Superman is the embodiment of the superhero, and the epitome of the unwritten ‘code’ of the genre. He’s an iconic figure now entrenched in our cultural memory; the biggest of the big in the comic-book golden age. But it’s been a long time since we’ve seen him in a good movie.

Lately the stage has been dominated by the more relatable, human heroes: Iron Man and Batman. The superhuman narrative of Superman is almost too big for this world, yet it fascinates us. When done well it resonates powerfully with people. When done badly, it bothers us immensely. The task of taking an invincible character and crafting a compelling film around them is ambitious, to say the least. Though not flawless, the team appear to have pulled it off.

Man Of Steel brings us the epic quality of Zack Snyder’s directorial style under the guiding hand of Christopher Nolan (Batman Begins), set to a phenomenally rousing score by Hans Zimmer (Gladiator)… all around, the pedigree of the talent behind this film is spectacular. The set pieces are jaw-dropping, with CGI used subtly in low-key scenes, but ratcheted up to 11 in the high-octane action scenes.

The titular character is magnificently pulled off by Henry Cavill, with Amy Adams playing Lois Lane, and Michael Shannon as the villainous General Zod. The acting is solid all-around. This film is probably not going to pick up any awards for writing, but as far as blockbuster action fare, this is as big as it gets.