The BenD & PhilB show, Episode 13

It's been a while since we podcasted, but we're back and ready to catch up. You can subscribe on iTunes by simply searching "BenD PhilB".

Episode 10

Man of Steel

I took my cousin to see "Man of Steel" on Friday, and contrary to the so-so reviews, it did not disappoint. Director Zack Snyder and his crew should be applauded for re-booting a tough franchise that had laid dormant for too long. The gigantic scale, quality, and casting of this film far outweigh its flaws.

My issue with most initial superhero movies stem from the fact that it takes far too long to set up the story, even though it is a necessity. In "Batman Begins" and "Iron Man," these transformations were entertaining yet lengthy. In the original "Spider Man," he wasn't even wearing his finalized costume until 3/4th's of the way through the film. What "Man of Steel" does perfectly is the relegating of the origin via a series of interspersed flashbacks, ala "Lost."

These flashbacks detail the fall of the planet Krypton through the eyes of Superman's parents -- Jor-El (Russell Crowe) and Laura (Ayelet Zurer). They foresaw the self-destruction of their own planet and conceived Krypton's first natural-born son in thousands of years. After some riveting action that pays homage to "Avatar," Kal-El is jettisoned to Earth in hope of a better life while his home planet crumbles.

Continued recollections elaborate on Clark's childhood and his struggle to come to terms with his powers. Rather than fighting his bullies and jumping from rooftops like Peter Parker, Clark shies away from his power. His father Jonathan, inspiringly portrayed by Kevin Costner, urges him to harness and contain his power until civilization is ready. Thus, Clark grows up as somewhat of an outcast as he struggles to live a normal life amongst his peers. This faux-vulnerability goes mostly unnoticed on earth until General Zod comes cascading into a collision course with Earth.

 Henry Cavill as Kal-El/Superman injects new life and personality into Superman. This element was missing when Brandon Routh took his turn at the helm in 2006. I assumed from the trailers that Cavill would be dark and brooding, but he was surprisingly bright once he began to interact with Louis Lane (Amy Adams) and company. He really helps to humanize and add depth to a hero that had traditionally been seen as a suave invincible man.

 The most interesting aspect of this film, is that hardly any time is spent developing his adult alter-ego as Clark Kent. The majority of the movie features Cavill in costume, to my enjoyment. This turn of tradition is accurate, owing to the fact that Superman is the only hero whose human form is his alter-ego. Most heroes don a cape and mask to become something else, but Superman is the reverse, which the film embraced and ran with.

 "Man of Steel," does not sport the greatest plot, but that can be forgiven this time around. Since there is already a sequel in the works, that will be the true test of worth since the franchise has now been firmly established. There can be no complaints about the action though, as there is almost too much of it to go around. These action pieces range from the preceding destruction of Krypton, to the imminent threat our entire planet. This threat comes courtesy of one previously-exiled Zod, played fantastically by Michael Shannon. Shannon is so damned good in his role, that he elevates regular lines from the script into gleefully menacing monologues. I would have paid full price to see a movie further detailing his entire back story and motivations. It is certainly a coming out party for Shannon (if you've never seen "Boardwalk Empire").

 Perhaps my favorite aspect of the entire movie was Hans Zimmer's score. Zimmer never takes his foot off the gas pedal, and gives the film a deservingly bombastic and epic score. It transitions seamlessly with the movie from touching flashbacks, to the larger-than-life battles. Is there a more reliable Hollywood composer than Zimmer? Maybe John Williams, but that's it for me.

The verdict? If you liked the action of "The Avengers," paired with a bit of the emotional density of "The Dark Knight," go see the movie.

The BenD & PhilB Show PLUS BEEZ, Episode 9

You read that correctly -- we've added a new member to our podcasting crew and cranked out a great new episode last night. Give it a listen. If you want it on the go, subscribe or download on Itunes by searching "BenD PhilB."
 

Song of the week

In lieu of an upcoming podcast, I present you with the current song of the week/month. Enjoy.

Episode 8, The Holiday Movie Guide

Episode 7

PhilB and I were lucky enough to attend the Bruce Springsteen concert in Pittsburgh, and discuss it at length in this week's podcast. As usual, we also talk about Walking Dead. We appreciate each listener and are trying to spread to a wider audience. If you know someone who would enjoy the show don't hesitate to give them a link!