finally saw it today.
The father/son dynamic is a very strong theme and the reason is simple...because it's so obvious that superman has always been a creationist/spiritual story. krypton represents whatever there was before let there be light, jor-el is god, and kal-el is jesus. the idea that superman is "not of this world" isn't to show off what a badass he is. it's to illustrate that he doesn't connect or fit in here. his strengths and powers are seen as possible threats. his internal struggle is to find out what his purpose is. his father's wish is for him to save all of mankind.
that payoff is somewhat missing in an extraordinarily bombastic conundrum of a film. on the one hand it wants to be a self portrait of a christlike superbeing that doesn't know what to do with himself. and there's a pivotal moment between him and his earth father to do what's right versus do what he wants to do in his heart. then, it wants to be an action packed sci-fi yarn. it never really connects the two, it feels like it's 2 movies packed into one very small sardine can. and so we ultimately we have a clunky 3rd act that never seems to end.
this film also suffers from the "mini-boss syndrome". we don't need to see the henchmen fights long and drawn out. we know they're not going to pose a real threat.
and i agree with BC that there was a lot of hypocrisy on the part of superman to destroy a lot of what he's supposed to protect. sure it looks great but it's almost like they let michael bay in the editing room at the last minute.
when the film is patient and quiet, it's very nice. i really like the acting in the film. when it's trying to be "iron man" meets "thor" meets "the incredible hulk", it clangs and clangs...and the action is so standard and garden variety that it doesn't impress.
i wish the filmmakers would've chosen the former rather than the latter. it had the potential to be the best superman film ever made because some of it really captured what makes superman such a compelling story. it's not about his super powers. it's about him saving us from ourselves because we don't understand ourselves. he saves the world so we don't have to.
oh...and enough with the zoom shots. holy shit is that old and tired.
out of