mercy on your soul.

I honestly can’t think of a superhero movie as divisive as Man of Steel. And I think I’m starting to understand why. Not that I agree with the people who dislike this movie (I don’t – I think it’s a flawed movie, but certainly enjoyable) but I can see why people would feel like, as one friend put it, “this is not my Superman”. It's one thing to say you don't like Zack Snyder's visual sense - I can understand that, even if i don't agree. It's another thing to criticize the story, written by Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer, the gentlemen who brought us the greatest superhero trilogy of all time. That, I think, boils down to expectations and the audience's collective idea of who and what Superman is.

But before we get to all the divisive stuff, let’s just talk about the movie itself.

I am going to gloss over plot summary, because again – the movie came out three years ago. You’ve probably seen it. Bottom line – Krypton opening sequence, Clark drifts across America like Caine in "Kung Fu", discovers his Kryptonian heritage, meets Lois Lane, is hunted by the US government and Zod before a final showdown in Metropolis, as Zod tries to destroy the Earth and everyone on it. Zod is killed, Metroplis is left in ruins, and Superman's existence and power are revealed to the world.

Visually, I love this movie. Long gone are Richard Donner's vibrant colors and exuberant style. I know Zack Snyder’s aesthetic isn’t for everyone, but I think his muted color palette and avoidance of bright lighting, except in a few key scenes, fits the story arc of the movie. Superman is not the red, yellow, and blue hero yet, so the movie shouldn’t look as if everything is hunky dory. It’s a film chock full of conflicting and shifting emotions for the main character, struggling to find his place in the world, and the gloom that follows him everywhere is evident on the screen.

Acting-wise, everyone does a fine job, though some better than others. Henry Cavill is definitely a little stiff at times, but his look is absolutely perfect. Amy Adams has been better, but at least you get a sense of her impulsivity and tenacity as Lois Lane. It's the supporting cast, however, that really shines.

Though he doesn’t have much screen time, Laurence Fishburne delivers suitable gravitas to his role as Daily Planet editor Perry White. Diane Lane brings a warmth to her very maternal Martha Kent. The scene where Clark reveals he has found his alien origin is heartbreaking. You can see she is happy for him, but terrified he may no longer feel the same way about his adoptive mother as before.

Opposite Lane is Kevin Costner, who plays Jonathan Kent. At first, I wanted to say this was a rather one-note character, and though he’s playing Clark’s adoptive father believably, I wanted to say, I thought he could have done better. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized the depth of his “one note”. Clark’s protection is his top priority. He contemplates whether or not letting a school bus full of kids drown to keep Clark’s secret is the right thing to do, and even forbids Clark from saving his life in the midst of a tornado, lest his secret be exposed. Costner plays Jonathan with such surety and love that you know there is nothing he would not do to protect his son.

Kneel, bitches.

On the other hand, Michael Shannon’s General Zod is an enjoyable villain, ruthless, and completely dedicated to carrying out his mission. While he could have been developed more, given more dimension, his death still has poignancy because of what we know about him by the end. He’s a soldier who cannot exist without a war, or people to serve, and he would rather choose suicide-by-Superman than an existence without purpose. His sidekick, the Kryptonian Faora-ul is played absolutely badassly by German actress Antje Traue. Zipping from victim to victim in the blink of an eye, Faora is just as ruthless as Zod, and even faster than Superman.She exudes the confidence of a warrior who goes into battle knowing victory is a foregone conclusion.

The action scenes deliver the appropriate thrills, and even a few emotional punches. Superman's first attempt at flight is at first a bit comic, then exciting, and ultimately absolutely thrilling. He circles the planet, traveling from an icy wasteland to the African wild in seconds with a look of utter joy on his face. And this scene in particular brings me to my next point.

Antje Traue - my future wife, I assume

The musical score is outstanding. Hans Zimmer’s work in key scenes really does its job perfectly. Superman’s first flight is made even more exuberant by the music, and the climactic battle in Metropolis, especially the final standoff between Superman and Zod is made all the more devastating by the quiet, doleful music in the background.

