• Consequence
  • Music
  • Film
  • TV
  • Heavy
Menu Consequence
Menu Shop Search Newsletter
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Features
  • Live
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Cover Story
Advertisement
  • Reviews
  • Film Reviews

Film Review: Man of Steel

C+

Directed by

  • Zack Snyder

Starring

  • Henry Cavill
  • Amy Adams
  • Michael Shannon
  • Diane Lane

Release Year

  • 2013

Rating

  • PG-13
Michael Roffman
June 13, 2013 | 12:00am ET

    Here’s one thing Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel got right: edge. For all its problems (and there are many), the latest entry in the Superman franchise tackles a number of struggles and issues that were previously nonexistent for Christopher Reeve or Brandon Routh. This isn’t the Kal-El or Clark Kent who offers mid-flight interviews to damsels in distress or saves helicopters from falling off the roof. This is the story of a Kryptonian alien working amongst a cynical, post-9/11 world, where the stakes are high, paranoia rampant, and everyone’s a hair finger away from the trigger. It’s also a tale of a boy struggling with the loss of his identity.

    Following the destruction of his home planet, Kal-El (Henry Cavill) is sent to Earth to carry on his prescribed legacy as the last natural son of Krypton. Things go awry, however, when the formidable General Zod (Michael Shannon) escapes from exile in search of a valuable construct only Kal-El inherits. Of course, humanity is on the table, which pushes everyone to accept and turn towards the one entity that can save them. In other words, Earth (read: America) needs to sing “Kumbaya” with Superman.

    It’s a mad world in Snyder’s $225 million dollar reboot of the acclaimed hero, but sadly, that chaos translates to the film itself. It doesn’t really know what it wants to be, and it spends so much time trying not to be traditional that it comes off as cold as the Fortress of Solitude. From the get-go, the decision to ape Christopher Nolan’s vision behind The Dark Knight Trilogy for Supes was a dicey move, namely because they’re two remarkably different franchises, regardless of the same brand. Fans have acknowledged this disparity for decades; Superman’s the sun, Batman’s the moon. Man of Steel tries to find an agreeable middle.

    It almost does, but fails in execution. The problem lies in the smorgasboard of a screenplay by David S. Goyer, who fights to reignite the excellence of his work on Batman Begins. The core difference is that Begins stuck to a strict, cohesive outline that was committed and tailored to resemble an origin story. Goyer refuses to do this with Steel, leaving the story to crack and crumble like the six dozen buildings destroyed during the film’s exhaustive finale. Tension never strangles, because there’s no formula for it to exist. Characters never come to life because there’s no through-line for relationships. Larger-than-life action sequences explode onscreen with little fanfare because nobody’s had a chance to invest in anything.

    That’s the only ballbuster. Everything else feels fair game: Snyder’s painted a portrait that would have elicited a standing ovation from the late co-creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Cavill angles the titular hero into a new flight pattern that rotates the stronger sides hallmarked by Smallville’s Tom Welling and both Reeves and Routh. Shannon spooks as Zod, Russell Crowe trumps Marlon Brando’s Jor-El, Amy Adams does what she can as Lois Lane, and Diane Lane and Kevin Costner sell themselves as enviable parents. What’s more, Hans Zimmer found it in his heart to create another book of anthems for another D.C. hero.

    All are veritable pieces in a twisted puzzle that shouldn’t have been so complicated, convoluted, and frustrating. Still, there are far more possibilities for the franchise ahead that weren’t there following 2006’s Superman Returns, and that should be enough to excite the fans. As for the passersby? Keep looking to the sky.

    Trailer: 

    Related Video
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Reddit

Sign up for updates

Subscribe to our email digest and get the latest breaking news in music, film, and television, tour updates, access to exclusive giveaways, and more straight to your inbox.

Advertisement

Popular Stories

Latest Stories

A-
werewolf by night review marvel disney plus special presentation halloween special

Werewolf by Night Is a Marvelous Monster Mash: Review

October 6, 2022

B
Hellraiser Review Jamie Clayton Hulu

Hellraiser Review: A True Reboot That's Pretty Darned Good

October 5, 2022

C+
david o russell amsterdam film first look release date

Not Even An All-Star Cast Can Save David O. Russell's Amsterdam: Review

October 4, 2022

B+
White Noise Review

NYFF Review: Noah Baumbach Delightfully Skewers Our Fear of Death in White Noise

October 3, 2022

B+
Till Review Danielle Deadwyler

Till Digs Into a Deeply Shameful, Deeply American Tragedy: Review

October 1, 2022

B-
Master Gardener Review Paul Schrader

Paul Schrader's Master Gardener Treads Very Familiar Soil: Review

October 1, 2022

A-
Decision to Leave Review

Chan-wook Park's Decision to Leave Is a Sizzling Romantic Thriller: Review

September 30, 2022

D+
Greatest Beer Run Ever Review

The Greatest Beer Run Ever Is a Pretty Likeable Movie, and That's a Huge Problem: Review

September 30, 2022

Advertisement

News

  • Music
  • New Music
  • Album Streams
  • Upcoming Releases
  • Tours
  • Film
  • TV
  • Pop Culture

Reviews

  • Music Reviews
  • Film Reviews
  • TV Reviews
  • Concert Reviews
  • Festival Reviews

Features

  • Editorials
  • Interviews
  • Cover Stories
  • Lists
  • Guides
  • CoSign
  • Song of the Week

Live

  • Tickets
  • Festival News
  • Tour Dates
  • Photo Galleries
  • Music Instruments & Gear

Heavy

  • News
  • Interviews
  • Concerts

More

  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Wellness
  • Giveaways

Other sites

  • Heavy Consequence
  • Consequence Media
  • Modern Drummer
  • About
  • Privacy policy
  • Advertising
  • Work For Us
  • Terms
  • Contact
  • Copyright
  • Do Not Sell My Personal Information

Download our app

  • Get it on the App Store
  • Get it on Google Play
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitch
  • Tiktok
Consequence
Current story

Film Review: Man of Steel

Menu Shop Search Newsletter
Consequence
News
  • News
  • Music
  • New Music
  • Album Streams
  • Upcoming Releases
  • Tours
  • Film
  • TV
  • Pop Culture
Reviews
  • Music Reviews
  • Film Reviews
  • TV Reviews
  • Concert Reviews
  • Festival Reviews
Features
  • All Features
  • Editorials
  • Interviews
  • Cover Stories
  • Lists
  • Guides
  • CoSign
  • Song of the Week
Live
  • Tickets
  • Festival News
  • Tour Dates
  • Photo Galleries
  • Music Instruments & Gear
Podcasts
  • The Opus
  • Kyle Meredith With...
  • Stanning BTS
  • The Story Behind the Song
  • The What
  • Going There with Dr. Mike
  • The Rome and Duddy Show
Videos
  • Interviews
  • Two for the Road
  • First Time I Heard
  • When I Made
  • Battle of the Bandmates
  • Peer 2 Peer
  • Essays
  • Fan Theories
Heavy
  • News
  • Interviews
  • Concerts
  • Premieres
  • Culture
  • Beyond the Boys Club
  • Mining Metal
Shop
  • Shop
  • Giveaways
Hometowns

Follow Consequence

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitch
  • Tiktok
Close
Close