Writer: Lester Gan Wai Lun

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Watch this if you liked: "Superman" franchise

"Man Of Steel" is a reboot to the Superman franchise retelling the 80-year-old tale of how this beloved superhero came to be, and who else better to tell such a tale than the visionary Zack Snyder ("300" & "Watchmen"). Not forgetting Christopher Nolan ("The Dark Knight") as the story producer and David S. Goyer as the screenwriter, this film tries its best to revive the franchise to its former glory because let's face it, Superman is probably the least raved about superhero of the past decade especially with Batman stealing all his thunder and the people at Marvel producing bigger hits.

We start off in the planet of Krypton, witnessing the birth of Kal-El (Superman) as his world is on the brink of destruction due to the over mining of their land's natural resources by the planet's rulers. Jor-El (Russell Crowe, Kal-El's father) manages to secure an escape pod for his son and sends him off to Earth along with a code that will ensure Krypton's survivability. General Zod, although shares the same views as Jor-El in disagreeing with the planet's rulers, decides to take matters into his own hands through misguided ways, but soon gets captured and sent to the Phantom Zone. A rather lengthy introductory setup one might say, but simply necessary for the further development of the story.

Fast forward roughly 30 years later, you see Clark Kent (Superman's earth name) jumping through (not literally) one job after another struggling to find his identity. We go back and forth between flashbacks of his childhood and each new job he has to acquire to preserve his identity. One day, he finally meets Lois Lane (Amy Adams) and a Krypton scouting ship that landed on earth 20,000 years ago, and that is when the story finally begins.

The casting of "Man Of Steel" is without a doubt great. The main man Henry Cavill is a great representation of Superman more so than his infamous predecessor Brandon Routh. His smile, his good-guy looks, and the incredible physique will definitely send blushes through the faces of countless imaginative ladies out there, though the first impression of Amy Adams as Lois Lane wasn't a "wow!", but you will learn to love her as the fearless cunning reporter from The Daily Planet that she's meant to be, and by the end of things, you'd want her in the next "Superman" film as well. Michael Shannon as General Zod is especially captivating; he was incredibly intimidating without even trying. Among others to look out for is the editor and chief of The Daily Planet, Perry White (Laurence Fishburne), Kevin Costner as Jonathan Kent and Diane Lane as Martha Kent.

Snyder manages to bring forth a side of Superman that has not been seen packed into a compelling story of how this farm boy from Smallville, Kansas, grew up to be the greatest superhero to ever walk this earth.

Was it the best superhero flick so far? Not by a long shot, however it is still great nonetheless. A definite must watch, especially as an IMAX 3D experience.

Apart from the IMAX 3D version, "Man Of Steel" is also available in 2D and 3D movie versions.

Cinema Online, 12 June 2013