It was an awesome movie, with alot of action and beutiful special effects. The only thing i don't like much is the performance of the main actor, doesn't show alot of emotion. Can't wait to see the sequel and Justice Leage!

MILD SPOILERS ALERT. First of all this movie was amazing. I'll keep this review short. This movie has a lot of action in it and I guess it does have too much in it but they are cool scenes. All of the acting are great. This movie has a lot of emotional depth to it, one is because of a scene involving Jonathan Kent, the other at the end of the fight with Superman and Zod. All in all great movie, one of the best movie of the year along with star trek and I am looking forward to Justice League!!… Expand

Very, very well made movie. Despite the last forty minutes being one straight up action scene, the first one hundred are excellent insights into Clark Kent's troubled character. Not to mention a climax that will leave you agape.

I don't know why this movie is getting such mixed critic reviews. It was amazing. Definitely the best Superman movie. It takes itself seriously. The action was awesome and the emotion the movie conveys is beautifully done. Crowe does a great job as Jor-El and so does Henry Cavill as Superman. This movie really got me pumped up for a Justice League movie and sets up for a hopefully great Superman saga.… Expand

I went into this film with the taste of the ABYSMAL "superman returns" in my mind like a lingering cringe worthy memory from my teen years that I would never shake, what I got to my surprise was a movie that had NO BAD ACTING. Let me reiterate, NO... BAD...ACTING... even the criminally underused actors didn't in any point in time under or over act their roles, and this is a movie with more than enough respectable names in supporting roles. I think the best way of describing it as, would be a "sci-fi" superman as opposed to a "comic book superman" this isn't the avengers, where a city is invaded and little to no casualties occur, this is people being killed and "the boy scout" having to step up and make a choice between the people he longs to connect with, or humanity whom he's afraid to try to connect with. The very magnitude and serious handling of these drives make for the first recent origin movie of one of the biggest DC superheroes to be worthy of being just that, while everyone can of course respect the old romps that were the christopher reeve films, this transcends those early camp beginnings and offers up something that is truly special. The irony is that those that seem to be scoring this movie low, seem to be of the kind that would prefer another hackneyed love story with a silly bit of action a la superman returns. This is not a romantic drama fan-fic esque terribad film with cheesy acting and campy villains however.. this film is a real bona fide epic.… Expand

This movie is a mess. Almost no one sounds like a normal human being. This movie felt long at just over 2 hours, I was checking my watch constantly during the second half. If you have any knowledge of science, this film will hurt. Its plot is stupid and can literally be solved with the sentence(minor spoiler), "Find another planet". If you're a superman fan, you will be disappointed at how little he impacts the plot. You shouldn't waste your money on this movie. Go watch Iron Man 3 again. At least that one is stupid and fun.… Expand

Nolan and Synder set out to do something with this film that most fans of Superman have longed for, create a Superman that is relevant. Man of Steel delivers on almost every level. The vision is epic, the delivery is epic and there is action. Tons of SUPER action. I saw the movie in 3D...honestly, didn't improve the movie over a 2D I am quite sure. The movie sticks to a pleasant pace with one notable scene being somewhat of a tear jerker towards the middle of the movie. The movie delivers what most wished the previous 3 movies could have been. Solid action, great story and visually stunning.… Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Ok here goes:

I loved this movie. This is the kind of Superman movie that has, for whatever reason, been absent from existence for far too long. You can get a Superman movie like this but you have to look in the DC Comics animated universe. You know, the ones that go straight to Blu-ray Disc. I can't believe it has taken 75 years for Superman to be seen on the big screen in this fashion. It has literally everything the giddy nerd in all of us wants to see from Superman. Intense action, glorious set-pieces, a plot that puts more than one hemisphere in danger and through it all an actor playing Superman who nails every moment he is on screen. I loved Superman Returns but this movie is such a big you to the emo baby mama of that movie. Gone are the days when Lois Lane is just a pretty face and villains exist to have a villain.

No. This is the one we've all been waiting for. It's finally here.

As an origin story, the plot is such a solid take on the sci-fi elements of the comics regarding Krypton that I had a grin on my face basically the entire first 20 minutes. I was hoping the helpful grey levitating droid was going to be named Brainiac but it had a different name. Oh well. Not a big deal.

The fact that Zod is given a heartbeat in this movie is one of the best decisions Goyer and Nolan made when writing this thing. There is a perfect logic behind everything Zod does and you see his point of view with each word from his mouth. He is trying to save the race of people he swore to protect from extinction. A noble cause that a society would expect from all their Generals.

The balance that is struck between Kal's dual heritages and morality is basically the theme of the entire film. Jor-El is all about destiny and being a leader for a lesser people, while Jonathan just wants to protect his child and preaches restraint above all else. The "first contact with an alien" aspect is touched upon but not as much as I thought it was going to be. I guess that's my fault for reading so many interviews with creators and producers.

All the actors nail it. Literally every one of them. I can't think of a weak spot as far as casting. Faora is ****ing BAD ASS. She kicks so much butt in this movie I'm creaming my pants right now remembering her scenes. Look for her to give you that wow factor as far as action scenes. The Kents serve their purpose with such grace, it makes me sad to say they were barely on screen. Jor-El on the other hand has a good 20-30 minutes of dialogue spread throughout the film. Add him to the bad-ass list, by the way. Scientists get combat training on Krypton, believe that. Michael ****ing Shannon. That is all. That SHOULD be all for anyone who doubts him. Amy Adams and Henry Cavill probably needed more screen time together to get a good chemistry going but this movie is not about them. This is an origin story, not the love story that I'm sure will be more fleshed out in a potential sequel.

Hans Zimmer's score isn't as memorable as Williams' but it's about ten times more powerful and visceral. Tonally, it goes perfectly with everything that is going on on screen.

It seems like the last third of the film being nonstop action and ultimately an entire city block of Metropolis being turned into ashes is being used as a scapegoat for critics. There more collateral damage in this movie than I've ever seen in a superhero movie. Some may find it off-putting for a Superman movie but I didn't find it jarring at all. You have to believe a city battle between Kryptonians is going to destroy a few buildings. It's either that or have a castrated final battle between Zod and Superman. No thanks. Give me MORE explosions and MORE destruction if the world is at stake.

One final thought on Henry Cavill as Superman. As an actor, playing the role of Superman should be relatively easy on paper, but when you get down to the nitty gritty, the character is relatively complex. He has to know what to do without knowing who he is. He has to know what to say without knowing how to feel. There is a boy scout stigma attached to the character that the script lets Superman break free of, but would have been utterly pointless with the wrong person at the helm. Henry Cavill is not only the right actor for the job, he's the right face and aura. The right voice tone, the right rhythm to his speech, even the way he looks at General Swanwick at the end of the movie after he downs a drone and tells the Army basically "I know you're spying on me, stop it". The look is one of quiet dignity and utter confidence in what he's saying while still conveying the strength and leadership only Superman can. This is the leader of the Justice League. Routh, for all his similarity to Reeve could NEVER lead a League of superheroes.

After seeing the film, the only thing I could think was "I can't ****ing WAIT for MOS 2 and Justice League." That's a feeling most Superman fans have been waiting for for a long time.… Expand

Well, I will try to keep this short. I love super hero movies, love the D.C. universe in particular, and yes I have read the comics, seen previous movies and cartoons. This movie is by far the worse Superman movie and one of my top worse movies EVER! I did not mind the creative liberties that were taken with the story line, that is to be expected when someone adds their "spin" on an established story.

The pacing was horrid! The tone was so monotone. The movie was going for the over the top serious feel. For me, it came off as corny and at times I found myself rolling my eyes at all of the dramatic screams. By the end of the movie I was thankful it was over. In short #disappointed

It's too bad, I really want a Justice League or A World's Finest Movie but if either were to be based on Man of Steel I would not hold high hopes of it being any good.… Expand

Poorly paced, poorly directed mess of a film. Snyder was a bad choice for this. The CGI battle scenes were gratuitous and unnecessarily long, the Clark/Lois Lane romance felt forced and rushed, and Snyder's use of the shaky-cam was distracting and silly. If you want to watch Superman fly around and punch people into buildings without any care or consequence to anyone, you're in for a treat. Otherwise, wait till DVD/Blu Ray. Oh, and please see it in 2D, 3D is not worth the extra cost for this.… Expand

MOVIE OF THE YEAR! Critics are HIGH, this was the best movie I've seen all year. Aside from the gripping story, fantastic score and acting, we also have some of the most EPIC DBZ-Style Fight Sequences ever put to film. And I'm really happy with the way Superman took out Zod. (No one will ever call Superman Boring or a wimp after that final fight scene)

:D Loved this Movie, can't wait for the sequel! 10/10… Expand

Very skeptical..just like I was with Batman Begins...
Finally Superman done right! this one has hit the mark dead on! I was so sick of the cheesy, lovesick movies of the past. This is a great representation of the comic book Superman, well done!

