Man Of Steel [Superman] [Blu-ray] [2013] [Region Free]

This movie has had a mixed reception so I'll get to the point.I liked it. A lot.Much of the criticism springs from the fact the writer and director attempted to do something a little different. Not a lot, but enough to upset some people. Me, I like different. I particularly like recent tv series which have taken something traditional and made it new again. Examples: Elementary -ex-substance abuser Sherlock Holmes in modern New York with Dr Joan Watson, Dracula, and Sleepy Hollow.Man of Steel isn't as remotely daring which is hardly surprising as there are certain basics regarding the Superman mythos that you do not mess with. And they haven't. Just tweaked it a little.Krypton (a well designed Krypton) is very much front and centre here. Just as Jor-El (an excellent Russell Crowe, and rather than repeat an adjective from this point on every time I mention an actor's name imagine it prefaced with excellent) is telling the wrinklies of the council that Krypton is about to blow up, General Zod (Michael Shannon who is even better than excellent) announces he's taking over the government from these wrinklies who've let a great society decline. He and Jor-El get cross with each other. Jor-El hurries home to launch baby Kal to Earth and gets killed by Zod. Krypton blows up. This takes about 20 minutes and is very exciting.You know what happens next. Kindly couple etc. Then lots of flashbacks. Young Clark has problems controlling and hiding his powers. Young adult Clark leaves home to explore the world, takes on a variety of labouring/menial jobs and is well on his to becoming an urban legend as a result of helping people in unexpected ways. He's 33 by the time he meets Lois Lane up in Canada's Arctic Circle where an alien craft has been found buried in 18,000 year old ice. It's a Kryptonian deep space probe. Clark accesses it by means of a Kryptonian key which contains a digital copy of his father and all is revealed about his origin. Lois...Okay, okay, enough spoilers. Let's just say that after fully accessing his powers, Zod and his cohorts arrive in search of Kal-El and wanting to terraform Earth into Krypton. Too bad about the original inhabitants (us). Lots of fighting happens. Spectacular fighting. Really really amazingly spectacular fighting. Your eyeballs will explode.I think you get the idea.But while it's an enormous spectacle of a movie, it's also a very human one. Jor-El is a more compassionate and humane figure than he's been portrayed in the past. Zod is not a psychopath but someone who is unable to transcend the role he was genetically created to occupy. Kal is the first natural (and secret) birth on Krypton in centuries, all other babies are created in exo-wombs and designed to fit into a particular niche. So Zod is not a villain in the sense that Terrence Stamp's Zod was but someone who can only see one way. Michael Shannon, an actor I'm unfamiliar with, is terrific in the role, imbuing it with an intensity which makes the word "intensity" seem completely inadequate.And in Henry Cavill we have a Superman for the new century -dignified, charismatic, compassionate- who has the physique to make the character believable. In this first film, there is no difference between Clark Kent and Superman, the latter not appearing until some time into the film. And at this point I really ought to mention the laudable performances of Kevin Costner and Diane Lane as Clark's true parents who are responsible for him becoming the man he ends up as. And Amy Adams is a good Lois Lane.Next up is Superman/Batman with Ben Affleck as you know who. Can't wait.There are three behind the scenes extras on the Blu-Ray. Two are reasonably substantial and interesting, the third (you'll know it when you see it) is neither.

Good film thank you

Must admit, other than Disney Comics, DC's Superman comic series was, from an early age, a firm favourite when growing up.This the first of a new beginning from director and writer Zack Snyder.....The story starts during the final days of planet Krypton when we see Jor-El (Russell Crowe) the father of Kal-El/ Clarke Kent/Superman (Henry Cavill /young Clarke - Dylan Sprayberry) make the decision in the knowledge Krypton's days were now few to locate a place far away to transport his new-born son too, giving him a chance of life.However, General Zod (Michael Shannon) try's to prevent Jor-El from doing so, and when he does promises that he will, however long it takes find Kal-El.General Zod and his followers after committing treachery against the state are sentenced to exile in the Phantom Zone.The young Kal-El lands upon his fathers chosen destination on a farm in Kansas and is found and raised by Jonathan Kent (Kevin Costner) and his wife Martha (Diane Lane)Though Jonathan realizes early-on that Clarke as Kal-El is known by has unusual power he does everything in his power to protect his adopted son from the World becoming aware.Clarke now a young man though having occasions to use his powers manages to remain invisible, it is now that he has his first encounter learning of who he is and meeting a hologram of his real father deep below the artic icecap and where he first comes across reporter Lois Lane (Amy Adams)Lois will promise to keep Clarke's secret until he's ready to show the World who he really is, which will not be so far off as the banished General Zod and his followers arrive determine to bring Kal-El back into the fold and create a new Krypton on planet Earth at the expense of its inhabitants.General Zod and his followers have similar powers to that of Superman, the battle begins, though not wanting to destroy his distant past Clarke will have to make difficult choices to protect the people he'd grown-up around.Will Superman prevail against all odds?For me, this action-packed, CGI wonder is far and away the best of the Zack Snyder trilogy and yes, is greatly enhanced on the 4k Format....a spectacle to behold, well worth the upgrade investment.

Good film.

Style pretty much defined this version of Superman. The music is brilliant. The visuals are brilliant. I really like the more human, emotional representation of Superman and the villain, Zod, is quite exceptional.A 4 star film for me, with the potential to have been a 5 (on Amazon if you like something you give it 5), this could have been something ridiculously special with some tweaks and reshoots in my opinion. Some strange pacing/scene sequencing at times, sometimes almost too much destruction, things like this let it down.Synders films can be all over the place in terms of quality, with certain aspects being 'best in the business' for this and that, and other things falling through quite a bit, so it's understandle that his films can be quite polarising. While I wish this could have been what I feel it had the potential to be, I can still appreciate it for what it is, and thats a very stylish, moody, and intense version of Superman that nicely offers something different to the also brilliant, but equally flawed in its own ways, Reeves version, which focused a lot more on Superman as a symbol of all that is pure and good etc.Side note:There was a major issue with the actual delivery of this item. It was bought new, yet came completely shattered. The disc survived in a playable state, but I of course was still not happy about the state it arrived in. Amazon customer service did however handle this very well.