Man of Steel (2013)

Man of Steel (2013)

2013 PG-13 143 Minutes

Action | Adventure | Fantasy | Science Fiction

A young boy learns that he has extraordinary powers and is not of this earth. As a young man, he journeys to discover where he came from and what he was sent here to do. But the hero in him must em...

Overall Rating

6 / 10
Verdict: Good

User Review

  • Man of Steel really isn't as bad as what people make it out to be. Let's be honest here, it's not perfect by any stretch of the imagination...but heck it's so entertaining, even after the twentieth viewing! Another reboot of Superman, tackling his origins on Krypton, his adaptation to Earth's environment and protecting humanity from the sinister General Zod. Let's tackle the many negatives that are unfortunately ever present. The script is full of exposition, it's like being spoon fed constantly. Nearly every dialogue is explaining something. This film introduces what I call "Lois Lane Syndrome", where a supporting character is in every pivotal scene as a plot convenience. Lois. Lane. Is. Everywhere. Yes, Amy Adams is the best actress here but yikes c'mon...! Henry Cavill's acting is questionable, obviously he's transformed into the role (an absolute beefcake!), just rather monotonous. Multiple product placements and company promotions. Lastly, a rather slow second act that doesn't marinate well with the exciting first and third act. Apart from those points, I absolutely find this to be the definition of a popcorn blockbuster. Visually arresting, the technology used on Krypton was imaginative and innovative. Michael Shannon's performance was viciously savage and chews up every scene he is in. Slight philosophical exploration on Gods and humanity, nothing too heavy which suited the darkly themed story. The whole of the third act is so excessively destructive that I found myself in awe...strange I know. Buildings falling, planes crashing and fiery explosions. Just the sound of the World Engine powering down on Metropolis gives me the tinkles. Trust me, on a surround sound your neighbours will knock on your door asking "was there an earthquake?" (True story...). The musical score is euphorically epic, as to be expected. Zack Snyder's visual directing style really suits the superhero genre. Look, it's not perfect in fact far from it. A slight guilty pleasure for me, I find it madly entertaining with fantastic visual effects and a decent antagonist.