For Man of Steel, Hans Zimmer has basically scored his fourth Batman movie. The orchestral palette is virtually identical to the one he used for The Dark Knight Rises and Inception. There's only a sparse use of melody, but there's extensive use of powerful horns and percussion, driving away at a frenetic pace. I felt this approach may have actually hurt the film a bit; rather than set apart Superman as his own thing, the music roped him in to being very much like every other superhero in the modern crop.
But, set aside the fact that I thought the music was wrong for the movie, and I actually loved the music itself. I mean, it's like getting a fourth Batman soundtrack from Hans Zimmer, and I've really enjoyed his work on the last three. This soundtrack is loaded with tons of frenetic action cues. "Tornado" and "Ignition" are two especially powerful tracks from key scenes in the film, but they're only the tip of the iceberg.
The vast majority of songs on the album start off in a more restrained, contemplative mode, then cut loose into absolute chaos after a minute or two. There's a mournful recurring melody for Clark's character, showcased in many songs -- most notably "Sent Here for a Reason.' And as a special treat for soundtrack enthusiasts, there's a nearly a nearly 30-minute bonus track at the end of the album that represents a "sketch book" of Zimmer's various motifs for the movie.
In all, this is a soundtrack that I've enjoyed a lot more on its own than I did watching the movie. It's still no substitute for John Williams' iconic Superman anthem, though it's still enjoyable. (And it was probably a wise decision not to try to simulate something in that vein.) I'd give the soundtrack a B+. If you're a fan of any of Hans Zimmer's other scores, you'll probably want to pick it up.
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