Man of Steel Review · 2:19am Sep 17th, 2020
Okay, yeah, it's been seven years since this movie was released. Give or take an odd month.
Buutttttttttt, me being who I am, I had to review this piece eventually. I've actually seen this film once before, like I believe after it came out on DVD. But that was years ago, and I may have got caught up in the infamous DC/Marvel rivalry since. I keep saying, DC makes better animation and Marvel rules the theatres. They're starting to balance out, but not yet.
That being said, the reason I'm taking a look back at this film is simple. Does it deserve the hatred it's got? Well, not really. And I'm speaking from someone who does freely agree that Winter Soldier is the better Superhero film. That being said, I do not hate this piece. I kinda did for a while, but that's changed.
A dear friend of mine, The Final Firedancing Fiend says this: "Your edgiest superman is not supposed to be edgier than the most wholesome Batman. Not unless he is Ultraman."
Is he a bit edgy, yeah he is. Is it a more nuanced, realistic look at how Superman would operate in the same way the Dark Knight did the same for Batman? Yeah. I admit, in the real world this would probably be the result. I'm not going to be one of the Synder fanboys who defends this to the death. But I don't hate it.
Now, there are a few critiques I will address.
1. Superman can't do anything without space dad telling him to. Yeah, I disagree. When I watched the film, I saw Clark as lost, directionless, desperately looking for a purpose in life. Then, Jor-El simply just pointed him in the right direction. Now, I admit I haven't read as many comics as I should, largely due to how much of a backlog I have to work through. Buuuuuuuuuuuuut, the film's worked for me on capturing the feel of Superman. At least to me.
That entire speech Jor-El gives, you know the one. It *perfectly* captures what it means to be Superman. And when Clark takes flight over the world, stumbling yes but then flying, well... I admit I felt a chill run down my spine. Like Reeves did so many years earlier, I believed a man could fly. Hell, I even saw some of the old Reeves grin in Cavill's face. I'm convinced. Like, I couldn't stop laughing in joy when I saw his first real flight.
2. Pa Kent. Yeah, this one I'll dive into. It really pissed me off when I saw Pa suggest young Clark could have just let those kids to keep his secret. That is not Pa Kent. That being said, it wasn't completely terrible of a performance. There was that moment of Clark asking if he could still be Jonathan's son and Jonathan just telling him that he is that got to me.
3. The destruction. Yeeeeeah, this one's another fair critique, but unfortunately, when you're in the middle of Metropolis it's unavoidable. The way I see it in Smallville, Clark didn't have enough time to react and get Faora and her thug out of there before the battle escalated. It all gives you the feel of what are basically gods duking it out.
Also, because we're talking about this, I might as well address the critique of Superman's neck snap.
Again, the way I see it, Zod forced his hand. He was going to kill that family, and Superman couldn't exactly toss him into the Phantom Zone or anything. So, unfortunately, it left him with only one other option.
Few other things. One, Lois Lane. Yeah, Acker does a good job. She's certainly got the drive and determination of the characters, maybe not the snark but the drive. Also, she totally kicked space terrorist ass. The Zod Army is a little too on the nose with the Nazi Browncoat image, but comics have never been subtle so... Also, the scene of Krypton's destruction is both horrifying and beautiful. Maybe the pacing needs a bit of work, set up us knowing Clark just a bit more before throwing us into the deep end. Maybe an extra fifteen to thirty minutes, I dunno, of him being Clark. And yes, there's one too many instances of gray and muted tones. It's Superman, throw a bit more color onto things.
So, final thoughts? It's not a terrible movie, it definitely tries to be a Superman movie and I honestly believe Cavill makes a great Man of Steel. It's not the worst film in the world, and when it works it definitely works. It doesn't quite stick the landing at times, buuuuuuuuuuut it's definitely a worthwhile look.
So, honestly? Faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, and forget leaping. Try flying.
Pretty much agree with all of this. It's far from the best Superman movie in the world, but you can tell it's at least trying, although it doesn't quite stick the landing. Whether that failed effort makes it somewhat admirable or more painful is a different matter.
I honestly think Krypton's destruction was way too fast and brief, and is almost completely overshadowed by Zod's banishment. It's barely an instant, and I didn't feel any sort of effect at all. Contrast to the 1978 movie, where it gets a whole scene dedicated to it that really drives home the death of the Kryptonian people.
Here's a criticism that my father voiced in regard to this movie after we saw it. "Another Superman movie that's all about Krypton? We've already seen Krypton blow up before! Everybody knows Krypton blows up! Can't they make a Superman movie and NOT go on and on about Krypton?"