It started off well enough in Krypton but then it stalled shorty after shifting to Earth and then completely went off the rails in the last hour The flashbacks kept dialing back to his struggles when I got it the first time. He's an adult when he is first shows on screen. He has been struggling since he was a kid. He went through 20+ years including all of his adult life without making much progress. At this point, Clarke is no longer confused, he has a learning disability. Parts of the dialogue were weak esp. where the military is shown to be caricatures incapable of telling friend from foe. The scene in Church was ridiculous. And Jor-El designs space craft but he couldn't think of disabling an outside key from overrding his. BUT Zod who, from birth was only programmed to defend Krypton and has presumably no designing talent outwitted him. I mean, the list goes om. I expect ridiculous from Trasformers but I expect much smarter from Superman.. The destructo-rama in the last act needed Michael Bay's help to direct traffic. No way this gets a passing mark.… Expand

Don't listen to the critics, from a fan of the comics and a fan of film, Man of Steel delivers. Led by a solid cast, with exceptional performances from Russell Crowe as Jor-El, Michael Shannon as Zod, and Henry Cavil as Superman himself they propel the film forwards. Everyone gets their fair share of time, I did want to see more of Kevin Costner that said. After the spectacular opening on Krypton, the film loses steam and I questioned it's pacing, but was quickly relived by how the story is told is the often non-linear style used by Nolan and Goyer Zach Snyder's direction fits the film perfectly, there's a bit of lens flair saturation but every sequence is filmed beautifully. And the action, just incredible, the flying is violent, you feel the environment shift. You get to enjoy the film more and more as it progresses, i wish they'd taken more time to delve further into the story but clocking in at around 2 and 1/2 hours, there's a solid amount of content and a good story. Though there are some pacing issues and more can be desired, Man of Steel is a superb movie that I can't wait to see again.… Expand

I was quite sceptical because of the previous Superman movies, which were mostly flops. However, I was pleasantly surprised with the plot, the intense action, and the character development in the movie. The Man of Steel did feel like he had that 'superhuman' factor, and the way little snippets of his past are revealed to us made him feel much more complicated, and we are able to empathize with him. I also liked how General Zod came across almost as half a good person, because his motivations behind his actions were understandable, and I found myself wondering if I would have done the same as he did if my planet was in trouble. I'm talking about Earth, that is. As for the special effects, they were spectacular and simply struck something in you. I particularly loved the portrayal of the love between Clark and his foster father. The scenes weren't very cheesy but managed to pull off a sense of deep love between the two. Overall, everything came together to create one hell of a masterpiece. I agree with the Captain too. Henry was a huge chunk of eye-candy. But of course, that's only a tiny part of what's spurring me on to catch another bite of that wholesome goodness.… Expand

After reading the critics reviews i had my doubts, but after having viewed the movie for myself i can honestly say that i believe the critics are just spiting snyder. There is no way this movie is average, a fantastically produced movie, acted superbly on most accounts, i loved it. This is on youll just have to ignore the critics on guys, trust me. Watch the user reviews and see for yourself how good it is. Fantastic. Made up for superman returns in every way. Its fallen victim to the hobbit treatment. Fantastic movie but only the general public can see why. Just go see it.… Expand

There is no story-telling!Last 45 minutes of time is only action.Overloaded with actions, and of course very less humanity! Zack has preferred the 'Transformers-Dark of the moon' style for his superman reboot!!The romance between Lois and Clark was something very special, but in this movie their relationship is a 007 romance.Spectacular but no any fun nor humor

Don't listen to the critics. I'm not sure if it's an elitist agenda against Snyder as a film maker or just nostalgic cinema fans who can't let go of the "charming boy scout" that set precedent over 20 years ago in Donner's camp-filled classic... but whatever the reason- Man of Steel is undeserving of the lackluster critical response it's receiving.
Man of Steel IS the Superman movie we've been waiting for. And it really is epic.
No, this isn't your parent's Superman.. This is not golden or silver age Superman- THIS is for every kid that watched Bruce Tim's "Adventures of Superman" and "Justice League" or the DC animated films like "Doomsday" or "Crisis on two earths" and said "why can't we see THIS Superman live action?!" This is for anyone who watched Matrix and said "now... why can't we have a Superman that does this?" (no.. i'm not saying it's like the matrix- at all)
Now, i'm not a crier- especially at movies... but, this one had me a FEW times. There's a strong emotional thread that runs through the picture. As you follow this character who can't quite find his place, doesn't quite fit in- yet has a heart for people... a true good Samaritan, who even in the face of mockers risks his own life (to his knowledge) to save them... protect them.. you empathize with him.
The critics have it wrong- Clark's not dour in this movie, he's humble. He's patient and compassionate. It's not apathy he's displaying... it's a disciplined reserve. He's a man who's learned that his power and how he chooses to use it will define who he will become. The truth is, we're seeing Clark WHILE he's still discovering himself- still finding out what the consequences are when he uses his abilities and also when he chooses not to use his abilities.
This is someone who's never been able to have a real relationship with anyone.(outside of his mom and dad) and throughout the course of the movie he learns to trust people- exemplified in one person that sees who he truly is, and is not only not afraid, but honors that trust. The small moments are emotional and tender (and despite what you may have read- sometimes humorous. The audience in my theater laughed at least 2 or 3 times, out loud), the big ones are exhilarating and bombastic. The battles are TRULY epic- with much at stake... This is OUR Superman...
Snyder has successfully shaken the campy "gee whiz" and "Crime doesn't pay, evil doer" caricature and given us the Superman we grew up hoping that someday... someday someone would be able to deliver and they did- and it's here- Man of Steel. P.S. the entire audience loved the film, complete with applause at the end.… Expand

Man of Steel is much more of a special effects fiasco than it is a Superman movie.

Such liberties are taken with the characters, his background, his world and the people in it that this movie is almost indistinguishable from the Superman of comics and Reeves/Reeves/Roth.

The movie itself is much more of an action movie with explosions and collateral damage, so much so that it is more similar to a Michael Bay movie than something with an interesting or good story.

If I had never heard of Superman before, and they didn't call this Superman, I would say it's not for me. Since it IS a Superman movie, it falls even shorter.… Expand

Couldn't be better, this is what we pay for, an awesome sci fi epic superhero movie, blowing everything before it and creating great expectations for what is to come next, Marvel, watch out! not even all your movies together can match this level of destruction, including the (not so awesome anymore) Avengers!

"Man of Steel" is by far one of the most contrived movies I've ever seen. The pacing is awful, the characters are unrelatable (Lois goes so far as to be downright annoying), and the plot is one contrived scenario after another. The logic is wishy-washy at best, preferring to just ignore facts than to take the time to explain them, and Superman's motivations are never truly clear, which makes the entire character feel fake. Beyond that, though, Superman's role in the plot is almost nonexistent: one could take him out of the movie and have the exact same plot with better pacing. Don't waste your money on this one: it's not worth it.… Expand

Love this movie, it's perfect it's definitly the best way to made a cinecomic, simply amazing, made me forget the orrible Iron Trashman 3, You'll believe a man can fly.

The critics truly got this one wrong. Possibly a false sense of righteousness that critics must despise something good? I will never understand... On to the movie: A true spectacle to behold. Brilliant story. Breathless action. Unrelenting, superb, awe-inspiring, the list goes on... Rivals The Dark Knight. One of the greatest superhero movies ever made. Everyone and their grandmother should watch this film.
You'll be missing out if you do not.… Expand

The positive reception from the users on this site just goes to show how easily entertained people are. This movie is completely souless. Every character feels like a cardboard cut out, which is unforgivable when you cast the likes of Russell Crowe, Kevin Costner, Laurence Fishburne, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, and Diane Lane. Man of Steel tries to be dark, and at times it is, but the movie is a little too corny to be taken seriously. It's basically a slightly better version of a Michael Bay film, and that is obviously not meant as a compliment. I can't remember the last time I was more dissapointed in a movie, but I suppose that's my own fault for getting excited for a Superman movie.… Expand