The film does make liberal use of flashbacks, and there are at least one too many of them. Almost all of them have to do with Clark struggling with his power in his youth, and that's a point that is made over and over again. However, none of the criticism I’ve laid out, whether it be stiff acting, a lack of some character development, or being too light in the editing bay are deal breakers. “Man of Steel” is an exciting movie, and a solid introduction to a completely different kind of Superman. Which is kind of the point I’ll make now, while I try to identify what causes such contrasting reactions to the movie.

Yes, people had problems with the utter destruction and chaos leveled upon Metropolis. But when you’re fighting for the fate of the entire world, even if Metropolis had been completely destroyed, the math is still on your side. And I submit that if two beings with the powers that Superman and Zod possess did go toe to toe, they’re going to leave a crater wherever they fight. However, I think it’s the fight’s ending that is one of, if not the biggest point of contention.

Superman kills Zod. “He’s not my Superman!” fans cried. Actually, yeah he is. Superman has killed before. Just in the handful of Superman comics I’ve read, Superman has killed Doomsday (twice!) and Mxyzptlk, and Brainiac. If you count alternate histories, he killed a shitload in Red Son, Flashpoint, and Injustice. In film, Zod , Ursa and Non are killed in Superman II (they’re rendered powerless and dropped off cliffs). Superman Returns shows him lifting a continent filled with kryptonite (uh huh) which causes earthquakes that kill Lex Luthor’s henchmen. So yeah…he’s still your Superman, even though he’s forced (and make no mistake, Zod FORCES Superman to kill him – that’s his intention) he doesn’t do it lightly. His anguished yell exposes his pain at killing the last of his species.

Divisive - adj. see film, Man of Steel (pictured above)

Let's rewind a moment and also take a look back at the 1978 film. In that film, Clark comes home one day and finds his father dead. That instills in him a childish idea; his power cannot save everyone. That it took the death of his father to teach him that lesson shows that he thought it was possible. Childish, yo. Then, Lois dies and Superman turns back time to save her, regardless of the potential consequences. Now, in "Man of Steel", Jonathan dies to keep Clark's secrets hidden. And in his battle with Zod, Superman is faced with a real moral quandary - stick to a no-killing policy, or let a human family get incinerated. The math isn't easy and there is no "right" answer. Either way, you leave with blood on your hands.

But aside from this plot point, perhaps this was just too different  a Superman, and Superman movie than people were expecting. Maybe audiences were not anticipating the somber tone or the slow, contemplative moments mixed in with the action. Like “The Dark Knight”, it’s the first Superman movie that didn’t have the word ‘Superman’ in the title. Why? Because the story isn’t about Superman. It’s about Clark Kent, and his journey from man to superman. We see through multiple flashbacks that he thinks of himself first as human, and even blames God for his gifts. When he isn't sure what to do, he goes to see a priest, not Jor-el (or that holographic Jor-el avatar) Even at the end of the movie, Clark fully embraces his kryptonian origin and takes his role as 'Superman' and 'hero' to heart. Yet, he still tells an army general “I grew up in Kansas…I’m about as American as it gets.” His body may be Kryptonian, but his heart and soul are very much human.

But to the audience, he’s always been the archetypal superhero. At peace with his power, fully confident in his actions, “the big, blue boy scout” had never been portrayed with any insecurity, a pinnacle of perfection in power and manner. Donner’s 1978 "Superman" emerged from the fortress of solitude as a fully formed hero; humble, quaint, a little bit goofy, a little bit childish. “Smallville” showed a Clark Kent who hid his power, but was comfortable with it, and even eager to show it off. He hadn’t yet put on the tights, but was still regularly performing heroic acts. He was Superman without the dual identity. As an audience, we've been conditioned to keep Clark and Superman separate in their identity, "Man of Steel" integrated them more than ever before. And perhaps audiences just weren’t ready for this more human and reluctant version of Superman.