He and I both dislike this movie, though in different ways. For him, it spends way too much time on Krypton and ending it with Clark Kent arriving at the Daily Planet and getting a job was dumb placement for that. For me, it's bleak and ponderous, utterly spits on Pa Kent's character with that "Maybe" bullshit (in my opinion, if a Superman movie is having Pa Kent entertain, however briefly, the ethics of letting children drown, something got seriously fucked up in translation), and basically never should have been entrusted to Zack "Batman could get raped in prison in my movie" Snyder.
5356845
Which were the other ones? The '78 film only relegated it to the prologue and the first act. Zod and co. didn't give a care in II, in III and IV it's mentioned only in passing, and the same really goes for Returns. MoS is really the only Superman movie to have Krypton's destruction loom over the entire plot of the movie.
Disagree with the Daily Planet ending. I like how they put it at the end of the movie after Clark has sort of found his place in the world. I think a more in-depth story about Clark working for the Planet would have to be a completely different kind of Superman movie, one that we really haven't gotten to see before.
Personally I think having the first movie be about Zod was a mistake. I would not have has much trust in this physical god like person after this battle. I have always felt that if I had the ability to do a Superman movie I would want to do three movies. The first would be him first appearing and learning to control his powers. I would use the villains Toyman and Prankester as the main antagonists, with them being captured at the end. The second film would either be Zod or Brainiac, someone who can play on his level. The final film would have Lex being the main villain as Superman must go all out but still hold back the killing blow.the overall theme of these movies would be about how he becomes that beacon of hope and someone the entire world can accept as being out to inspire us to do better.
5356855
He was talking about the importance of Krypton in the story, via things like Jor-El across both movies... Kryptonite, General Zod and co. in Superman II... my dad is not a Superman fan and thinks that basically Krypton is just a storytelling vehicle to get Superman to Earth, and that people really need to stop telling stories about it because Superman, while being FROM Krypton, LIVES on Earth and so that should be the focus.
I think he's right about the Daily Planet just because it is just so completely undercooked in regard to the rest of the movie. We see Perry White in how many scenes in MoS again? Or that one intern who I thought was female Jimmy Olsen (at least until BvS brought him in just to kill him
)? That whole "welcome to the Daily Planet" ending just felt so perfunctory, like Snyder didn't CARE about it or Metropolis at all and just wanted to get it over with.
Years later, I can safely say that this isn’t the absolute worst the DCEU has to offer.... because I’ve already seen the film with that distinction which came out three years after this one.
I feel like the biggest flaw this movie has is that it doesn't take the time to establish Superman as a character. It assumes you're already familiar with Superman as a character and then skips some of the development that the marvel movies give their characters in order to try and deconstruct some of the Superman elements, the same way the Dark Knight Trilogy did.
5356843
I disagree, I liked how they handled it. We actually got to know the people, and a bit of their culture, so having to watch its destruction was like a punch to the gut.
5356864
This is where I agree with Jade actually. I liked how they used the Daily Planet throughout the film, only really starting to include it in scenes where Superman's starting to find his place in the world or with Lois being a reporter and investigating his story. They're building up to something, even if come Batman VS Superman it's tossed aside. Though really, Batman VS did a lot wrong. But that's it's own review.
5356859
Yeah, maybe Zod being used this early was a bit of a mistake, though it does give Clark a personal connection and shows a dark mirror to what he could become.
That being said, yeah, this is a problem with Superman. There's just soooooo much you'd have to do making an origin story for him. Do the Planet, do Smallville, do a proper villain, and balance everything.
5357009
I both agree and disagree. I disagree, as most people probably are familiar with Superman and that's who this movie appeals to. I agree, as to be honest this is trying to reach out to the non-comic book fan crowd. It's trying to show us who Superman could be in the modern age. It's immensely frustrating.
5357136
Yeah, I'm sorry to say that I can't see your point about the Daily Planet. I just found this movie (even before I became a legit Superman fan, mind you) to be incredibly disappointing and wrongheaded, and honestly I can't think of a single moment from it that I found genuinely fun, cool, or thought-provoking.
...Okay, I'll amend that a bit. There is ONE moment from this film that does provoke amusement from me. When AI Jor-El is confronting Zod about his plans for Earth.
I just love how exasperated Michael Shannon is in that moment.
Everything else though? Bleh. Far as I'm concerned this movie only looks good in comparison to Batman vs. Superman.