I don't know how the critics could compare this movie to the likes of Michael bay. Zack Snyder did a splendid job of portraying superman as realistic as possible, something which the previous movie lacked. The emotional depth of the man behind the cape is presented in such a way, that the audience can connect with the hero and actually relate with him. The actors were perfect, with Henry Cavill shining in the superman outfit. The script was perfect, penned by goyer and nolan, presenting the story of superman's origins and his difficulties, and at the same time having enough feel of 'realism' to it just like the dark knight trilogy. The action sequences were just plain awesome, providing enough special effects to compare with the avengers. This movie was just what the once-popular hero needed, an emotional origin story with some butt-kicking action. Man of Steel provides everything one hoped for, it delivers just everything one expected in the movie. Hopefully, Superman should collect enough revenue for at least a trilogy.… Expand

The fans have spoken. This is how to make a superman movie. This is how u showcase his superpowers, his awesome strength and abilities. By giving u scenes you havent seen in any superhero movie yet. By making you pick up your jaw from the floor by the movies end. Maybe character isnt really supermans strong point unlike batman but it never really was even in the comics. Superman is all about taking things to a whole superhuman level and this film delivers in spades.… Expand

Superman? More like superboy. An after spending the first 20 min establishing an irrelevant relationship with his father and nemesis, an early scene shows what this version is really made of. Our hero is confronted by an ignorant truck driver and humiliated. Superboy's solution is to walk away without saying a word. Very shortly we find out that he walked out and committed an obviously adolescent act by destroying the truck of the driver. The rest of the movie is built around justifications for superman behaving like a boy while all the women and men in uniform treat him like the second coming of christ. At one point he is even juxtaposed with the image of jesus as if the messiah message was to subtle. Visually satisfying at some moments is the best i can say about this movie. Wait for netflix.… Expand

The final battle is Too long and the result is the leveling of major portions of Metropolis. The Superman I remember would have done anything to minimize the destruction (including surrender). I’m weary of these bloodless post 9/11 comic book city destruction scenes and they really wrecked the movie for me. Film makers please watch a few minutes of the post Boston Marathon coverage and d stop trivializing this kind of violence. If the destruction depicted in this film were “real” we’d be talking casualties in the tens of thousands.… Expand

I always have respect for the critics on this sight. But they must have been smoking something to only give this movie a 55. I saw the movie in 3D at the Midnight showing. IT IS AMAZING!!! The story line. The graphics. The special effects. Best movie I have seen this year.

MOVIE OF THE YEAR and the best comic book movie of ALL TIME !!!

Perfect in every aspect.

Cavill is Superman.

Can't wait to see the sequel and Justice Leage !

10/10

I really wanted to enjoy this film. Truly. I even wrestled with the score of 0. Really 0 You give it nothing So I tried to think of something in the film I could give it a point for. Surely the special effects Well, no. Because the special effects are exactly what you've seen before in every other summer blockbuster. Nice, colourful, but without any heft, without any hinge into reality. A HD cartoon. Well then, story. Nope. No points for story. Because frankly, there is NO story telling here. You can't put people in peril and expect us to care if you haven't got us invested in them. Peril Yes. Care No. Ok, the acting. God, so wanted to give it 1 for Russell, but frankly, he's wasted here.

I knew within 5 minutes it was going to be bad. Leaden direction, no through line, no pacing, no fluidity. Exactly like A.N.Other big budget SFX heavy film. A series of "Whoa!" moments without any reason to go whoa. A massive special effect and a blaring piece of sinister music does not drama make.

The main crime here is that you won't care about anyone in the film and it will, no matter how fast it goes, bore you.… Expand

I'm just going to repeat what my other fellow film fans said: don't listen to the critics. I am not sure why they gave this film a low score. Two words: move on. I love the Donner version as much as they do. Heck..I might have watched it at least a hundred times..but going back to that particular tone will not work on today's audiences. What you have here is a deconstruction of the Superman's character for the 21st century: an alien immigrant who is a social outcast, who must choose between his adopted world and his true 'race'. It has brilliant supporting casts, notably Costner's amazing performance as Jonathan Kent. Cavill also delivers as a more 'grounded' Superman. The action sequences are reminiscent of 'Japanese Anime', hence the critics 'resistance' to that particular palate: supersonic fights, buildings demolished to smithereens. It made recent set pieces looked anemic in comparison. I watched it with a little boy beside me with his mom. He had that same look that I used to have when I watched the original Superman many years ago: a look of awe and wonder and a belief that a man can really fly. Welcome back Superman.....… Expand

Awesome beautiful film, I almost cried throughout it, interesting thought provoking original script, my only criticism is there was too much juvenile cgi action towards the end. this is the fault of the studios trying to appeal to wider younger audiences instead of niche adult audiences. exactly the same problem as inception and batman.

Man Of Steel is emotionally griping, the action scenes are brutal and overall a powerful story, this is not the next dark knight but this film makes it look like marvel is its

Loved Man of Steel this movie way better than Superman Returns. Most Critic are wraped up in a 1978 version of superman over 35 years age. Nevertheless, this is this generation Superman. Most Critic are over 45 years old and don't get it. The overall movie is better than any Iron Man moovie or the Averger. I not giving any thing away but, its a must see on the big screen don't wait for Red Box for this one!… Expand

(Has minor spoilers:) Zero emotion, no humor, no soul, you care about absolutely no one in this film except Clark as a boy that kid damn near carried the film. Cavill is totally unconvincing. Its a combo of maudlin flashbacks and boring effects sequences. After you've seen 4 or 5 skyscrapers topple over (LOL, F science) you just don't care anymore. Every FX gimmick is stolen directly from an earlier film or video game. The Kryptonians apparently contracted a Reaver from Mass Effect, because they have one. Jor-El the great scientist is somehow also a badass who can take on a platoon of soldiers singlehanded. The Kryptonians haven't discovered color TV yet they use low-res liquid metal for their communications.The horrible "action news" cinematography has no place in a superhero film...or ANY film, honestly. While there were a few clever effects shots, mostly it was Michael Bay levels of CG for 3D's sake here. So many things go unexplained that it feels like Dark Knight Rises all over again. When we DO get cause-and-effect, the story contradicts itself so many times that its obvious Snyder and Nolan had no idea which version they wanted to go with. I heard so many "huhs??" from the audience at each new realtime reconning that it I couldn't help laughing at it after a while. The mood at credit role was somber. The loyalists in their capes walked out staring at the floor wondering the same as myself if we'll ever get another good DC superhero film, let alone a good Superman one. Oh, and did I mention that there was a MAKING OF mini-documentary that ran right before the movie started?? I kid you not. At my Regal Cinema they also ran the Pacific Rim trailer *twice*. It was a painful experience that gave me a greater appreciation of Smallville. Bottom line: everything this film contains you've seen before and done better. I truly hope this movie starts a backlash against gratuitous CG. Mark Hamill is right: its a big reason that Hollywood refuses to do anything original.… Expand

Boring

Crappy screenplay overblown piece of junk. Highly disappointed. Could have been so much better. Superman looks like wonder women with short hair. A disaster to DC and anyone who was apart of this movie

Just came back from the movie! Just one word Amazing. Watched it in IMAX 3D it's not just the end that has action scenes. From start to end it's a bang for the Buck. It has a great story, some moments even bring tears into your eye and as for the Action is concerned it was EPIC. It was amazing to see superman in the air flying and fighting especially in IMAX 3D. Go for it. I would rate itit 10/10.… Expand

There are little things that bothered me but not enough to complain about this movie was amazing. The story line was great the characters were spot on henry cavill is a perfect superman. The action scenes were great. The visuals were by far one of the best I've seen in a while.

This was the perfect Superman movie! I loved how Snyder captured the essence of Krypton and told the full story of how Kal-El's home planet was destroyed. I thought Russell Crowe played a perfect Zor-El as he brought substance to Kal in the times that he needed it the most. Amy Adams was a perfect Lois Lane as she embodied everything that the character needed to have including heart, a go-get am attitude and the wit to know when not to write a story about an alien living on Earth. Henry Cavill played a wonderful Superman and I would say that he brought the character to life more than Christopher Reeve did with the 1978 movie.

Overall, people will complain about the serious tone that this movie had along with the special effects. However, I argue that this is a new telling of the Superman story and it should be taken serious. Think Batman Begins. As far as the special effects, that was one of the big reasons why I did not love the Avengers. However, this is Superman after all and he does fly so the special effects are a given. But the movie could have used less destruction of Metropolis, but I believe it made up for itself by the stellar acting of the entire crew.

