# Man of Steel Reviews--Mediocre **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 14, 2013, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-of-steel-reviews-mediocre/660946 "2013-06-14T00:10:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Hermione](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/cdc98d/32.png) [@Hermione](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hermione)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2013, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-of-steel-reviews-mediocre/660946/41 "2013-06-15T23:59:57Z")
As I said in the other thread, I liked it although I didn’t warm up to it the way I have to the Marvel movies, because of its overall lack of humor to leaven the somewhat grim tone. (Which I’d have expected from a Batman movie, but not a Superman.) Still, it served the characters much better than Superman Returns. And I’m still okay with superhero movies if they’re done well and conscientiously. The only kind of superhero movie I’d be bugged about is the kind that centers around some obscure hero from some forgotten comic by some studio that just wants to jump on the bandwagon. ---
**Author:** ![Alan\_Smithee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2acd7d/32.png) [@Alan\_Smithee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Smithee)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2013, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-of-steel-reviews-mediocre/660946/42 "2013-06-16T00:14:43Z")
> [@Hermione](#): > > As I said in the other thread, I liked it although I didn’t warm up to it the way I have to the Marvel movies, because of its overall lack of humor to leaven the somewhat grim tone. (Which I’d have expected from a Batman movie, but not a Superman.) Still, it served the characters much better than Superman Returns. > > And I’m still okay with superhero movies if they’re done well and conscientiously. The only kind of superhero movie I’d be bugged about is the kind that centers around some obscure hero from some forgotten comic by some studio that just wants to jump on the bandwagon. You mean like Iron Man or Thor? ---
**Author:** ![Hermione](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/cdc98d/32.png) [@Hermione](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hermione)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2013, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-of-steel-reviews-mediocre/660946/43 "2013-06-16T00:27:30Z")
> [@Alan\_Smithee](#): > > You mean like Iron Man or Thor? Wellll…at least they were somewhat well known before, being original members of the Avengers. And well known enough to each have their own cartoon as part of those mega-cheesy “animated” cartoons in the sixties. (The theme song for the Iron Man cartoon cropped up in the first Iron Man movie!) But if they make, say, Dazzle The Movie… ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2013, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-of-steel-reviews-mediocre/660946/44 "2013-06-16T00:31:10Z")
> [@Hermione](#): > > But if they make, say, Dazzle The Movie… Dazzle, or _Dazzler_ ? (I could see them making the latter, as a vehicle for disco nostalgia.) ---
**Author:** ![Hermione](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/cdc98d/32.png) [@Hermione](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hermione)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2013, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-of-steel-reviews-mediocre/660946/45 "2013-06-16T00:56:05Z")
> [@tracer](#): > > Dazzle, or _Dazzler_ ? > > (I could see them making the latter, as a vehicle for disco nostalgia.) :smack: Sorry. My faulty memory. ---
**Author:** ![Alan\_Smithee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2acd7d/32.png) [@Alan\_Smithee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Smithee)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2013, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-of-steel-reviews-mediocre/660946/46 "2013-06-16T01:43:47Z")
I would totally go see that! Especially with the right cast. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2013, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-of-steel-reviews-mediocre/660946/47 "2013-06-16T03:40:58Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > They destroyed New York/Metropolis yet again, and nobody seems sufficiently moved. Millions dead and its time for celebration? Reminds me the ending of Independence Day. Bazillions dead, major cities destroyed, his own wife was just killed, but the President is high-fiving his crew like they’ve just won a volleyball game. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2013, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-of-steel-reviews-mediocre/660946/48 "2013-06-16T03:46:07Z")
I liked it. It certainly has its flaws, but I found it better than any of the five earlier films. I’m getting pretty sick of Superman as a Jesus analog, though. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2013, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-of-steel-reviews-mediocre/660946/49 "2013-06-16T20:42:14Z")
Haters gonna hate. That movie was AWESOME!!! I absolutely loved it and I would rank it up there with the middle of the pack Marvel movies, despite it’s lack of humor. Somewhere in that middle ground with _Thor_, ahead of stuff like\* Iron Man 2\*, but not quite as good as say _Iron Man_ or _the Avengers._ I’d give it about a 7.5 or an 8 out of 10. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2013, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-of-steel-reviews-mediocre/660946/50 "2013-06-17T13:51:17Z")
I liked it quite a bit until it turned into that final act “CGI people punching things” crap that all superhero movies do. That I could do without. (Also, it was _loud_. Really loud.) I felt they on the whole did a great job with putting stakes into the game, but I just do not care about the punchfests. (Also, if Superman doesn’t kill people please nobody tell him that buildings usually have people in them. It would hurt his feelings.) There was also some real confusion on exactly what about the yellow sun gives him his powers - Jor-El’s explanation led me to believe that in this continuity it’s that he grew up under a yellow sun, but the Phantom Zoners had superpowers immediately… I also could have done with at least 50% less hamfisted messianic references. We get it, okay? ETA - I think it’s interesting that DC is obviously expecting Superman to be the tentpole franchise in its new Justice League setup. I’m not sure it’s such a great idea to put all your hopes on movies about a Big Good. Because they get boring real fast. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2013, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-of-steel-reviews-mediocre/660946/51 "2013-06-17T14:34:50Z")
I put my review in the other “seen it” thread, but suffice it to say I was underwhelmed. Mostly mediocre acting, no depth to any of the characters, technology designed to look cool instead of make sense, and really clunky dialogue. Crowe and Costner were good. The rest of the movie was a jumbled, shaky, light-flarey mess. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-of-steel-reviews-mediocre/660946.md?page=2)