Man of Steel Review

I went to a movie in the theater for the first time in two years.  The last movie I saw at a theater was Captain America and it was the day I went into labor with my now nearly two year old daughter.  Yesterday I was able to go to Man of Steel with my friend Ann.  I walked out of the movie with a couple of initial reactions.  First, I honestly had a headache.  The over-the-top epic battle scene that actually preceeded the final battle scene was sensory overload.  Both my friend and I had to recover from the chaos that ensued for a long period of time.  We both were exhausted by the time the final battle began.  That aside, I greatly enjoyed the movie.  It was not perfect.  The beginning moved a bit slow for me, but overall the movie had redeeming value, which is so difficult to find these days.

Both my friend and I were struck by the handsome quality of Henry Cavill as Superman.  I mean this in a non-lustful sort of way.  We both felt that he was masculinity and beauty personified, as if the statue of David would have been carved by a model of his physique. It reminded me of how beauty evangelizes and is a reflection of God the Creator. I said to Ann, "God did a good job creating that man."  Upon greater thought, I realized that his beauty stemmed from the character's desire to transform and to do what is right.  Sure the actor himself is handsome, but his character shined a different kind of light and beauty; his desire to be saintly.  There is nothing more attractive than holiness.  He may not have known that was the path he was trodding, but saintliness is the path he trods.  His self-sacrifice, love, and desire for good make Him shine forth the light of Christ.  There was no hiding Christ-like references in the film from his age of 33, to his cruciform pose at one point, and his battle with Zod that reminded me of the temptations of Christ in the desert.  In fact in that battle I was reminded of how Lucifer clenches his fists to grasp at power, while Christ opens his palms, stretches out, and gives himself freely to death on a Tree.  The director made no attempts to hide any Biblical similarities, which I appreciated.


I found the reviews of this film to be interesting.  Many critics complained that the movie was a brooding, Batman-esque movie, with a guy struggling to fit in.  It seems like critics don't want characters to go through dark nights of the soul.  They want their superheroes to be super without all of that introspection and journey nonsense.  They want more Iron Man and a little less Batman or Superman.  Critics do not want to see the path of holiness on the screen.  It is too difficult to watch and lacks the superficiality that the majority of movies are selling these days.  Can you imagine what it would be like for a man to find out that he is actually a member of an alien race?  Or how he would feel when he had to take the life of the only living member of his species to save humans?  To battle being an outcast and doing what is right?  What it would take to sacrifice himself for all of mankind?  I am afraid the critics of movies these days swim in the shallow end of the pool.

I personally enjoy though-provoking movies.  I am a thinker and I like art to ask the deeper questions of life.  After all art is meant to bring us to the deeper questions of life.  Why am I here?  What is the purpose of life?  What is love?  These questions are all asked in Man of Steel.  The special effects are amazing and are reminiscient of what we saw in Inception, Batman, and I guess 300 (never saw it as it was too gruesome for me).  I like that the movie is a journey.  That the character has to make some tough choices in order to become the man he is destined to be.  It is the path to holiness.  While I thought the scene could have been a lot deeper, I liked that Clark made a visit to a priest during his struggles.  He stood before a picture of Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane.  Clark is waiting in agony for his mission and purpose.  It is his moment in Gethsemane.  He must choose to 'take the chalice' or flee.  That is the choice we all must make.  Perhaps this film resonates well with people who have already chosen a path of faith.  Those of us who know that the journey is not light-hearted.  Yes, it has its moments of joy, but it is a difficult arduous path to take.  Love is always hard, but worth the battle.

I highly recommend the movie for its story.  It is long and has some slow moments.  You also may need to take an Advil with you.  I watched it in 2D because 3D is too much for me.  When you go, think about the path to holiness that Christ has laid out for each one of us.  You will walk away with a deeper appreciation and Our Lord will speak to you through this sci-fiction/action movie.