Overall, I would rank this movie as the 3rd best Superhero movie of all time. My top 5 are as follows:

1) The Dark Knight
2) The Dark Knight Rises
3) Man of Steel
4) X-Men: First Class
5) X-Men… Expand

I waited an entire year for this?! “Superman Returns” was better!
Directed by the writer/director of “Sucker Punch” (need I say more?) with a script void of anything memorable, written by David S. Goyer (Blade) and produced (with story credits) by the infamous Christopher Nolan, “Man of Steel”, the newest blockbuster sure to make an exorbitant amount of money worldwide, today sadly standssadly stands as one of the biggest disappointments in the resurgence of the modern superhero era.
Telling the story of the origins of Superman, his days as a youth and his adult confrontation with General Zod, there are basically three damning flaws which serve to retard “Man of Steel” and its assent into the stratosphere of superhero cinematic notoriety. “Man of Steel” isn’t even on par with the dangerously average “The Amazing Spider-Man”. Hell, while it wasn’t a better movie, even “Green Lantern” was more coherent at times. Anyway, the flaws are as follows:
1. “Man of Steel” is unbelievably un-engaging! It is impossible to emotionally connect with any of the characters on screen. And if I don’t care about anybody in this movie, then why am I watching it? If you don’t think this is a problem, go watch “John Carter” again.
2. Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man is not replaceable. Hugh Jackman as Wolverine is not replaceable. Even Chris Hemsworth as Thor is not replaceable. But Henry Cavill as Clark Kent/Kal-El/Superman is such “nothing” here, that this rebooted Superman character is more liken to a sort of Man of Steel by committee. His acting is so vanilla, that at times (many times) he sort of fades into the background of this larger than life production, for long stretches. But it’s not like Cavill was even asked to act or do much of anything here. He lifts a few things, and his eyes glow from time to time and he talks to his mom a bit. But I feel that any young actor with a muscular physique could have done the same thing. And maybe with a little more charisma of a leading man. Hence, Man of Steel by committee.
3. This feels like a 4 hour movie that had been edited down to a 2 hour movie. And sloppily edited at that. Let me put it to you another way: The narrative structure within “Man of Steel” is so choppy in its plotting, that it seemed as if director Zack Snyder had completed a series of these films beforehand, but instead of giving us three separate movies, he felt compelled to give us a highlight reel, with dense plot development, followed by large gaps which seemed as if huge chunks of connective storyline were left out, followed again by dense plot development, and call it a movie. In short, more than once I thought I had fallen asleep during “Man of Steel” and missed crucial scenes, only to find out that I had not. And this is why I don’t lay any of the blame on Christopher Nolan. The man only came up with the story. What Snyder did from that point on is clearly beyond Nolan’s control.
This leads me to the one great flaw which supersedes, while at the same time umbrellas, said three major flaws: Zack Snyder’s direction. Due to his choice of focusing on his direction rather than his characters, said characters come off as unimportant. Hence, nobody cares if they live or die. Due to his lack of true understanding of the Superman series (no mention of Kryptonite?!) or the Superman character, Cavill comes off as a hero nobody roots for or sympathizes with. And due to Snyder’s choice of a plot structuring which exposes his horrific storytelling abilities, he has made a film that will leave a majority of audiences’ cold; only pretending to like this movie in order to save face with their friends.
Final Thought: “Man of Steel” only has a few redeeming qualities. The first being, that there are more than a few well crafted flashbacks, which are perfectly implemented by the hated Zack Snyder. They convey the only genuine atmosphere of the entire film and contain the best scene in the movie where Kevin Costner fights a tornado (well, sort of). The second redeeming quality has to be Michael Shannon (Take Shelter) as General Zod, who isn’t great here, but seems to be the only actor not phoning in a performance. Also, Shannon has the perfect face to play this particular villain, as he gives his trademark crazy eye stare at every opportunity. And the third redeeming comfort would have to be Hans Zimmer’s score. But then again, I’m probably one of the few who hasn’t gotten tired of the bludgeoning score this composer brings to the table. All of that said, if you’re like me and had any kind of hopes or expectations for this film, then none of these aspects will be all that redeeming. And as one of the biggest disappointments in my lifetime, I’m being kind here by giving “Man of Steel” even two stars.

Written by Markus Robinson, Edited by Nicole I. Ashland

Follow me on Twitter @moviesmarkus… Expand

I'll start by saying i don't know what's wrong with the critics, they obviously don't know what a good superhero movie is, just look at the difference between critic scores and user scores... user scores got it right, i loved this movie from start to finish, i'm happy they took some risks with the story and did things differently so it's not like another reboot where u know everything, it was done in a fresh way where even if u know the superman story from front to back u could still feel this was a fresh unfamiliar take on the story, as a big superman fan i've been waiting over thirty years to see superman punch someone in a movie, the action was second to none... if ur a superman fan u owe it to yourself to see this marvel.… Expand

I seen the movie man of steel and i give 3 and a half star's that doesn't mean it is a bad movie., i like more Superman (1978) and Superman II (1980) and the soundtrack of Superman (1978) is better.

I LOVE Superman.... I grew up loving Superman. Perhaps its that fact that made watching this film so difficult. It is a 2 and a half hour disaster. There is so little dialogue that the film is basically overblown fight scenes followed by repeated action shots of people who seem too stupid to run away from entire buildings blowing up.

The film is so mindless that the only spoiler is to tell you that after two and a half hours you will be two and a half hours older and ten dollars poorer....

This film did accomplish one thing however... it managed to make Bryan Singer's Superman look like brilliant. Stay away...… Expand

Top 5 superhero movie of all time. I really dont understand why every critic is being this harsh. Its like they are scrutinizing the movie more than usual just cause Snyder has a part it in it. I actually really enjoyed the movie.

When the teaser trailer hit, i was interested. When the full trailer hit, i was really excited. Then i saw the movie, which I was looking forward to as being one of the best of the summer. What a disappointment. The action is boring and overly-long. The plot is only there when it needs to be. The acting is sub-par at points. The writers took the plot from The Matrix, added in some Avengers action scenes and called it a day. This movie is mediocre at best.… Expand

Very disappointed! Having been a fan since the first movie in 1978, enjoyed the 2nd movie immensely and even Superman Returns which I watched again last night before seeing Man of Steel.
The hype said realism (which I know with the universe is a stretch) but the other movies felt more realistic and this was a jumble of noise and CGI like Transformers, however even those movies felt more coherent than this mess.
There were some sparks of interesting layout to the movie like Clark growing up and Lois showing integrity by not exposing him to the world, but really this is not in the same league as other superhero movies over the past few years.
I would have preferred a sequel to Superman Returns than this...… Expand

If you like action films and could care less about character development, pacing or good acting you'll love Man of Steel. If however you cringe when seeing trite motifs then you will likely come to hate Man of Steel before baby Kal-El even launches off Krypton… Knowing the power and past works of the creative minds at the top of this project I just expected a lot more than was delivered. T The positive take away is that it's not a bore, the action does not stop. Just don't expect to really care much at the end.… Expand

Freaking Amazing! Proper superhero fighting scene, haven't had this much fun watching people beat each other up since Dragon Ball Z. The story was intriguing and for the first time ever, they showed Krypton and it's people. The Action in this movie deserves a 15/10.

You'll believe a man can fly: this is the greatest cinecomic I've ever seen. Perfect in every aspect. Cavill is the real heir to the mighty Christopher Reeve.

MoS got a long round of applause after it was finished in the theater I was at and it deserved it! This reboot gave us everything we wanted and delivered on nearly every level and in the very few areas where it didn't, I'm sure will be corrected in the 2nd installment.

As a fan of action hero movies in general having seen and enjoyed all of the latest superhero films from DC and Marvel (Dark Knight Thor, The Avengers) the thing that i have to say about Man of Steel is that it is the best action superhero movie to date It is the perfect origin story just like Batman Begins It has great acting especially Henry Cavill who is portraying a perfectly troubled Superman. The action sequences are the best action sequences to date from any action movie i have ever seen There is an ultimately chilling ending and yes in the theater i saw it the people applauded in the end something i have never seen before For me it shows the way all action hero movies should be done I am tired of comic book movies adaptations that with all this humor become comedies in the end Superheroes often suffer in the comic books and this gives them the characterization of drama not comedies Most of the times i read critic reviews and many times i agreed with them But not in this one Its the first time i have serious doubts in the integrity of the reviewing system (critics) If we compare this movie with the Avengers for example its definitely a more serious ,more action packed, more intense movie. I dont say the Avengers is not a good superhero movie It is But this is even better I would recommend to anyone to see this movie Its everything that you would expect from a summer blockbuster and even more.… Expand

This is the Superman movie both Superman fans and comic books fans have been waiting for. Without going into plot details everything from human (and alien) drama, romance, action and hope are presented in this film. Henry Cavill is Superman. From Henry all the way down the actors chosen were perfect. This is a visually stunning and emotional movie. From the first scene to the last you will believe a man can stand for hope and find his way as we all try and do in this world. Go see Man of Steel.… Expand

The movie is simply AMAZING, I will never understand why critics are treating it so brutally. Since the very moment the movie begins you are caught by the depth of the characters, the way the story is told, the story itself; the acting is superb and every single actor adds something special to their portrayals. For the first time after Christopher Reeves we have a lovable and believable Clark Kent/Superman. The action scenes in this movie are something you have never seen before in any other superhero movie. And for the first time in 75 years the infamous question of why Lois Lane does not realise that Superman is Clark Kent wearing glasses IS SOLVED: Lois Lane is not "stupid" anymore!!

