Super Sizzling Man of Steel

"What is the difference between Suparman and Superman?" 
"Suparman wears his brief underneath his pants, while Superman wears his outside his pants."
(For those of you who are not familiar with Indonesian and Javanese culture, Suparman is a common name for Javanese men.)

Well, whoever invented the joke now stands corrected. Apparently, the team in DC/WB/Syncopy finally realizes that undergarments meant to be used under other forms of garment. Thus a more reasonable Superman costume. The fact that the color has been toned down and thickened also gives the costume a somewhat classier effect. Personally, I think this is the best superman costume ever, because it looks more like an armor than a leotard. As Cyclops once said to Wolverine: "What do you prefer? A yellow spandex?"

I choose this over yellow spandex, thank you.
Anyway, check this page for a more detailed discussion on the costume.

Although I think that this is the best Superman suit up to this point, I have to say, though, there is one major flaw in the apparel, which is the cape. I agree with Edna from The Incredibles, a cape will bring nothing but trouble. The trouble is apparent in the fighting scene between Superman and General Zod. More than once, General Zod exploited this particular weakness. In conclusion: best Superman outfit, but not actually the best superhero outfit ever.

I've got to say, though; this particular Superman had me at hello. I was smitten right after that smokin' hot (literally) scene on the oil rig. Besides, there is always something about a burdened man trying hard to cope with the cruel world that makes a girl wants to provide him with the comfort he needs.

The storyline, is quite similar with most of the superhero movie over the last 2-3 years. The aim of the story is humanizing our seemingly flawless superhero. Most of the times, I oppose this mainstream. In this particular case however, I enjoy the trend. Throughout the years Clark Kent had always been an outcast anyway. This movie simply highlights that side of him that has always been there. I especially enjoy how this movie portray young Clark Kent being overwhelmed by his senses. Many Superman movies have tried to do this, but I think none has managed to create an understandable and relatable impression before Man of Steel. For that particular scene, I give the crew a standing applause.

Although I have a geeky side, I can't really say I followed all of the Superman series. So forgive me if I'm making the wrong assumption here. But obviously, this movie is inspired by other movies. The concept of people are being weighed as they were born and has a predetermined position on the world had a striking resemblance with the concept in Gattaca. *All hail Jude Law!* Prior to Man of Steel, I never realized that Kal-El is an anomaly even in his own planet. The movie shows that Kal never should have existed, simply because people in Krypton does not procreate the same way as in earth. Besides that, the different method of procreation (especially the fetus chamber) reminds me of The Matrix. Even the robots guarding the chambers looked similar. And lets face it, the concept of aliens trying to occupy earth is a concept that is commonly abused since H.G. Wells wrote the War of the Worlds by the end of 19th century.

Seriously, how can it not?

Now, fictions are practically beautifully told lies, and the problem with all lies is you have to keep building on the previous lies in order to make your story believable. This movie is not different. The issue with franchised movies are there are just too much version of it. The many versions makes it difficult for people making a new part of the franchise to keep track of previously told stories, and that, brings an issue of consistency. This story, however entertaining it may be, is simply inconsistent with the other Superman story. One thing, in the older version of the movies, Lois Lane should remain baffled of Superman's identity even after they worked in the Planet. Not in this one. Lois serves as a protector of Clark Kent's alter ego. Luckily, the world DC has previously introduced the concept of Earth-two, an alternate universe where copies of us live. Most probably, the world portrayed in the Man of Steel is one of such alternate reality.

One more thing I appreciate from this movie. Over the years, I have often wondered why on earth would a guy put a giant acronym of Superman on his chest? Although Clark Kent's low self esteem or Martha's maternal instinct to brag about his son may have been the reason for that, I find the explanation given in this movie enlightening. It's not an S. It's a symbol of hope and the El family's crest. Unfortunate for Kal, he arrived on earth where the people tends to disregard alien culture and forced their understanding upon others' wisdom and knowledge. Thus, he was called the Superman. Annoying as it is, that's just the way earth's society works.

What else, what else? Apart from the aforementioned, for me, the rest of the movie is much less the same with other superhero movies. There were the usual bangs, thuds, and pows with occasional booms here and there; and the good guys  wins in the end. And by good, I mean the one who fight for the earthlings; because we don't really care if the aliens no longer have a home to go to as long as we can maintain our comfortable lifes, right? However, the fighting scene is quite fun to see. All in all, I would say that this is a good movie and is worth spending IDR 60,000 to watch. So, what are you waiting for? Go watch!