Man Of Steel (film) - Directed by Zack Snyder

[bassman]

This sort of happens in most super hero films, but when Superman can literally take just about anything it's more of an issue for he fight scenes, in my mind. That actually helped me accept the action more. In this film, he's fighting multiple people of his own kind who can actually cause him physical harm. That made it more of a danger, imo. I'm sure Lex Luthor will be in the sequels(he has to be), but I imagine they'll also either make Lex a physical threat or bring in another character that could also be a physical threat. I don't see the problem of the old superman movies where people thought he was indestructible happening in this series. The main reason people think he can't be hurt is because there are LOTS of villains that actually CAN cause him harm, they've just never been explored in film.

[Neil]

If we compare this film to Christopher Reeve's first two films, obviously the action was far far superior in Man Of Steel, but I think that's maybe part of the problem. It becomes too much of a influence and a temptation. When Superman attacked one of Zods ships and the super CGI 'tentacles' appeared, I was sitting there thinking to myself how bored I was. Something I've not felt in a cinema for as long as I can recall. And this same feeling kept cropping up as CGI characters were bashing each other over and over and over... It all felt soulless and pointless. If we now look at Reeve's films, the story lines were better for being simpler and the characters far more explored. I recall 'feeling' for Reeve's character and issues. But rarely felt that in this outing... The battle(s) between Superman and Zod and his comrades were simpler and better for it. In Man Of Steel we had minutes of CGI figures bashing through building and punching each other... Each typically ending in them getting up... and starting again... Pointless and ultimately dull except on a visual level. Think back to Reeves version. Think back to the scenes you remember fondly? Clark running back home after the ball game? Clark saving Lois from the helicopter? Losing the fight to the trucker? Winning the fight with the trucker? Clark chasing the nuclear missile, only to fail to prevent the other one? etc etc etc... Now consider Man Of Steel... Bit thin on the ground IMHO. The writing was too action orientated and tried assaulting the senses in an attempt to please, rather than actually delivering a good solid story and characters. Why have Zod and a couple or companions when you can have an army and space ships too? Wow how cool! They can blow even more $hit up! That will fill a few extra minutes! It's a problem George Lucas' later Star Wars space scenes demonstrated too. IMHO one of the most beautiful space flight sequences ever was the Millenium Falcon escaping from Host. It was flying up towards the camera spinning, with 3-4 Tie fights after it, and in the background two star destroyers nearly colliding - Admit it! You remember it too! It was simple, and only showed what it needed to... But did it with consideration and beauty... In his later films he gave into the dark side and simply cut'n'pasted a thousand CGI space ships in a cheaper attempt at grabbing interest. I see this same cheapness of attempting to throw excessive visuals in an attempt to gain 'interest' crawling into too many films now... And it generally fails IMHO as it dilutes rather than adds! If only more effort had gone into the script and keeping it more simple/solid rather than resorting to soulless big action. And indeed the script showed so many issues of just lazyness. Zod turns off all the power to the world, but somehow TVs remain on because it looks cool? And didn't you just roll your eyes at how and why Colonel Nathan Hardy just kept being everywhere? Picking Lois up with the FBI? Flying in helicopters to attack Zod? Being at the handing over of Superman? Flying cargo planes? Anyway, I really cannot get over how empty I found most of this film... It's not a bad film, it's just very empty and forgettable. This is no Batman Begins, or Spiderman, or XMen, or Ironman that's for sure... On a side note, I can't understand how AICN can declare Man Of Steel to be the greatest super hero film ever. I can understand many people may really enjoy it, but there's clearly other candidates out there with far stronger story lines, drama and characters. Then I found out the nearly bankrupt AICN got $100,000 from Legendary Pictures for 'advertising'... Hmmm!

[krisvds]

I was about to write down why i ultimately felt so bored sitting through 'Man of steel's multiple action scenes only to find Neil describing it in perfect clarity. Couldn't agree more. To me, the best superhero film is still Batman Returns by Burton. The best, recent, comic book adaptation was Dredd.

[bassman]

To me, the best superhero film is still Batman Returns by Burton. The best, recent, comic book adaptation was Dredd. That's not a Batman film. That's a Tim Burton film with Batman in it.

[krisvds]

True. But it's a great superhero film all the same.

[Neil]

*minor spoiler* Why was Zod moving his laser vision so slowly towards the people? What's your take on it?

[AcesandEights]

*minor spoiler* Why was Zod moving his laser vision so slowly towards the people? What's your take on it? Two part aswer: 1) (overly)Dramatic effect 2) By Zod's own admission, his existence had no purpose at that point, so it may have been a means to torment and push Supes and/or get Supes to finish him.

[Neil]

Two part aswer: 1) (overly)Dramatic effect 2) By Zod's own admission, his existence had no purpose at that point, so it may have been a means to torment and push Supes and/or get Supes to finish him. I think it was the latter, but it just wasn't handled very well... Hence the ???? about it... I think he was forcing Supes to kill him. Should simply have said in a fit of anger, "it's them or me!"