Again, do not pay attention to the critics. I really do not know if it is about trying to badmouth of every Zack Snyder project or just haters gonna hate.… Expand

Boundlessly cool and entertaining, amazing visual effects, the fights are fast and explosive and the stakes feel high. Michael Shannon steals the show. He delivers a performance that gathers all the intensity he has ever played into one character (That's super intense).

Take this how you will, but there is more destruction in this film than I have ever seen. Nothing is sacred. It's sweet.

Hans Zimmer's score: I think it's some of his best work. With it, he pays more dividends to the plot beats and the characters than the script or actors. It is delicate and sensitive but at moments notice can go from 1- 100! It raises the stakes to where they should be and makes some of the more cheesy moment so much more palatable. He has gathered a brutal drum ensemble and it shakes you to your foundations!

I will say that the film suffers from minor plot holes and some teeth grinding cheesy moments. There is a lack of comic relief, and perhaps some comic moments that seem misplaced or gauche. The pacing is strange and seems to polarise people, you either love it, or hate it. I'm not quite sure yet... but i'm leaning towards disliking it.

I still think Superman is too "good". He needs to struggle with himself more! We need more internal conflict in order to relate more and for us to want him to win that much more. BUT.
I think we finally have a superman film that is BADASS and another superhero that is accesible to this generation.… Expand

Man Of Steel totally blew my mind. Everything i expected and a lot more. Finally, Superman in action like we always prayed to see materialize on the big screen. The wait was worth every bit. The King-Daddy of Superheroes is in the house!

Finally a good Superman movie. Yes, it was serious, but DC's New 52 and all the Warner Premiere movies are serious. DC is serious, deal with it.
Also, some people complained that there was too much unbelievable action. Superman CAN punch the moon out of orbit. Even if we know that is not possible, who cares. If you want "realistic" watch a documentary. Superman fans want to see the Man of Steel get punched through a mountain.
This movie catered to the real DC fan. It is what a Superman movie should be.
So in brief, if you want weak, funny characters, they make Marvel movies for that.
And if you think this movie was worse that Superman Returns, they make a pill for that.… Expand

Don't know how or why so many mixed reviews by critics I guess they were expecting the campy, cheesy 70's Superman? great updated story of the Man of Steel, he's young just embracing who he is and so he makes mistakes, makes some bad choices that a seasoned Superman probably doesnt make, but that to me doesnt take away from the movie it add's layers to him, I thought they had some great emotional scenes, and great action as well, I really only had one gripe but I understand it. But loved this movie right up there with The Dark Knight and Iron man 1! go see it!… Expand

I'll preface this by saying that I don't like Zack Snyder, so I think I went into this movie with an unfair bias against him. That said, this movie was terrible. The opening scene on Krypton actually looked really cool, if you could see it. The cinematography was so shaky that you couldn't actually concentrate on what was happening. I don't mind the dark tone that Snyder takes, but he just can't pull it off. The script was terrible, it became either a laugh or cringe fest whenever anyone opened their mouth. The action looked like a video game, unrealistic, much too fast, and entirely over the top. I don't even want to talk about the science...just awful. And of course, the acting. I love Amy Adams but what the heck? All she did was scream and cry and she was some of the better acting. Russel Crowe was tolerable, Kevin Costner was mediocre, Henry Cavill doesn't pull off the inner struggle that Snyder wants him to have, and everyone else is absolutely horrid. Micheal Shannon was the absolute worst part of the film, and his portrayal of General Zod was soul-less without Superman taking it from him. Do not go and see this unless you enjoy bad movies or have a unique sense of humor. I was lucky that I got my ticket for free, and I'd certainly hate to see anyone actually spend money on this.… Expand

This is the worst movie I have seen in years. It is over the top noise and blowing up stuff. It was grey and noisy at best and the dialog was almost pathetic. It was chopped up, badly edited, horribly written. I can not understand all the good reviews written for this film. It has been years since I walked out on a movie, but I walked out on this one. I could not stand the over the top battle scenes one second longer. Way too dragged out. Horrible movie! Absolutely horrible.… Expand

Extreme disappointment to say the least. After a rocking Iron Man 3, Amazing Spiderman and Avengers, this is the exact opposite. Pathetic direction by Zack Snyder the film lacks soul and actors mouth dialogues for the sake of saying it, without any emotional connect. Dialogues are ridiculous and childish, and the action/special effects is quite boring/repetitive actually. Nothing earth-breaking or new for those of us who have seen Avengers, Spiderman or Iron Man. Screenplay is very haphazard, going to and fro between flashbacks and present day without clarity. Some scenes appear out of nowhere. Most disappointing is the climax...after lots of punching and destroying buildings, Superman kills the villian by twisting his head!! Couldn't he have done it the minute he met this guy? The Superman series is clearly not in safe hands. Someone like David Fincher could breath fresh life into it. Please hire him for the next.… Expand

An awesome use of special effects to create the best superman movie to date. Along with the almost never ending action the fight scenes in the film are the best I have ever seen in our cinema to date.

9 out of 10

Finally a superhero movie with superhero worthy action scenes. I felt like it was taken straight from a comic book. The special effects are perfect and there's a great cast. I would have liked more development of superman;s character, but that is a small complaint compared to the epic fight scenes and solid storytelling. 9/10

Something tells me that many of the high scores and posts are from some PR firm hired by Warner Bros., because this movie was a train wreck. Anybody with a modicum of taste in a well scripted, paced and directed film would agree. Attempting to bring a Batman-like seriousness to Man of Steel was an EPIC FAILURE! "Batman" had a well executed story! True, it's my opinion...although my teenage boys didn't even like it! That's pretty telling. It's not an awful movie, it just seems to be two distinctly different movies in one. One part, life of a young boy dealing with being different while being raised in a small town (which, was not bad story telling in this film), and the other part, this over the top Michael Bay "Transformers" battle to the death, chock full of extraneous dialogue. Cavill is a "good looking" Superman for the eye candy crowd, in fact in the movie a character of a female cop sheepishly admits to this. However, this Superman is not a lot of fun, in fact he's pretty bland. Perhaps this Clark Kent should spend some time hanging out with "Iron Man" Tony Stark for a lesson in loosening up a bit.… Expand

It could have built on the foundation it laid in the first hour but instead it decided it wanted to be a Roland Emmerich film and became sillier by the minute.

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Easy steps to a better movie:

1. Don't try to pack so much stuff in on Krypton. Put the societal and environmental decay in the background, as context. Then, have Zod and Maximus argue about the best way forward, give us some touching dialog between the man and his wife with the mismatched accent, and then have Kal's Superpod lift off to a backdrop of the pseudo-nuclear beginnings of civil war. That way we don't see Zod LOSING both militarily and in a fist fight against a scientist in the first 20 minutes of film. Fill in the other stuff with the hologram and Zod's speeches later.

2. Have little Clark try to help, somehow, and screw up. If the bully had bothered other kids, and Clark had decided to scare him or respond when nobody was looking only to accidentally almost seriously injure the kid...it would have added a lot of weight and gravitas to both Bill Durham's otherwise alarming speeches and the kid's later frustrated efforts to remain passive. The oil rig would then be a pivotal moment in his character growth. "Oh, wow....I really can save these people, if I'm careful."

3. Make it rain. Even in Kansas, tornado out of nowhere is not a typical event. Why was it deemed a bad idea to have it be raining? Also, when has there even been that much traffic in a place where a Kevin Costner character might believably live? I grew up in South Dakota, and not even a high school football game creates that much traffic (and that's about the biggest thing that happens in those areas). Does he have a field of dreams opening up nearby, perhaps? Put a storm in there, lose half the cars from the shot, and have his foot get caught when the approaching disaster whips a car while he's helping the mother...the whole "going back at the last minute to save the dog" stuff is as tired as it is corny. Please.

4. Shoo the kids away from the closet. It's bad enough that the teachers just let them stand around gossiping while the child has a breakdown....but then his mom doesn't care, either? It's a weird backdrop for what could be a very touching scene. It's not like Clark couldn't HEAR and SEE them mock him if they were in the classroom, right? You gained nothing from having them there.

