The film I am choosing to review is the 2013 film "Man of Steel" directed by Zach Snyder. There are many references to Superman as being an allegory to Jesus, which I will argue. Some may argue he is a more of a Moses archetype. The film starts out on the planet Krypton, with the birth of a male child, who is named Kal-El. Russell Crowe portrays Jor-El, his father and Lara, his wife portrayed by Ayelet Zurer. It is revealed that Krypton is a highly technological based society that has exhausted its natural resources, earth quakes, and natural disasters have become daily occurrences, as a result the planet's core has become unstable, and will explode within a matter of weeks. The ecological similarities are quite uncanny when compared to earth; we too have exploited our planets resources. .
We learn that Kal-El is the planet's first natural birth in centuries as every other child is genetically engineered by something called the Codex, which determines what every child will do and be, whether it is a military leader, scientist, engineer or warrior. Jor-El is called before a council and states his opinion on the planets status, he informs the council that time has run out and they must flee the planet if they hope to live, as he has found a similar planet (Earth) for them to flee too. Just as Jor-El is about to announce his plan, the council is attacked by General Zod, played by Michael Shannon. General Zod and his army kill the council members, and only Jor-El escapes. Jor-El takes the Codex and infuses it with Kal-El 's cells. .
Lara does not wish to give up her child, but Jor-El convinces her that on earth he will possess powers the world has never seen, he will be invulnerable, he will grow strong because of Earth's sun and best of all, he will make his own choices in life, free from the Kryptonian ways. The family crest, which resembles the letter S, is placed in the pod with Kal-El as he is shipped off to his new planet.