MAN OF STEEL (Rated PG-13)

Superman is an American action hero. Born on Krypton but raised as farm boy Clark Kent in Smallville, Kansas, in adulthood he donned the cape and became a reporter at the Daily Planet.

As a DC Comics icon, Superman always stood for truth, justice and the American way. From George Reeves in early TV series to the memorable Christopher Reeve performances, Superman has been a reliable staple in the pantheon of superheroes.

“Man of Steel” revives the franchise from the moribund efforts of its most recent cinematic past. Director Zack Snyder (“300”), who fancies loud spectacles, seeks a darker remake in tone but one that nevertheless goes into overdrive on the explosive action.

First appearing in Action Comics No. 1, published in 1938, Superman quickly became a cultural phenomenon, winning fans around the world in live-action and animated form, running the gamut from old radio programs to modern video games and social media.

Considering the caped crusader’s iconic status, little-known British actor Henry Cavill, who has the chiseled good looks for the part, has hit the cinematic jackpot in the role of the titular character in “Man of Steel.”

As the new Superman, Cavill’s journey to Earth begins when he’s only a small baby, placed in a spacecraft by his father Jor-El (Russell Crowe), the wise Kryptonian who wants to fight back against the despotic General Zod (Michael Shannon).

The film’s introductory sequence is an effective, efficient introduction to life on the dying planet of Krypton, and General Zod stages a coup, resulting in the first of many battles.

Fueled by a lust for revenge against Jor-El, the merciless Zod, after escaping imprisonment, sets course with his loyal henchmen to Earth in search of Kel-El (the birth name of Superman).

By now, Clark Kent, dutifully raised by his loving Earth parents Jonathan and Martha Kent (Kevin Costner and Diane Lane), is adrift on his own journey of self-discovery, working on a fishing boat.

It’s not easy for Clark to conceal his special powers, especially when innocent people are threatened by acts of nature or deeds of treacherous wrongdoing. Clark refuses to be a bystander to misfortune or injustice.

After Clark saves a crew on an exploding ocean-based oil rig, the film focuses on enough flashbacks to his childhood to show how the future Superman had a cross to bear, willing to shoulder responsibility while dodging the credit for heroic acts.

Superman’s incredible powers make him practically invincible, and yet he’s constantly trying to avoid drawing any attention. Yet the hard-nosed reporter Lois Lane (Amy Adams) figures out there is more to the mysterious loner than his handsome features and charm.

The dark side of Superman is that, even with the support of a doting Earth-bound family, he’s never come to terms with his extraterrestrial origins, and that has been cause for a lonely existence.

Growing up in a small Kansas town, Clark was unable to remain unnoticed under the watchful and increasingly suspicious eyes of his neighbors, because he could never keep his special powers completely under wraps.

Informed by his Midwest values, Clark finds it difficult to ignore his gifts, and so he abandons all he knows and the family he loves, wandering in a metaphorical desert of odd jobs and emotional isolation in search of his true self.

Clark’s solitary existence is an existential dilemma, knowing he’s not of this planet but has a role to play. Being an outsider does not conceal his true nature, and that’s what makes him intriguing to Lois Lane, whose job is all about uncovering and exposing the truth.

On an expedition to uncover a spaceship frozen in the Arctic ice, Clark connects with the ghost of his father Jor-El, acquiring the famous cape and learning about his true potential.

Clark’s introduction to his full range of abilities could not come sooner, given that General Zod and his minions have a charted a path to Earth, with the total annihilation of human civilization as their primary goal.

As the humans are powerless to defend themselves against Zod, Clark assumes the identity of Superman in full wardrobe, informing Lois that the “S” on his costume stands for “hope” in the language of Krypton.

A full-scale assault is launched on Metropolis, the destruction so overwhelming that skyscraper buildings topple like toy models made of matchsticks. Director Zack Snyder loves explosive devastation, and it shows here.

The obliteration of structures is so overwhelming because the crazed Zod is obsessed with taking down Superman, no easy feat considering they are equally matched with super powers.

And so it goes that the violent clash between two beings with unearthly powers is not quickly resolved. I doubt fans will complain, but it does appear that “Man of Steel” continues the fight scenes longer than necessary.

A good measure of the success of “Man of Steel” is the very likely return of Henry Cavill in a sequel. I have no inside connection to the thinking at Warner Bros., but I would be surprised if the next installment is not already under way.

Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.