Rafael Hurtado
The planet Krypton has gone into chaos due to internal conflicts among
its inhabitants. Jor-El (Russell Crowe) and Lara (Ayelet Zurer) are
forced to send their only son Kal-El (Henry Cavill) to Earth in order
to save it, and at the same time, ensure the survival of their species
in another galaxy.
Kal’s spaceship lands in a town called Smallville, where he is adopted
by Jonathan (Kevin Costner) and Martha (Diane Lane) Kent. Shocked by
the gradual discovery of his superhuman powers, Kal (now called Clark),
with the help of his alleged parents, devotes his adolescence to
understanding the reason and origin of his existence.
The investigation of his alien origins brings him to meet Lois Lane
(Amy Adams) who urges him to continue the search for his own identity.
At the same time, his father’s old rival, General Kryptonian Zod
(Michael Shanon), invades Earth with a thirst for revenge and
destruction.
In this new and much awaited version of the classic Superman
story, attention is given to extended dialogues that, though are shown
only through intelligent holograms, manifest the close relationship
forming between Clark and his father Jor-El. The putative fatherhood of
Jonathan Kent is shown as patient and heroic through bitter
conversations and fatal sacrifices. Though we are used to seeing
innocence and fragility in the “man of steel” through his maturing
years (thanks to the series Smallville), the film leaves
little room for the imagination to project itself on Clark’s life, full
of challenges during his childhood and adolescent years.
The struggles, digital animation, costumes and Kryptonian armor are at
the height of a great science fiction, such as those produced by
Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight Trilogy and Inception). In the end, the career of Clark Kent as reporter
for the Daily Planet takes shape, side by side with Lois Lane, so that
Superman can keep his eyes fixed upwards and his feet on the ground.
Rafael Hurtado, PhD. Humanities Department. Universidad
Panamericana-Guadalajara (Mexico)