5. Have somebody else kill Zod. Maybe, as Zod taunts and dares him to finish him off and Superman howls in frustration, torn between not wanting to kill and needing to save that family, Lois Kryptoknifes the guy and resolves the issue. That gives us somewhere to go in the next film. If Superman is willing to kill when the need arrives, you've really just ditched one of the primary psychological facets that informs his internal drama (the other being his loneliness, which you've also ditched). Now, all he has is a fear of cloudy days and a whole lot of superpowers.

6. Reduce the destruction by 50%. If you only wrecked 11 buildings, and only killed a baker's dozen of soldiers and civies, none of us would have walked out going "Wow...lame!" How are you going to up the stakes in a sequel? You've killed thousands (at least), had Superman purposefully end a villain with his bare hands and make choices in battle that intentionally put humans at risk (including grabbing a bad guy from a remote location and willingly hurling him through various populated buildings in a nearby town). What's left to do?

7. Don't explain everything. The scene with the scientist looking at the circle (earth, natch) and the squiggly lines and immediately intuiting (with lots of scientific babble) that they were terraforming earth was a Michael Bay-level cheeseball of a moment, and unneeded. The machine is called something like a World Engine or something. You've already told us what it does. Don't try to explain how...please. And don't tell us how Zod modded his ride to get to earth, either. It's a spaceship, built by a race that colonized the stars. We wouldn't have rolled our eyes if you'd left that out. All the explaining helped make "alien weird" look and feel a lot more just "future earth"y.

Do these things, and you'd have a much better movie methinks.… Expand

MARVELOUS OUTSTANDING
Brilliant movie overall just don't expect Nolan's wit. The movie is just made better by the great music by Hans Zimmer
Lucky to watch it first day n first show
Go watch it now

This movie isnt perfect but it definitely is a good start for where they want to head with this. I am happy to say that it is in the right direction.

The ACTING was superb by everyone, just the actors on Krypton had be engaged. I like how they world builded Krypton instead of it being a boring white planet like the past movies...

The ACTION was great but I dont understand the hate for the too much when it was Zod vs Superman; I'm sorry but if you have two or more Kryptonians fight, the environment around them id bound to get immensely destroyed.

The STORY was a great origin story, but I can understand some people not on board with the whole flashback way but for me it workds. The way it was intertwined with present events worked well imo.

My only complaint will have to be some of the pacing, it wasnt awful but it could be improved, there were just some parts when you are waiting for things to happen but it wasnt that bad. The pacing was just fine.

I think the critics are wrong for comparing this to Donner bc
1) Its a reboot,
2)Donner didnt make Superman.
You should definitely walk in with an open mind forgetting Donner and instead expect a movie that goes by the comics instead of the Donner films for once.… Expand

From its lusciously rich score, its tear-inducincly powerful performances, its brilliantly vast set pieces, its offbeat yet thrillingly structured story, or its commandingly auteurist direction, "Man Of Steel" is not only the greatest and most relatable Superman film, but it is easily one of the most entertaining films I have ever seen. Absolutely immaculate.

This is the best movie I have ever seen. Of course there are some elements that could be perfected, such as the performance of the main actor which in the end, you realize they didn't tell you so much about him and the way he reacts to things.
Besides that, the movie is just awesome, super fast paced, an incredible story. I just want to say that: justice has been done to the most awesome superhero of all. You get to watch him in all his glory, there are no doubts about his strength and capabilities.
The best movie (superhero movie, at least) that I have EVER seen.… Expand

Man of Steel is finally here and what can I say… it was as entertaining as it was disappointing. In this film Clarke Kent seeks answers about t his home world, Krypton, and tries to grapple with his responsibilities here on Earth. Of-course, while all this is going on, the evil (and programmed) General Zod threatens Earth’s very existence. The first part of the film is filled with some exc excellent Clarke Kent and Krypton back stories that were elevated by the performances of Kevin Costner (Jonathon Kent) and Russell Crowe (Jor-El); the two father’s of this film. I must give Henry Cavill a hand for maintaining the win streak of fantastic Superman performances. While Christopher Reeve captured the charm of Superman and Brandon Routh did a slightly brooding interpretation, Cavill excelled at capturing the physicality of the Man of Steel. With all these high marks remaining constant; the beautiful introduction gave way to bloated, explosive action sequences. The action was unhinged and needed some serious taming, because it didn’t afford the filmmakers anytime to develop our other characters or elevate the plot. And the story itself, as effective as it may be, didn’t really cover any new ground. This Zack Snyder is a director who can always create a nice looking film, the world of Krypton in particularly is brought beautifully to the screen. He’s also always able to focus on those minute visual details like those frame-for-frame shots from Watchmen and 300 that were taken straight from the comic book. In this case I-Hop restaurants and other familiar settings litter the background of every scene to make the audience aware of the ‘real world’ setting in which this movie takes place. These are all nice splashes, but ultimately he is never able to look at the big picture: Story, Plot and Character! These are the things that truly determine the strength of a film, everything else is secondary. It’s unfortunate that the action and aesthetics took precedence, but this was decent summer entertainment that should be seen on the big screen.… Expand

Just going to say it was an okay movie. I had a high expectation with man of steel but this movie is good to see it once, and i say that because story line was confusing, boring and the actors were bad. especially The actress who play luis clark amy Adams) i almost slept the whole movie. But the positive part about the movie is the action. The fighting part got me awake and got me interested. it was good. other than that my last sentence to say is that man of steel movie was okay.. I would only see the movie once, to only see superman but to be honest NO DC comic Super hero Movie can top the batman movie the Dark knight. Thats why i gave it a 6… Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Just pure beauty....coming from a marvel man myself. I loved how Snyder captures the connection between Clark and his earth dad...and how its over ins tornado accident...as he watched his dad needlessly die even though he could help his dad risked his life for clarks safety PURE BEAUTY… Expand

Man of Steel is the perfect Superhero film. Do you come to watch a (SUPERHERO FILM) for Romance or drama? No, you come to see it for action and seeing your favorite Superhero fight super villains. Man of steel gives you just that and does it in epic fashion. It's not to say this movie doesn't have drama or a little bit of romance because it does, It just doesn't dwell on it.

The movie gives you a little bit of everything, it shows you krypton, which we have never seen before. Don't listen to all the people that talk bad about it, mostly its critics. Its the best Superhero film I have seen as well as the best Superman anything that has ever been created. Superman has always had it hard when it comes to media other than comics, like video games and movies. Do yourself a favor and go see this movie, you won't regret it.… Expand

Another super-hero reboot movie, however this one falls short. It's way too serious for its own good, trying to mimic the tone of the Christopher Nolan Batman movies to no success. It focuses too much on being melodramatic and that brings the whole movie down. The action is interesting at times, mostly when Super Man is fighting his foes in mid-air, but ends relying on huge explosions and disasters rather than satisfying fights. It ends up being too noisy both visually and aurally. But by far the worst thing about this movie is how it doesn't feel like a super-hero movie, but rather some generic alien invasion flick. I never cared about what was going on, the characters failed to grab me in any way, and outside of the occasional cool action scene this movie ended up being a waste of time. It's all so disappointing because this was supposed to bring Super Man back with a new tone. If this is how the rest of the Super Man movies are going to turn out they need to just stop now. It even makes me worry that, if one ever gets made, the future Justice League movie will fail.… Expand

This film explored the emotional issues of Kal-El very nicely. This is a signature mark of crafting by the awesome producer, Nolan. Somehow, the interaction between the alien world and humanity is a little less entertaining. This story can be hard to adapt to more realistic terms like Batman so, do not expect that. I'm not a big fan of Snyder. His vision doesn't bringing to life the challenges that Superman faces.… Expand

Finally Superman was given a just reboot! Henry Cavill plays the role well and is perfectly fit for the it. The screenplay was well-written, decent. Visual effects were fantastic while sound and editing were well done. The cast delivered beyond satisfactory. A motion picture-of-the-year material. Man of Steel is this decade's The Dark Knight (2008).

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I wasn't sure what to expect when I went to watch this movie but I was blown away by it. It is a very Serious movie and I love that. I find Iron man and the avengers to funny and they have many lines that pander to kids. This movie was great in every way. I loved the tone atmosphere and acting was great too. You must see this movie if your an adult.