I really do hope that the DC Extended Universe works out for everyone involved, the fans most of all. I hope Batman v Superman is wonderful. And I hope that with enough time, people will realize that this is not a terrible Superman movie. It’s a great prelude to what is coming next, certainly not perfect, but still very entertaining and true to the heart and spirit of the characters.

FINAL SCORE 7.25/10

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, the follow-up to this movie, hits theaters tomorrow night.

DAREDEVIL SEASON ONE REVIEW

He may be blind, but he can still kick your ass.

Warning: Here Be Spoilers - while not terribly explicit, there are some things in here that will spoil some shit if you haven't seen Season One of Daredevil. So...fair warning.

Daredevil Season Two drops this Friday. So let’s take a look back at the first collaborative effort between Marvel and Netflix, shall we?

Marvel’s first foray into television was rocky to say the least. Agents of SHIELD felt uneven, at best, and it wasn’t until Captain America: The Winter Soldier happened that the handcuffs were taken off and the show finally began to really feel like part of the MCU. Agent Carter did better, mostly because of the great work and charisma of Hayley Atwell. With the series set in the 40's instead of the present day, the show was free to stand on its own, unbeholden the Captain America story that spawned it.

Aliens attacked NY. That's all you need to know.

Daredevil follows that same template of freedom. The events of The Avengers happened, but at no point does it feel like you’re lost because you haven’t seen every movie in the MCU. The scale is smaller, yes, but the stakes are just as high. Daredevil isn't fighting an alien invasion. He's taking on street level thugs and trying to take down a mob boss. But that smaller scale gives Daredevil much greater freedom to explore his world fully. And it does so with great success.

The show is unbelievably watchable right from the jump. Though set in the present day, Daredevil inhabits a Hell’s Kitchen seemingly straight out of 1970’s New York. In real life, it's a high-rent, gentrified neighborhood. But here, it’s a dark, dank, gritty* dangerous place, where no one should walk alone, let alone a blind man.

*I am not using that word to describe in the Frank Miller/Sin City way, I’m saying this neighborhood looks bathed in grime and grit.

Overrun with crime, and damaged by the aftermath of 'The Avengers', a group of crime families

fronted by a mystery kingpin of crime band together to revamp Hell’s Kitchen into a place where they can all make a shit-ton of money. And if they have to kill a few people, sling some junk, and launder some money to do so? Eh, no big. But of course, there’s a thorn in their side: a masked man who keeps beating up thugs and crooks. At first, they don’t care. One man even welcomes this “devil of Hell’s Kitchen”, as he comes to be known. “I’m glad to hear there’s some new blood running around out there. Heroes and their consequences are why we have our current opportunities.”

And of course, in a neighborhood as dangerous and besieged as Hell’s Kitchen is, it takes a smoove operator to deal with this wretched hive of scum and villainy. And sweet Jesus, Daredevil can deal with them. The action in this series is amazing. Whether it’s an insane set piece in a hallway, a brutal beating between a bona fide ninja and our hero, a throw-down between a student and his mentor, or Daredevil and Kingpin going at it for all the marbles, every single hit, punch, kick, knife slash, or car-door-smashing-a-man’s-head-off feels real. And painful. Daredevil’s action scenes have weight to them.

None of which would really matter if the characters themselves don’t have weight. But thankfully, they do. So let’s discuss the acting in this series, because it’s top notch, yo.

"I fell down some stairs." 

I’ll admit, when I first heard Charlie Cox scored the role of Matt Murdock, I was more than slightly disappointed. All I knew him from was as the pretty boy goon of Nucky Thompson in Boardwalk Empire. And now this guy was supposed to play the master martial artist Daredevil?? I. Was. Wrong. Cox absolutely kills it. He is essentially playing three roles – Public Matt, Private Matt, and Daredevil. He plays all three with such confident ease that you can believe he's either a charming, blind lawyer, a morally conflicted man, unsure of the best way to seek our justice, or a gung-ho vigilante, who punches and kicks and leaps so fast, he can seemingly dodge bullets. For most of the season, he wears a black proto-costume (visually, it's straight out of the Frank Miller era). But Matt is such a fully realized character, that by the time he finally puts on the red horned costume in the season finale, it almost feels superfluous.

