Krypton Pilot Review
Bringing Down the House
Supposedly Krypton, the latest series from the Syfy channel is not in fact part of DC’s Extended Universe. Which is odd considering everything from the set design to the way the world of Krypton operates feels very much inspired by what was seen in 2013’s Man of Steel. This is far from a bad thing, one of Man of Steel‘s strongest aspects was its depiction of Krypton. In the same vein, Krypton‘s strongest moments come from these moments where we get to see more of how this planet that we only ever briefly see in the comics operates. From the genesis chamber to the various guilds that run the planet, Krypton builds a visually stunning world I can’t wait to see more of.
Krypton follows the story of Seg-El, the future grandfather of Superman. When Seg was just a child, his grandfather (Val-El) was banished for his supposed crimes against Krypton. Val-El was on the verge of discovering life outside the planet. But the corrupt and isolationist Kryptonian government hide his work and branded Val-El a terrorist. Now, years later, the House of El has been dissolved and Seg walks among the rankles citizens living in the slums. But when a visitor from the future arrives claiming to know his grandson, Seg must fight to finish his grandfather’s work and save his people as well as Superman.
Krypton spends most of its first episode setting the stage for the rest of the series. We see the corruption that exists within the Kryptonian government, the various complex relationships between the different houses, and we get a taste of what’s to come. But it’s a mixed bag. As great as the show looks and sounds, and as much as I love seeing how this world operate, the characters aren’t that exciting. There’s the cocky, hot headed hero, his quirky best friend, the forbidden love interest. It’s all characters that we have seen before and while there’s nothing inherently bad about them, there’s nothing particularly interesting about them either.
But, at the very least, the characters are backed by solid performances. There isn’t really a stand out member of the cast, but they play there parts well enough. The only exception being Shaun Sipos as Adamn Strange. I can’t put my finger on why, but he just feels like he doesn’t belong. I know the point of the character is that he doesn’t belong in this world, but it feels like they picked the wrong actor for the part. There’s just something about him that is really off putting.
Overall, Krypton has a lot of potential. If you love Superman, you’ll probably enjoy it, just don’t go in expecting anything revolutionary. The show has built a beautiful and fascinating world, now it just needs to fill it with an interesting story.
End of Episode Spoiler Below!
As a final thought, I am extremely excited for Brainiac! We only see him for a second in this episode, but he looks absolutely incredible. As far as looks go, he might be one of the greatest comic book to live action adaptations I have ever seen!
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