My husband and I saw “Man of Steel” in 3-D yesterday, and think that it would be a fun movie for families to see together on Father’s Day weekend (especially those with boys). We appreciated that there were Christian themes throughout the PG-13 film, and although there was quite a bit of violence in the movie, we were glad that it didn’t seem to have nudity or sexual innuendos. Although it didn’t go beyond our expectations, we felt that “Man of Steel” was a good movie with great visual graphics.
Plot (B-):
This was a different spin on Superman – the plot focused mainly on the superhero’s discovery of his identity instead of the typical display of his power as popular superhero. We appreciated that the movie had flashbacks of Superman’s childhood as well, portraying how Clark Kent’s heightened senses and powers made him different from the other children growing up. It also revealed a good bit about Kent’s biological parents and the history of his home planet, Krypton.
The movie was entertaining, but had several fight scenes which seemed a little redundant. It is basically an action movie with a little bit of romance and a plethora of visual effects. There were a few twists to the typical story of Superman – for instance, Lois Lane knew Superman’s identity early on in the movie, and few knew about the superhero until his enemy invaded planet earth and demanded that he surrender.
Graphics (A+):
The visual effects in the film were great, from the fight scenes to the detail in the surroudings – we would definitely recommend seeing the movie in 3-D!
Cast/Acting (A-):
The movie had an all-star cast, and we thought that the actors were a good match for their characters. The role of Superman was played by Henry Cavill, who also starred in “Tristan & Isolde” and in “Red Riding Hood.” Amy Adams starred as Lois Lane, a confident and star reporter for the Daily Planet. Russell Crowe played Jor-El, Superman’s biological father, and Clark Kent’s adopted parents were played by Kevin Costner and Diane Lane.
Christian Values (A):
We thought that the film had good moral content – the movie didn’t seem to undermine Christian values, and there were quite a few Christian themes in the plot. Clark Kent embodied many attributes of our Savior, Jesus Christ – for instance, he had incredible strength as Superman, but chose to be meek. This theme was seen throughout the movie – Kent was picked on as a young boy, yet he did not fight back when he could have easily crushed his opponents. As an adult, the superhero was mocked by others, yet did not retaliate. In a similar way, Jesus Christ was mocked and beaten by His enemies, yet the Author of Life did not assert Himself (see John 18:1-11, Matthew 26:47-56).
Superman was not of this world – a sojourner on earth, just like the children of God are. Kent saves an enemy from drowning, and Jesus saved us when we were yet sinning against Him (Romans 5:6-11). His father told him that he would give the world hope and give human beings a standard to strive for, though they would fail to do so perfectly. What a beautiful picture of sanctification – Jesus Christ is our Perfect Example, and we are being made more into His image as we mature in our faith. Though we fail frequently, God’s Spirit changes believers from one degree of glory to the next (see 2 Corinthians 3:18).
The film also had a hint of a pro-life agenda, saying that the demise of the Kryptonians’ morality started with planned population control. General Zod boasted that the Kryptonians’ “evolutionary advantage” over humans was the fact that Kryptonians didn’t have morality. When General Zod was defeated, he vowed to take the humans that Kent had “adopted” from him, one by one. It reminds Christians that our enemy, though defeated, is filled with hatred for and a desire to wound God’s children. Our only hope in this battle is that Jesus Christ died and rose to redeem us – He is the true Savior of the world.
