Fittingly, the latest adaptation of America’s iconic superhero descends upon the nation on Flag Day. But Superman’s story opens far from our spacious skies and purple mountains. Man of Steel is an origin film, and as such it begins on Krypton, a red-hued planet home to the humanoid Kryptonians. The advanced race blends the style and social hierarchy of medieval Europe with highly advanced technology. Kryptonian leaders maintain power through population control, growing the next generation in a lab and engineering some to be statesmen, some to be warriors, others to be laborers. Despite this, Krypton is doomed. Severe resource mismanagement has left its core unstable and ready to erupt.
In the rushing first moments of Man of Steel, Kryptonian general Zod (Michael Shannon) rebels against the planet’s rulers in an attempt to gain control and rescue the “worthy” Kryptonians before time runs out.
Against this hastily established backdrop, Jor-El (Russell Crowe) and his wife Lara (Ayelet Zurer) give birth to the first naturally born Kryptonian in ages, a son named Kal-El. With Krypton deteriorating around them, Jor-El decides to send his son away from the planet, out into the galaxy. In the high-tech equivalent of Moses’ reed basket, baby Kal-El rockets toward a younger, innocent and less advanced place — Earth — occupied by an inferior race — us. Jor-El’s hope is that his son — who will be “a god” to humanity — will be able to save the Kryptonian race from extinction. His mother worries that the people of Earth will fear what they don’t understand, and try to kill him. Krypton implodes soon after, leaving the story to determine which parent is right.
From the dust of his crash-landing in the fields of Kansas, Kal-El rises as Clark Kent (Henry Cavill), the adopted son of Jonathan (Kevin Costner) and Martha (Diane Lane) Kent. Clark is a different character for producer Christopher Nolan and director Zach Snyder. He’s pure. But Superman is also serious. It’s enough for Nolan and Snyder to latch onto, and so, with a chiseled Cavill wearing the cape, the movie quickly finds its pacing. Snyder tells in interspersed flashbacks how the young Clark, an all-American farmer’s son, grew up in rural America and then struck out on his own to uncover his identity, embarking on a journey of self-discovery not unlike Bruce Wayne’s in Batman Begins. Along the way he unleashes his strength in rare moments, exuding Terrence Malick-style beauty — including once to save Lois Lane (Amy Adams), an intrepid reporter who eventually becomes his love interest. Through it all Biblical comparisons and DC universe references abound, the discovery of which are part of the movie’s fun.
But just part. The rest comes with the return of Zod and a few surviving rebels. Their mission — to remake Krypton on Earth — forces Kal-El to choose between the world he came from and the one he’s come to call home.
This leads to a series of explosive battles between the Kryptonians and Superman, and the reason for Man of Steel’s magnificence. The Kryptonians smash, punch, ram and hurl each other through the town of Smallville and the city of Metropolis, until both are left in smoldering ruins. As they fight, a terraformer converts Earth into a new Krypton. Nolan’s influence is clear in the Inception-like toppling of buildings. Snyder’s comes through when the Kryptonians massacre American troops, with sped-up and slowed-down violence reminiscent of 300, and in the colors, from the beautiful imploding Metropolis to the red-hued Krypton. It’s all shot much less hastily and with fewer cuts than the average action movie.
Missing from Man of Steel is the easy comedy of Marvel’s movies. No one in this cast is known for their comic acting; their few attempts at humor are silly and awkward. And the proper language and mannerisms of the Kryptonians leave some scenes feeling wooden. But the lengthy film rarely diverts from the singular establishing plot of Superman rising, so moments of weakness are as rare in the movie as in the man. Granted, some of the story’s explanations about Kryptonian technology could be more fleshed out. But the movie’s not really about that. It’s about a symbol. Like our flag, Superman’s S speaks to America’s hope in our heroes. Be they caped or camouflaged, they’re worth remembering this Flag Day.
Darin Miller is a film critic in Washington, D.C.