Thoughts on Man of Steel

2013 is a big summer for comic book movies.  Iron Man 3, Kick-Ass 2, The Wolverine, and Red 2 are all set to release, but none of them are as highly anticipated as Man of Steel.  Bringing Superman to the big screen is always a major Hollywood event and this movie is no different. MoS has left comic book fans divided, so we thought a few of us writers would weigh in with a spoiler filled discussion of what we thought of Zach Snyder’s take on Big Blue. Hit the jump for more!

Nevin’s Thoughts

I liked the movie. I want to get that right out of the way before I tear it up. Superman has always been a comic book character that I never found relatable. He’s overpowerd, self-righteous, and will never do anything wrong. A character that deals in black and white just isn’t interesting. Man of Steel managed to make him more relatable with showing us his upbringing and how he handled his powers at a young age. The stellar performances of the whole cast really elevate the young part of his life. Kevin Costner and Diane Lane nailed John and Martha Kent, but there are some missteps.

This is definitely a Superman movie that has the Christopher Nolan touch. Supes comes off as way to broody and depressing. I get that he feels like he doesn’t fit in and got bullied, but he grew up with a loving family. He isn’t Batman, dammit. His parents weren’t brutally murdered in front of him in a back alley. I feel like he really doesn’t have a reason to be so depressing. We catch glimpses of that charming and fun Superman here and there, like the interrogation scene or talking to the military at the end, but it isn’t enough. Since this franchise is bound to continue, they need to get past the depressing and let Henry Cavill put on the charm, because he is one hell of a charmer.

The first 20 minutes on Krypton were pretty amazing. Getting a feel for the planet’s government and people helped flesh out Kal’s world. Once we get past that into the highly disjointed second act of Clark being able to hop around and get virtually any job, things plod along until Zod’s crew shows up. When the fighting finally begins, the effects and carnage are fantastic. Sure, the fights went on for too long, but sometimes destruction porn is pretty to watch. The real problem with the fights is their location.

My biggest flaw with this movie is the fact that Superman never, not even once, tries to move the location of this battle between demigods to an uninhabited location. If this had been Son Goku, he would have stopped that shit instantly and taken them to some giant ass mountain top to break whatever they wanted, but instead all of the fights happen in heavily populated areas. The body count for Superman’s fight had to be in the thousands. And no, there is no way all of the buildings and streets were evacuated. Anyone who believes that is lying to themselves.

Then there is Zod’s death. I don’t have a problem with Zod being killed; I have a problem with when Zod is killed. Superman smashes through Metropolis killing thousands, and yet he can’t let Zod fry those four people in the subway? Come on. He should have snapped Zod’s neck the moment he realized that he would not stop. I’m sure fans might not agree with me, but Superman wasn’t being a hero for any of this movie. He was just being super, and that isn’t Superman.

Also, if you want to see someone explain my complaints better than I ever could, then check out Max Landis' complaints with the Man of Steel. This guy nails it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aw_GlYve_Lg

Adrian's Thoughts

I thought Man of Steel was overall a fantastic film and was everything I hoped it would and should be. Other than the ending which conflicted with how I see Superman's character I loved how he was portrayed by Cavill as an initially mysterious loner figure darting out from obscurity to save someone then vanishing. He was a great Superman and I'm looking forward to seeing how he portrays Clark Kent. Below are some of the main things I liked and disliked about the film. 

Likes

• Krypton - I liked how much we saw of Krypton. We had a peek at their culture and it was an interesting one. Loved the dragon type creatures. 
• Armour -I liked the armour designs and how there was the need for them on Krypton but not on Earth. I found it Interesting that its only when Zod starts to embrace his new powers on Earth that he removes his armour. 
• Jonathan Kent - I liked Kevin Costner's version of Jonathan Kent and how it was made clear that his utmost priority was to protect Clark and his abilities from being discovered by the world. Even going as far as to suggest that Clark should have left a bus full of his school friends to die rather than expose his abilities to them. 
• General Zod - He was a multi faceted character, he truly believes he is doing the right thing and will stop at nothing to achieve it.   

Dislikes 

• Romance - I felt the burgeoning romance between Clark & Lois was a bit rushed. They barely knew each other and yet they were passionately kissing. 
• Zoe's Death - I feel it was wrong for Superman to kill Zod at the end, Superman is an ideal we strive towards and he should never ever kill but find another solution. 

Man of Steel was THE film of the summer for me and I cannot wait to see the sequel.

So there you have it. We liked Man of Steel, but it had its flaws. What did you think of Man of Steel? Let us know in the comments!

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