Review of Man of Steel (2013) by Michael P — 16 May 2018

I'm a lifelong fan of supes, so I'll try to explain my rating here. First the good: casting, effects, costumes, Krypton. The not-so-good: this movie is made for short attention spans. It has the typical modern fast swipes between scenes and a bunch of action is piled on top of more action with very little explanation as to motivation of characters or plot.

My biggest issue with this movie and all the modern DC attempts at Superman is that the movies really don't "get" his character. Yes, he's a bit lonely because his home world was blown to bits, but the guy is just so motivated to do good for others that his own desires and needs come second.

He is willing to make any sacrifice to bring out the good in others. He's a Kansas farm boy who still has faith in humanity and leads by example. Clark is actually the more introverted and reflective aspect of his personality.

But Superman is always ready to help. He believes. He hopes. He flies. He gives everything and is selfless while doing it. He's also humble and mild-mannered, and this is probably always my favorite thing about Superman.

He has all this power, all these strengths at his disposal, but he is always in complete control. It ticks me off that he actually took a life in this movie. I'm sorry, but it's just not him. In the end, Superman always works SMARTER than the villain, not just stronger.

To me, this was a worthy attempt but represents the beginning of the end in DC's failure to translate this character for modern audiences.