Man of Steel (2013): Fangirling

When I watch a film based on a book/comic/real life, I believe that there should be some leeway in terms of faithfulness. While it's true that a film would have been enriched if [character/scene/chapter] had been included, it wouldn't make a difference to me if I know nothing of the source material. Of course, I sympathize with the purists, but please, it's just a film. A film that almost all people who like men will enjoy staring at watching.

The best thing about Man of Steel is, in my wholly biased opinion, Henry of Cavill. Cavill is broad of shoulder, cleft of chin, and wavy of hair. He is also tight of butt and shapely of calves. May I also mention that he is quite handsome and has a smile that can light up a room and make your toes curl?

Why yes, I do like apple pie. Your apple pie. (Pic via Fiz Z Entertainment; the hi-res version is almost life-size [just kidding])

In the course of "researching" this blog, I discovered that Cavill, last seen in the execrable The Immortals (2011) and the meh Cold Light of Day (2012), apparently went on a 5000-calorie per day diet plus strength regimen for the role, in addition to growing his own beard. In the process, he trumped Benedict Cumberbatch's 4000-calorie per day prep for Star Trek Into Darkness. I think this might be the start of some ugly one-upmanship between British actors...

As Lois Lane, Amy Adams has yet to shake off comparisons to Isla Fisher, who plays characters as bubbly and sparky as Adams' characters are brittle and somehow bitter. Which is strange, considering Adams has played a live-action Disney princess and Fisher has not.

Stranger still is how Lois Lane just fades into the background when she shares a scene with Faora-Ul (Antje Traue). As she isn't a man hater, film!Faora is probably one of the aspects of Man of Steel that irks canonists the most. 

Even so, you can't deny that hoping that she and Colonel Hardy (a bulked-up Christopher Meloni) would find common ground, paving the path to friendship and something more... perhaps. Slashers, don't let me down.

As complete fluff, the film doesn't stand up to scrutiny. A second viewing is hard to sit through (Enfant Terrible and I did) when you realize how some parts just drag, even with the prospect of seeing his Hairy Chestiness of Cavill again (in my case, anyway). I'm not even sure if the fight scenes are worth the wait, thrilling as they are.

Nevertheless, the first viewing was quite entertaining because everything was new to me: it's fascinating how Superman manages to keep all that chest hair while being clean-shaven and twinkly. Not that I'm complaining, because, well:

Oh dear, you appear to have fallen into some baby oil. Let me help you wipe it off. (Pic from Daily Mail UK; article contains video!)