Man of Steel

I'm reviewing the Man of Steel trailer well in advance of its summer release because I keep seeing the trailer at the movies and on DVD rentals...

Just so I don't have to say it again, I began my review for Oz: The Great and Powerful with this...

"Here we go...  another prequel.

I really don't like films (trailers anyway) that smell of prequel, sequel or terribly unequal to anything creative or original....  Maybe I should paint The Mona Lisa 2: The Day Before.  Then I could paint The Mona Lisa 3: The Day After. Well, I can't paint and if I could would anyone buy it? What would this blog be if not for my occasional rant?"

So, maybe I'm not so bright and it's yet another remake but it kind of feels like a prequel.

I'm sure I've written on this blog, somewhere and likely several times, that remakes happen so quickly that a generation isn't even given the opportunity to savour the previous version of a film.  Cases in point: The Hulk, Spider Man and even Batman - though Christopher Nolan's vision made Tim Burton's vision look like the blind leading the naked....

While I love comic book movies, I very much struggle with sequel after prequel after remake.  Superman is a comic book and screen icon.  He is the ultimate superhero because he is virtually indestructible. He has been around longer than most of our grandparents and even our grandparents know who he is.  We all know the story, too.  Something to the effect of.... in an effort to save their son from their dying planet Mr. and Mrs. Superman send their son to earth.  He is found by a farming couple, the Kents, and raise him as a human... but he isn't human... at some point he becomes Superman.

The Superman comic dates back to the 30's followed by radio in the 40's and the first movie and TV series in the 1950's.  YES, WE ALL KNOW THE STORY.

SO WHY TELL IT AGAIN?????????????????????????

Here end-ith the rant.

The trailer for Man of Steel looks at a young Clark struggling with his powers.  It shows a common human struggle for identity and hard lessons learned in the quest for it.  It paints a picture of an extraordinary being, guided by his step-parent's love and fear, struggling with his own greatness to be only mediocre.  He says, "my father felt that if the world knew what I was, they would reject me..."  Sad words for a child to live by.

The trailer for Man of Steel showed something that the other Superman films only touched on (I can't speak for any of the TV shows because I've never viewed any of them): the internal battle Superman fights to become who he is meant to be. This is a strong message and it is universal.  Anyone that has ever overcome adversity can relate.  The greater the struggle and the more difficult the road, however, the sweeter the victory. Being "right" or "winning" can also be bittersweet as there are always sacrifices.

Perhaps this is the message that Man of Steel is trying to relay.  It worked, at least on me.  As much as I wanted to hate this trailer, I couldn't help but be moved by it.  It...was...a...really... good trailer. Zack Snyder and Christopher Nolan are masters.

I guess one can compare Man of Steel to Batman Begins... but that's another discussion.

And as much as I want to hate it for being a remake that looks like a prequel, the trailer gave me the crunchies (goosebumps)... and that alone is pretty spectacular because I only get the crunchies when zombies are near...

Yeah, I will see this movie.