![]() ![]() Zod and his cronies are banished - a sentence that ultimately saves the troop of villains when Krypton implodes. ![]() ![]() ![]() During a failed coup attempt by General Zod ( Michael Shannon), Jor-El is killed - but not before his wife launches their newborn son to the distant planet Earth. Unlike all the other babies on Krypton - who are engineered by a codex to be workers, warriors, leaders, or scientists - baby Kal-El was made the old-fashioned way, by the planet's head scientist, Jor-El ( Russell Crowe), and his wife, Lara ( Ayelet Zurer). MAN OF STEEL begins with the origin story of Superman's birth on Krypton. Expect plenty of messages about good and evil and identity and what it means to be a hero ultimately this is a story about the duality of Superman's life (part Clark Kent, part Kal-El), as symbolized by his two fathers. Product placements are limited to IHOP, which is shown a few times, and Nikon (but there are more than 100 off-screen licensing deals/promotions in place globally for the movie). Language is infrequent but includes occasional use of "s-t," "d-k," and "ass." The romance even tamer: Lois Lane and Superman hold hands and kiss twice in one scene. There's definitely a lot of violence (including a destroyed planet, necks being broken, hand-to-hand combat that results in deaths, and - possible spoiler alert - Superman actually killing an enemy), but it's more macro than micro in scale: buildings topple, the sea crashes down, planes plummet, etc. This is important to consider, whether it's reasonable for Kal-El to understand who Superman is from the moment he walks out of the Fortress of Solitude or should he be given time to learn.Parents need to know that Man of Steel, the latest take on the legendary Superman character, is darker than the classic Superman films but lighter (and less bloody) than The Dark Knight trilogy. Finally, there are questions of tone and character, about if the fundamentals of Superman were stripped away. One of the largest discussions it starts is the inevitable comparisons to Marvel. While this provides engaging discourse, comparing one to the other based on similar merits doesn't quite hold up.Īnother debate centers around the consideration for human life, which is absolutely warranted: Superman's battle with Zod put thousands of lives in danger, something he must understand and learn from. After all, movies that generate healthy discussions are typically worthwhile to revisit. Man of Steel may only be known to some as the ill-fated kick-start to the Justice League, but that detracts from the larger conversations it initiates. ![]()
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