[AcesandEights]

I think it was the latter, but it just wasn't handled very well... Hence the ???? about it... I think he was forcing Supes to kill him. Should simply have said in a fit of anger, "it's them or me!" I thought it was fine and straightforward, it just lasted too long. Ironically, insofar as Zack Snyder is concerned, slo-mo could have been used there to achieve an extra moment to highlight the choice Superman was being forced to make.

[bassman]

I think it was the latter, but it just wasn't handled very well... Hence the ???? about it... I think he was forcing Supes to kill him. Should simply have said in a fit of anger, "it's them or me!" He kinda did near the beginning of the fight. He says something like "there's only one way this can end, Kal! Either you die or I do!"

[Danny]

http://redlettermedia.com/half-in-the-bag-man-of-steel/ pretty much sums up my opinion of it. The worst superhero film i have seen in a long long time.

[Neil]

^^ I would agree it's one of the dullest superhero films I've seen in a long time! And I agree with your video review, Iron Man 3, which I found the least of the trilogy, is very good compared to MoS. MoS tried too hard to be different to Reeve's films, and went too far in the wrong direction. They picked up on the complete over busyness of it. Even the Superman origins now need super duper big space battles and lasers and fighting around the death of Krypton... *sigh* * minor spoiler * Why did Jor-El encode the codec into Kal-El? Why? On a lighter note - Why did Kal-El only care who his father was? And didn't give a $hit who his mother was? Did he mention her once?

[AcesandEights]

^^ I would agree it's one of the dullest superhero films I've seen in a long time! Sounds harsh. I get not liking the film, to a degree, but unless you have Superfan baggage that makes you violently conflict with the tone of the film or Superman's depiction, I don't get it. Neil, did you like this less than the last Superman film? Or the Green Lantern film, or the Fantastic Four movie, or the third Spiderman film?

[Neil]

Sounds harsh. I get not liking the film, to a degree, but unless you have Superfan baggage that makes you violently conflict with the tone of the film or Superman's depiction, I don't get it. Neil, did you like this less than the last Superman film? Or the Green Lantern film, or the Fantastic Four movie, or the third Spiderman film? That's not harsh at all. I really cannot recall finding a Superhero film so dull, for years and years and years. It annoyed me in a couple of ways:- 1) The action was just there for the sake of it. The death of Krypton was over the top and unecessary... A bizillion space ships fighting, cut'n'paste... cut'n'paste... CGI characters going through building after building after building... CGI characters fighting super CGI tentacles... CGI characters knocking seven bells out of each other minute after minute after minute. 2) Poor lazy writing. Characters being in places for no other reason than they needed to be. Dull characters not fleshed out, who we're suppose to care about? 3) The film just felt like it was trying ever so hard with all the CGI investment and unecessarily busy script, but the script was not that solid, and left characters feeling flat. Didn't really care for any of them... Now again, don't get me wrong. It's not a bad film. It's just very run-of-the-mill and a missed opportunity. Last Superman film - Don't really remember it - I recall the Lex Luther Kryptonite crystal stuff being very silly, but I recall that film being more solid an effort than this one... But it's very foggy now. Green Lanturn and Fantastic Four? - Kinda foggy, so can't compare. Third Spiderman? - Although very messy in places, I'd definately prefer that flick to MoS from what I recall.

[bassman]

They picked up on the complete over busyness of it. Even the Superman origins now need super duper big space battles and lasers and fighting around the death of Krypton... *sigh* You might be comparing it a bit too much to Donner's film. Civil war on Krypton has been a part of Superman's story for decades. That wasn't something invented for MOS. There have also been tons of different depictions of Krypton, including some with lasers and big, flying creatures. * minor spoiler * Why did Jor-El encode the codec into Kal-El? Why? On a lighter note - Why did Kal-El only care who his father was? And didn't give a $hit who his mother was? Did he mention her once? He put the codex into Kal because he was (supposed to be) the last remaining Kryptonian. By putting the codex into Kal he essentially put the entire history of their people into his genes, so that he would have the ability to do research on their history. He also did it so that Kal could more easily prevent genetically engineered Kryptonians to be created. Jor El and Lara were against engineering kryptonians, which is why they had Kal naturally, and didn't want it to happen again if something were to go wrong(and it did). Yes, When Jor El's hologram and Kal first meet, Jor El tells him about Lara as he's giving the back story of Krypton. Sounds harsh. I get not liking the film, to a degree, but unless you have Superfan baggage that makes you violently conflict with the tone of the film or Superman's depiction, I don't get it. I agree. I totally understand that everyone has their own likes and dislikes and it's perfectly acceptable to dislike this film, but the worst superhero film? Nah....don't see that. I don't know what some people were expecting. Although some people seem too hung up on the Donner/Reeve films.