Man of Steel

Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Russell Crowe

Directed by Zack Snyder

Rating: B+

Don't be fooled by the blue spandex and red cape, this Superman reboot is actually worth watching. With a little help from producer Christopher Nolan, "Man of Steel" feels like another "Dark Knight" movie but is far from it.

In this new Superman film, the audience gets a little more background on the planet Krypton, where Kal-El (aka Clark Kent) (Cavill)  is from. The movie starts out with Jor-El (Crowe) warning the higher authority of Krypton that the planet is about to be destroyed, and that he can save their race by sending his natural born son to a safe place. Jor-El's confrontation with General Zod (Shannon) is fatal, but he has at least saved his son from the same fate the planet will soon suffer.

Skipping ahead to his adulthood, Clark briefly flashbacks to important events during his childhood, mostly where his adoptive father warns Clark not to use his powers in public. The world isn't ready for someone like Clark, until danger from outside the planet threatens human existence. General Zod's appearance picks up the pace for the film, but it's not just Zod who takes the spotlight. Faora-Ul (Antje Traue) was one of Zod's soldiers trapped in a black hole as punishment for treason on Krypton. Faora is one of Zod's only soldiers to go out and kick butt. Lois Lane (Adams) is another female role that isn't primarily a damsel in distress. Lane isn't a soldier, in combat she needs saving. Her attitude isn't helpless, she goes back to the action rather than avoid it, but Lane is the one to help Clark defeat Zod.

At two-and-a-half hours, this movie is either going to drag on for some viewers or the time will fly by as fast as Superman can. It's hard to accomplish Clark Kent's background and get to the villain soon without rushing a few of the story lines. Snyder could have eased on the heavy-action packed scenes towards the end to focus more on Clark's childhood discovering his powers, or the treason committed by Zod in the first place. During Superman and Zod's up-in-the-air battle, they smash each other into city buildings and ruin the parts of Metropolis that hadn't been damaged by Zod's gravity machine.

Not quite a masterpiece, "Man of Steel" is still a better reboot compared to DC's previous try with "Superman Returns" in 2006. It's the most realistic of Superman movies. This film leads to a potential sequel either with Superman himself or the "Justice League" that isn't due for a release until 2015. It's hard to ignore the Nolan influence integrated in "Man of Steel" from Hans Zimmer's soundtrack to the stunning cinematography. Also using Zod as the main villain was the perfect set-up for a potential sequel, where Metropolis lies in ruins and Lex Luthor could be the next candidate as villain while he helps rebuild the city.

So unsure of whether to go see "Man of Steel"? Ask yourself this: if you liked the tone of Nolan's Batman trilogy, you will probably enjoy this reboot.

Watchmen

Malin Akerman, Billy Crudup, Matthew Goode, Jackie Earle Haley, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Patrick Wilson

Directed by Zack Snyder

Rating: 4 stars

"Who watches the Watchmen?"

In an alternate 1985 where superheroes existed, someone is killing off the vigilantes one by one. The second generation of Watchmen were forced to retire under a law banning masks. Rorschach (Jackie Earle Haley) is suspicious that someone is killing off the Watchmen and goes on his own to find the culprit. On the other hand, Dr. Manhattan (Billy Crudup) is helping Adrian Veidt (Matthew Goode) on a secret project while America is counting down on the clock to Doomsday, where America is under a nuclear missile threat by Russia.

Watchmen is a movie brilliantly put together. From the special effects to the plot, the director, Zack Snyder, did an overall great job. Though the film is missing some parts from the graphic novel, it stayed pretty faithful to the book. I read the graphic novel after watching the movie and it was so easy to picture it. I would recommend going to the library or buying it. The cast was picked pretty good and they look close to how the characters are portrayed in the novel. Though Watchmen might feel like a bit of a long movie (about two and-a-half hours) it's not a painful length. I really liked it and I would recommend this movie to people who liked 300 or the Dark Knight. Watchmen, for the most part, is full of action and keeps the dialogue going. However, it is rated R for a good reason. The violence is a bit too strong for anyone under sixteen and there are two sex scenes as well as language. Overall, the movie was really good but I would be careful as to letting anyone younger than sixteen view this film.