After watching this movie and finally watching Superman kick some ass, I have three words to describe how I feel: f*** the critics. This movie portrayed Superman as the full fledged badass he is in the comics(you know, the one that destroyed an entire solar system just by sneezing). This movie did the best job yet of showing the actual scale of Superman's strength, unlike the god awful Christopher Reeves Series and even worse, Returns. This movie deserves at LEAST a 9/10.… Expand

I judge movies based on what they promise versus what they deliver. The first MoS trailer and the following trailers promised a deep story centered on Clark and his quest on finding his place in the world to ultimately become the savior of humanity, this is what they were teasing in a nutshell. But instead what we got is a glorified Transformers-like movie: no real characters, no deep story, mostly stuff exploding for half the movie. The screenplay is particularly inept, it tries to cram so many insignificant details (do we absolutely need to know what the codex thingy came from or look like for example...) at the expense of smooth transitions (scenes can literally jump from two people in a room to them standing in the desert), character development (the characters are cardboard cut outs, and no, 3 flashbacks of 5 mins are not enough to actually flesh out a character sorry), and most importantly storytelling: indeed the whole movie is constructed like one giant exposition, you spend most of the time catching up on things that already happened instead of having the story naturally unfold before you, and it's not a particularly interesting or original one at that. So in conclusion, my hat's off to the marketing team, because they did a hell of a job hyping up this movie and making it look like something worthy of interest, I just wish the actual filmmakers could have been as competent as them.… Expand

Quick Review: Compared to Dark Knight series, not as good. Plain and simple. Lois Lane is annoying, and if she was not in the movie, the plot would have been exactly the same. One point of the movie Lois Lane's boss is trying to save an intern that the audience has no idea who she is, nor does the audience care for them, and it is just a stupid scene. There are plenty of awesome action scenes in this movie, but if you want to see this movie because of the story, you are going to leave the theater empty handed.… Expand

Acting: 7
Story Line: 10
Picture: 9.5
Action: 8.2
Average: 9 (round off)
Movie is worth watching. Do not listen to the critics. It is great and powerful; just how superhero movies should be made. If this turns into a full on justice league movie you will be proud to say that you followed the story from its epic beginnings.

“Man of Steel” could have/should have been called “Superman: Everything You Know About Him, Everything You Don’t Know About Him Along With Many Things You Didn’t Want To Or Need To Know About Him!” Should you be familiar with the comic book Superman or his many TV shows and movies the only reason for seeing this movie is to feast your eyes on a new, hunky, extremely well built, dazzling a, dazzling actor, named Henry Cavill, who flies into stardom with this role which will lead to interesting comparisons of Cavill versus Christopher Reeve. Along those lines I can picture a panel at a future Superman convention not only discussing the Supermans but Margot Kidder versus Amy Adams as Lois Lane, and Marlon Brando versus Russell Crowe as Jor-El, Phyllis Thaxter, Eva Marie Saint versus Diane Lane as Martha Kent and who would win as the better adopted father Glenn Ford or Kevin Costner, the latter in the latest version. Perry White has gone from Jackie Cooper to Frank Langella and now Laurence Fishburne not to forget the question of how does the latest film score by Hans Zimmer stand up against John Williams scores?

The Superman movies have never been known for memorable villains, say like Batman, and Michael Shannon, also from the planet Krypton, does a good job but he is over- shadowed by the mayhem that ensues his battle against Superman. The last hour is glass shattering, cars being tossed around and crushed, buildings being destroyed, shootings, killings and all that makes a movie soar during the summer and it isn’t even summer yet!

After seeing “Iron Man 3”, “Oblivion”, “Fast and Furious 6”, “Star Trek Into Darkness” and now “Man of Steel” there isn’t much in the way of CGI effects that the remaining ‘blockbusters’ can offer so, unless you are a glutton for punishment you can avoid “After Earth”, “World War Z”, “Elysium” and “White House Down” just to name a few.

There is nothing wrong with “Man Of Steel”, except its 2 hour and 23 minutes running time, but there is nothing new in the screenplay by David S. Goyer while the direction is pedestrian. The film goes back and forth between Superman’s childhood on the planet Kyrpton, his being a child in Kansas and the present day. All the actors do good jobs and the film will definitely make Henry Cavill a star. Did I mention how well Superman’s outfit fits him? Or how hunky he looks bare chested?

Oh yes, a reason for seeing this movie may be that you don’t know what you think is an S on his costume and if Lois Lane knows who Superman is. You may or may not know the answer to the first and you may not be sure of the answer to the second but do you really want to know?… Expand

It's a shame people are so eager to hate in today's society. This move was a great retelling of a classic hero. Period. Haters keep on hating. I think some critics would simply prefer all movies be reality based romantic dramas, sorry for your lack of imagination.

The Good: Occasional realism, and I repeat... OCCASIONAL. Cool special effects. The Bad: Bad Actors, plot scenes that should be rushed are dragged, and plot scenes that should be taken slower are rushed. Overall, I it's clear by watching the movie what Nolan was "trying" to do, and for that I applaud him... But somewhere it all got lost. I really wanted this movie to be the best, unfortunately it is an OK movie. I think the main flaw of the movie is the bad acting, and the plot rushes...… Expand

Thus was a great movie the performances were good there were very good fight scenes. I have given the movie a 9 because i think that the movie went on a little long and the use of 3D was not that great but apart from that great movie one of the best of this year

I loved the movie. It was great and it had good acting performances. My only real problem was that the last 40 minutes had too much action, but it wasn't that bad.

EPIC there is no other word to describe it! By FAR the best super hero movie ever made! And by FAR the best movie of the year!
I believe the critics went to watch another movie cause else something is seriously wrong with them!

Worth every penny I spent to watch it! Should be oscarized! and Snyder is a true visionary I'll give it 20/10 if I could!

This movie is without a doubt the best Superman movie ever made. What has Superman always lacked....action that meets with the character's powers. This movie has action in spades, and it is not too much. It is perfect. It is what I always wanted to see. There is enough story, some of it quite compelling. The best part is watching Supes transform from being unsure of himself and who he is at the beginning and turning into the Superman/Clark Kent that we are more familiar with... all twinkling eye and the boy scout smile by the end.

But really, the action and speed and power of the fight sequences are really astounding. You believe this man is THAT strong and THAT fast.

Word of warning. See it in 2-D. If I had seen it in 3-D, I would have thrown up It seems the bad reviews are mostly from people who saw it in 3-D. This thing moves, people, and if I had seen it in 3-D, it would have been too much of a good thing.

My final verdict: Better than Avengers (a tiny little bit), as good as the Dark Knight (maybe a little tiny bit worse), and as good as the 1978 Superman (maybe a little tiny bit better). Better than the first Iron Man and the Spider Man and X-Men films (by a good margin). Makes Green Lantern look like something drawn by my infant son.… Expand

Epic...Finally a good Superman, alot of action and epic special effects. The visual was perfect. For me this is the movie of the year...Plz sequel and justice league ASAP

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The movie felt shorter to me than the run-time. As for some complaints about not resolving relationships and such, this movie is meant to establish such relationships and complications, so they can be explored and resolved in the sequels, right? Superman has been around for 75 years, so I think it is hard for some viewers to recognize that this movie presents us with a neophyte hero this is the first time he's wearing the suit and making tough decisions. As long as the character grows into the icon in the sequels, then it's a good thing. Do we really want a character, in an origin story, that has nowhere to develop? And that's what this movie felt like to me, an introduction to Superman, not a summation of the character.

I give it 8.5 out of 10 (rounding up to 9 because I'm a geek). It's a solid movie with all the action anyone could have wanted (too much for some, but great for me, bring it on). It doesn't reinvent superhero movies but Man of Steel is certainly among the best of the genre. Sadly, the hopes and the hype were so high that the fact that it isn't overwhelmingly great has hurt the movie's reception. I recommend it to superhero and action fans without reservation. To those who aren't fans of either genre, I say this. Surrender within twenty-four hours ...

A couple critiques. The shaky-cam effect is kind of jarring, especially in the opening scenes. For a moment, I was wondering if Krypton was having earthquakes in the early scenes, until I realized the camera-work was just a visual conceit. The tremor-vision calms down eventually, and for most of the movie, but returns for little, annoying bursts when least expected. Second, there are a couple actions that Clark takes (or doesn't take i.e. the tornado scene) that seem out of character. Per my point above, about character development, I believe (hope?) that these decisions will be revisited in the sequels.… Expand

This movie really soared above my expectations and competes for the greatest superhero film. Comic book fan or not this movie is a lot of fun and will keep you at the edge of your seat for sure!

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. An absolutely spectacular arrangement of action and character development. The movie isn't paced like most others, opting for a more unique approach. It divides itself into massive scale action sequences and lengths of character exploration. Most reviewers have been put off by the massive scale, hour long action sequence near the end, but they seem to forget the thematic exploration of Clark's character that came before it.

Superman as the depiction of the perfect immigrant? You have Clark coming in and doing various oddjobs to try and make a living before he finally finds his calling, and even then he is submit to scrutiny.

