The incarnation of Superman from comic book pages to the big screen has seen its fair share of ups and downs through the years. Beginning successfully with a career-defining role for the late Christopher Reeve, 1978 saw the dawn of DC Comics’ Kryptonian superhero and fans worldwide embraced the first son of Krypton.
Inevitably, a sequel came two years later and too garnered success in doubling its box office takings. Presenting fans with Zod and his minions, along with a return for Lex Luthor, the sequel upped the stakes and consequently reaped the rewards.
As a third Superman adventure came to fruition in 1983, the franchise began to wane as it head down a previously uncovered ground in mixing fantasy adventure with comedy, something audiences were clearly unsatisfied with. Despite thrusting Richard Pryor into the limelight, the Superman franchise fell into a steady decline and when Superman IV fell to its knees in terms of quality, it was time for the doors to close on the hero.
Fast forward to 2006 and Brian Singer attempted to bring Supes back to where he belonged – the big screen. Unfortunately, it somewhat reached audiences with a lackluster vibe, unable to capture lashings of superhero action, opting more for development in the relationship with Lois Lane and her child. Once again, Superman had hit the rocks and now it is down to Zack Snyder, under the wing of producer Christopher Nolan, to revitalize DC Comics’ hero.
Immediately drafting together a cast that includes the likes of Russell Crowe, Henry Cavill, Kevin Costner and Michael Shannon, Man Of Steel appears to be setting us on the right tracks for a truly remarkable return for Clark Kent and his alter ago. With Crowe set to portray strong Kryptonian father, Jor-El and Henry Cavill in the tights and cape of Superman himself, the film has the foundations in place to offer fans what they have been craving for some time.
Exceptionally well-crafted personnel-wise in front of the camera, Man Of Steel also boasts a positive outlook from its team behind camera. Zack Snyder, although often damned for his over-use of slow motion in his films, has the potential to thrust Superman into the 21st century with a bang. Having already tackled the superhero movie that many thought was impossible to make, Watchmen, Snyder is already a heavyweight in producing within the genre, and coupling great action with gripping characters, he could well be the man best suited to the job.
Backed by Batman’ savior Christopher Nolan, on production duties, Snyder has the perfect back-up. A man who breathed fresh new air into Batman and made the franchise into one of the best-selling ever, Nolan is undoubtedly DC’s go-to man and in his involvement with Man Of Steel we could see yet another hero shone once again by the limelight.
Having already witnessed a teaser trailer for the release next year, fan reaction has been somewhat positive towards the return of the hero. The trailer, featuring two fantastic voice-overs from both father figures, edged in a new era for Superman; a rough-edged Clark Kent seen on a fishing boat seemingly far from the life we know him to having. Building slowly to a shot of the famous hero shooting into the sky, red and blue covering him, it teased and it thrilled, and it certainly left a mark.
“Can Man Of Steel” emulate those failed efforts before it? I certainly think so, and with a familiar evil in Zod, played by the superb Michael Shannon, it has a villain that is sure to create waves. Shannon is a man growing in familiarity in the movie world and his recent performances in Take Shelter and TV show Boardwalk Empire clearly represent his versatility and strength as an actor. Terence Stamp’s Zod is to this day defining but with Shannon ready for action a new infamous portrayal of the villain could well be on the horizon.
Hitting screens later next year, “Man Of Steel” is no doubt a highly coveted and anticipated event and it is my belief that it will be amongst the best films of the year. A bold statement I know, but in Snyder, Nolan and the acts involved in the project I cannot see anything but greatness for the Superman franchise once again.
