So I dashed down to Leicester Square after work, met up with Son1 and lovely reviewer friend who also had tickets and embarked on what turned out to be quite an experience...
In 3D, full Dolby Surroundsound and only two rows from the front (we got there a little late!!) at the Odeon's mammoth screen, it was an epic movie on an epic scale...
Henry Cavill was completely gorgeous (as expected) and gave a surprisingly subtle and nuanced lead performance, Michael Shannon also excelled as his nemesis General Zod. But all in all the film was WAYYYY too long, there was no chemistry between Amy Adams as Lois Lane and the gorgeous Henry and while the action was A-MazeBalls, it eventually became too A-Mazeballs (some guy behind us projectile vomited over the woman next to Son1! See what I mean about an experience!)...
The story of the alien child brought up by humans was told with a completely straight face - so straight in fact it could have been Mount Rushmore. There were few jokes, little banter and no irony whatsoever, which worked so well in Iron Man (and the earlier Christopher Reeve super-movies)... And after being preached at for over an hour by Superman's two Dads (Russell Crowe as the super one and Kevin Costner as the Kansas farmer!) about young Clark's place in the human world and the fall of Krypton and etc, etc, etc, I was crying out for a bit of levity. Even a smidgen...
There were also numerous plot holes - but I'll admit I was so bombarded by all the sensory stimulation I didn't actually pick them up until the tube ride home, so maybe they don't matter...
SPOILER ALERT FOR THIS PARAGRAPH: I also felt it was a mega-mistake to have Lois discover Superman's human identity in this movie... It would have been hard to work the plot out otherwise, so I can see why they did it. But there's a clear set-up for Clark to join the Daily Planet in the next film, but if Lois already knows about Clark's super-alter-ego, they lose all that delicious sexual tension. And talking of the Daily Planet, what the heck has happened to Larry Fishburne?? Almost didn't recognise him. And what's he doing in such a throwaway role as the Planet's editor, for such a great actor! But I digress...
I left feeling like it was a film from a bygone era with 21st-century trimmings. Superman perhaps with his invincibility and total, almost oppressive, moral perfection is not an easy figure for modern, more cynical audiences to identify with.... Basically, it's like trying to relate to a god!
Would happily go see it again just for the HC fix, (Henry does look mighty good in that suit sans underpants) but not sure that's what the filmmakers intended.
My takeaway: Henry should soooo do the Fifty Shades of Grey movie. Apart from the fact that he's clearly got the acting chops (and Christian Grey's boyish smile, extraordinary face and buff body), he does not want to get typecast as this exceptionally-straight-to-the-point-of-monolithic Mr Nice Guy! A bit of bad boy would do wonders for his resume. Would you agree?