Superman as a paradoxical character with a strength that is also a weakness? You have some pivotal scenes where Superman is forced to make a decision for the greater good despite his morals. Indeed at several points in the film, the villains themselves outright state this theme- that Clark's morals make him weaker.

In addition to that, you have Clark's brilliant social predicament as a whole once again laid out perfectly. This absolutely incorruptible, truly good person manages to still somehow be put through a sad and lonely life.

In addition to the thematic exploration being done masterfully by writer David S. Goyer, you have the incredibly character performances. Henry Cavill portrays a humble (if humorless) Kal El/Clark Kent who is always willing to do the right thing on his own terms. His facial expressions and overall body language enrich the film's quality immensely. The look of apprehension the first time he dons the cape and faces the threat. The look of weakness when he realizes that the enemy who has just slammed him into a wall possesses the same powers as him. The look of stern coldness as Superman taunts the main villain. The white hot intensity when Superman turns aggressive. It's all done superbly by Cavill.

The aforementioned main villain is also an absolute powerhouse. General Zod is played by Michael Shannon (famous for his ability to simulate anger). General Zod's character as a whole is one of the most surprisingly good parts about the film. Sharply contrasting with Terence Stamp's cold blooded "kneel inducing" Zod, Shannon plays a megalomaniac bent on trying to restore life to his long dead race. You truly feel sympathy for Zod, but are no less satisfied when his character arc reaches its payoff. Shannon's portrayal is raw, threatening, and downright scary. He really has a way with eyes, being able to intimidate pretty much anyone he wants to.

Superman's father, Jor-El, happens to be one of those people. He is played by Russel Crowe. There's really not much else to say here but the fact that he absolutely kills the role.

The supporting cast all do their jobs very well, but are given rather little to work with. This should be more or less expected, considering the movie's marketing as Superman's origin story. Standout performances include Antje as the menacing-yet-sexy supporting villain Faora, Amy Adams as the adorable-yet-tough love interest Lois Lane, and Kevin Costner as the moral guidance of Jonathan Kent (Clark's father).

There are some issues with the movie. The action scenes do indeed feel too drawn out at some points. This can be seen in the middle 20 minutes of the last action scene where the movie ends up feeling like a Michale Bay-esque building dropper. Fortunately, the action builds up even more, and ends up with a climax so exhilarating that it would take three Avengers movies to top it.

As said before, the pacing is unique, but still strangely polarizing. The film is content with simply dividing the action and story development scenes into sections, instead of integrating them with each other and creating a coherent flow throughout the movie.

And, above all, the film truly is devoid of humor. While this is a new Superman film, some of the humility (and humanity) of the original Clark Kent in the Richard Donner films came from trivial things that would happen to Clark. Fortunately, the ending of the film leads into something that may indicate a return to this style of humor in the future.

The movie does contain some absolutely massive, drawn out action sequences. It is also paced in a strangely polarizing way, and the film is devoid of a lot of the humor that characterized the Richard Donner films. But one must not ignore the thematic explorations of the characters that came with those things and dismiss the film as a "generic blockbuster." Truly, with the teeming sci fi world of Krypton, strong character performances, and thematic respect to Superman's character, it is anything but.

This movie scores a 9.5/10. Since Metacritic does not allow for 9.5s, and the critical response seems to be rather mixed, the score was rounded to a 10.

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This is my girlfriend's cousin's review. I'm just relaying it here. I haven't watched the film yet myself, but as a longtime Superman fan, the talk of thematic exploration excites me to no end.… Expand

PLEASE DO NOT LET THE CRITICS STRAY YOU FROM SEEING THIS MOVIE....go to it and be the judge of it yourself as I did. What I will say next is strictly my own opinion and pretty much is in line as to what the majority of user reviews have been saying. This movie is great, not without it's flaws but these things can be improved upon in a sequel and In no way take away from the movie enough to make it deserve a score of 55....this just boggles my mind. A few cheesy lines from military personnel and sometimes not clear action sequences are not enough to make this movie a fail. And after rewatching Superman 2 and Superman Returns last night I can fully say that Henry Cavill IS superman and Snyder has done a great job. I'm not going to rant on about anything else, just got watch the movie yourself especially if the critics have turned you off from it...I think you will be a bit surprised.… Expand

Man of Steel is nothing short of an action epic. This movie has probably the greatest action I've ever seen. People are complaining about the action, but really, do you want another Superman Returns?! This movie has good character development through a series of flashbacks featuring the key moments in Clark's past, that make him the man he is today. This is Superman like we've never seen him before in a movie, there's no Clark Kent fumbling round the offices of the Daily Planet (I'm sure that will be in the sequel) but instead there is a man on a mission to discover who he really is, where he came from and what his purpose is in life. The opening scene to Man of Steel got me fully invested into the film, the action kicked off straight away and set up the villain for the rest of the film. General Dru Zod is one fantastic villain for the first film in a hopefully long franchise, he was menacing, fierce, but had reason behind his cruel and violent actions. The performances in this film were brilliant. Henry Cavill is the best Superman but on the screen so far, yes I said it, Christopher Reeve was a fun Superman, may he rest in peace, but this Superman is a character you want to root for, to save the world at the end of the movie. Henry Cavill really gave Kal-El depth and emotion, and I hope he stays on as Superman for a long time to come. Russell Crowe as Jor-El, Kal-El's biological father, was a very some very good casting, a big improvement from Marlon Brando. Amy Adams was a good Lois Lane, although I believe they should have saved the Lois and Clark relationship for the sequel, it felt quite rushed in this film, but what women wouldn't fall in love with a flying man who just saved the world. Michael Shannon is a very good General Zod, he is menacing enough for the audience to fear him, but gives the character depth and reason behind his actions, and at some times even makes us sympathize with Zod. Kevin Costner as Jonathan Kent gave some great emotional scenes and gave some great lessons to Clark about who he is going to grow up to be. The CGI was fantastic in the movie and the excessive use of it did not take me away from the movie at all. All round I do believe this Superman is the best we've ever had, the performances are great, the score is miraculous, Zack Snyder's direction for this is pleasing and the pacing of the movie is great! You can definitely see Christopher Nolan in parts of this film. David S Goyer's script is fantastic with little hidden gems like Lois' line 'Welcome to the planet' which had me smiling like an idiot. And keep a watchful eye DC fans, for those subtle easter eggs to other villains and characters in the DC universe. Ii am very pleased with Zack Snyder's take on Superman, and I hope he stays on as director for future movies. I only had a few issues with Man of Steel, and believe me they are few. For one, a line that a women soldier says at the end of the film 'I don't know, I just think he's kind of hot'. Seriously, what is that?! There is one scene that should have been changed to a more emotional and character building scene rather than just Superman fighting mechanical tentacles. And the relationship between Lois and Clark should have been saved for the sequel, because as I said before it felt rushed. Overall I think Man of Steel is one fantastic movie, the best of the summer so far, and the best of the year. I'm giving Man of Steel a 4.5/5.… Expand

In my opinion, the best movie adaptation of Superman's origin story to date. It has some awkward editing moments and the action generally drags on for a little to long, but everything else is so well-done that you HAVE to ignore that 55 rating from the critics. Go out and see it for yourself.

A great movie. Probably, in my opinion, up there with the first Superman. One of the biggest ups this has is the action. It's exciting, relentless and finally shows Superman's true ability. Another up is the character depth. Henry Cavill himself may not be charismatic at times, but the movie does enough to give him depth and emotion. Which is what made Bale's Batman so strong. The story itself is also pretty good. Dealing with Superman understanding himself and coming into terms with his powers and ability. But, like Star Trek Into Darkness, the story picks up after around mid second act. There's a moment in the last part of the film between Zod and Superman that will essentially flip the stereotypical view of Superman completely up side down. I thought that moment was extremely well done and was a perfect example of one of the many moral/ethical/ right choices he had to make throughout of the film. The absence of Kryptonite allows much more of that.

The biggest issue is the supporting characters. The only real interesting character is Russel Crow's and Jonathon Kent, but they aren't as fleshed out as I hoped. Most of them aren't given a chance to fully develop. People from the Daily Planet have a some screen time, but aren't interesting and the love story between Lois and Superman is as good as should have been, despite their time on screen.
The second issue for me is the movie sometimes has a habit of prolonging/ overdoing it's special effects. The effects are phenomenal, but the destruction during the final battle seem prolonged, which essentially means the movie is saying "Hey, look how great my special effects are!".

Overall, a fun movie. It mostly lived to my expectations and hype. Even if you don't like the story or characters, there's enough Superman action to satisfy anyone's needs. A good summer popcorn flick. It's not the greatest superhero film out there, but certainly one of the better ones.… Expand