Foggy pitches woo on Karen, unaware of the OTC

Cox is not the only one bringing his A-game. Elden Henson plays Foggy Nelson with a sort of exuberant façade you can tell is used to cover his wavering faith in humanity. He's the kind of guy you'd probably be friends with. Deborah Ann Woll brings a warmth and tenderness to Karen Page, the long time love of Daredevil's comic life (no, it’s not Elektra). But there are hints at something much, much darker hidden in her past.

Ben Urich enjoys watching surgery. Maybe a little too much.

Rosario Dawson plays Claire Temple, a new incarnation of the Marvel character, Night Nurse. Claire finds Matt near death and patches him up. Then gives him useful advice on how to productively torture a Russian. One of my favorite supporting characters is played by Vondie Curtis-Hall. Playing investigative journalist Ben Urich, Curtis-Hall brings real depth to the role. It's clear Urich's been in the game too long, and even he knows it. Not that his talents have waned, but maybe his stomach has. He carries scars from all his big stories, and knows how bad things can turn out for his sources, constantly warning Karen, Foggy and Matt what might happen if they keep pushing for the story exposing the season's big-bad - Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin.

Vincent D'onofrio - Scary mofo

Vincent D’onofrio absolutely owns every single scene he’s in. He plays Fisk as an incredibly dangerous man, yet at times, he behaves like an overgrown baby. He's prone to temper tantrums and fits of rage. He speaks with a stunted cadence, as if he is choosing each word deliberately, so as to never be misunderstood, or worse, mocked. One episode delves deeply into his childhood in a heartbreaking way, and gives him the most depth we’ve seen an MCU villain get since the Shakespearean drama of Loki. He is introduced so slowly and methodically, that his name isn’t even mentioned for a few episodes. Saying his name is forbidden, and he is only referred to as “my employer” by his assistant and mouthpiece, Wesley.

Fisk is strong and brutal, more than capable of holding his own against Daredevil.** At one point he headbutts a man nearly to death. Another man meets his end in a most gruesome fashion just because he had the gall to interrupt Fisk on a date with his lady friend, Vanessa. Vanessa is played with a wonderful moral ambiguity and steadfast love by Ayelet Zurer. Of course the season ends with Fisk in jail at the hands of Daredevil, but Vanessa is in the wind, and likely looking for some retribution. Zurer definitely has the capability of summoning that whole fury like which hell hath none.

**If you've seen the show already, think about the fact that Daredevil is wearing protective armor in his final fight with Fisk and still only barely wins against a man who has just been in a serious car accident.

"What up, girl?" "Nuthin'. Thinkin' bout murder"

And of course there are the other supporting characters. Toby Leonard Moore is James Wesley, a man made confident by the knowledge of the much larger man behind him. Bob Gunton plays Leland Owlsley, Fisk’s snarky and constantly complaining money man. Scott Glenn brings his craggy face to the game as Stick, Matt’s less than sympathetic mentor who is more than willing to beat up a blind kid. The most mysterious is the heroin distributor, Madame Gao, played by Wai Ching Ho. She may or may not be human, or of Earth, but either way, this little old lady manages to punch Daredevil clean across a room, so she’s definitely more than what she seems.

You know how Netflix has the star rating, and each movie/tv show shows what the audience typically rates it? Daredevil’s five stars are all full up. Red as Communist Russia. And it’s accurate. Daredevil is an amazing show that got a fantastic first season. Visually rich, with top notch acting, great character development, balls to the wall, bone breaking action, and the intrigue of trying to both uncover and then take down a man so powerful that even fists and billy clubs don’t work on him – Daredevil realizes the full potential of a show with the freedom to do whatever it wants because it’s on Netflix.


FINAL SCORE 9.5/10

If you haven’t seen it, watch it, guys, seriously. And if you have, watch it again, because we’re about to get the goddamn PUNISHER! And Elektra! And The Hand! Friday can’t come soon enough for me.

Daredevil season one is currently available to stream on Netflix. Season 2 premieres in its entirety on March 18.

Bernthal > Jane > Lundgren 

Coming Soon!

I'm testing out some stuff, so I just want to say you can expect a look back on a couple of things.

Daredevil Season 2 drops this friday, so i'd like to do a retrospective of season one, as soon as possible.

And obviously, Batman v Superman comes out next week, so I'd really like to post my thoughts on that inexplicably divisive film (bottom line, I love it, why the hell doesn't everyone else?)

And since Batman is part of the follow-up to a Superman movie, I'd like to revisit the greatest movie trailer of ALL TIME!!

Hmm...This embedding shit ain't so hard after all. Thank you, jeebus!

The Blogger - who he is, and how he came to be

Every hero has an origin story. Parents murdered by a mugger. A radioactive spider bite. Gamma bomb. A baby in a basket, flung from the far reaches of space, along with - when you think about it - far too much irradiated material from said home planet

You know who else has an origin story? The mugger. The lazy exterminator who didn't do a good job on that radioactive lab gig. The dickhead who drove his car onto a bomb testing site. Those kryptonian douches who ignored Jor-el's warnings.  And me.

Also, this blog has its origins in every failed attempt I made at creating it before, in lost web addresses with better names, and in a conversation I had a while back about what I'd name my hypothetically owned comic shop.

"Park Row Comics" I arrogantly proclaimed! I wanted something that sounded mundane and rolled easily off the tongue, but also made an esoteric statement about my favorite superhero, esoterism being the preferred stock in nerd trade. Batman's parents were murdered in an alley of crime, properly known as Park Row.

Now, origins and intent are two entirely different things. Batman intended to rid Gotham of crime, but instead, he inspired others to don colorful outfits and wrest control away from a mob-friendly town. He inspired the clown. I think it was Shakespeare who said "the best laid good intentions of mice and Batmen oft times lead us straight to creating the Joker"?

So what is my intent here? To talk about all kinds of nerdy things. Comics, books, movies, tv shows, comic book movies and tv shows. To post my thoughts and opinions that I am certain the world cannot and should not live without. To eschew proper grammar.

Also, to force myself to write on a semi regular basis. To get back in the habit of doing so. To avoid work at times. To learn how to edit a simple blog and embed pictures and YouTube videos (because i seriously want to talk about movie trailers and how much i enjoy and respect them). And perhaps, if i'm lucky, somewhere down the line, develop a marketable skill. Because as of right now, I'm not being paid for my smartass remarks and pop culture references. And I call that a grave injustice.

As for content, you can expect reviews of various things (like I said, movies, trailers, comic books, TV shows (by episode or season, depending on how lazy i'm feeling). If a new movie is coming out in a franchise, you might get some reviews of its previous connected films in the days and weeks leading up to it. Sometimes, you might just catch me in a mood to discuss my favorite film of the 40's, or an in-depth retrospective on The Dark Knight Trilogy. You will definitely catch me discussing music (original scoring) a lot, as I'm very much into how that adds to both a movie, and even moreso lately, to trailers. Oh, and my scoring rhetoric on my reviews will be doled out on a scale of 10, and will have quarter point increments. Posts will vary in length. One thing I've always struggled with a bit, is expounding upon my reactions. I can't very well just post "Yeah, this movie is good" because that's boring as shit. So I'll try to go against my usual tendencies toward succinctness.

I hope that you like it. I hope that *I* like it. I hope I can keep it up and really put some effort into it. I will try, that much I promise you.

And you? You can only offer me something you fear I sorely lack...love.