A.V. Opinions: I was wrong about Man of Steel
For years, I trashed Man of Steel. Loudly, repeatedly, to anyone who would listen. When the movie first hit theaters in 2013, I walked out frustrated. It wasn’t my Superman. I grew up with Christopher Reeve, the bright, hopeful, reassuring Superman. The one who smiled while saving cats and asking people if they were OK. Snyder’s Superman, by contrast, was dark, heavy, and emotionally tortured. And at the time, it just didn’t sit right with me.
What made it stranger was that I had no problem accepting Christopher Nolan’s Batman. I loved his take on the characters. I didn’t complain when Tim Burton’s gothic Gotham gave way to Nolan’s gritty realism. But for whatever reason, I held Man of Steel to a different standard. Maybe it was nostalgia. Maybe it was because I thought Superman, unlike Batman, wasn’t supposed to brood. Or maybe I just wasn’t ready for a different take on the character. Even knowing Nolan produced Man of Steel, I couldn’t get past it. I just kept comparing it to Superman ‘78, and to me, it didn’t measure up.
Over the years, I’ve revisited it and ended up liking it more and more with each viewing. A few years ago I didn’t approach it as a Superman story. I approached it as an alien invasion movie, and that changed everything.
Suddenly, the film moved for me in ways it hadn’t before. I started appreciating the boldness of Krypton’s opening, the strange, almost mythic feel of that alien world, Russell Crowe riding a space dragon, Zod’s haunting transmission hijacking every screen on Earth, and Superman unknowingly carrying the fate of his planet inside him, being hunted across the skies of Kansas. It all played more like War of the Worlds than Superman: The Movie, and in that context, it worked.
Looking back, I appreciate the relationship between Zack Snyder and Christopher Nolan in shaping the tone of the movie. You can feel Nolan’s influence in Man of Steel, especially in its restraint and emotional weight. But you can also feel Snyder’s vision coming through loud and clear, the grand, operatic scale, the intense visual storytelling, the moral ambiguity. After Man of Steel, I think Nolan stepped back creatively, and that’s when the tone of the subsequent films shifted. I’ve never been a fan of Batman v Superman. It still feels like a mess, full of interesting ideas, great casting, and cool imagery, but there’s just too much going on and not enough character clarity. Man of Steel, though? That one’s grown on me.
With James Gunn’s Superman movie out, and there being more distance from Superman ‘78, I find myself appreciating what Snyder did with Man of Steel. He didn’t try to imitate Reeve’s Superman. He didn’t rehash Donner’s vision. And look, I still have issues with it. The infamous Kevin Costner tornado scene (you know the one, with the dog, the heroic but unnecessary death, the frustrating refusal to let Clark help). Yeah, that scene. The destruction in Metropolis is excessive. The decision to have Superman kill Zod still feels off. However, I respect the attempt to tell a Superman story that deals with fear, identity, and isolation before landing on hope.
Man of Steel isn’t perfect. But it’s bold. And it’s aged better than I expected. I’ve always appreciated the casting. Henry Cavill was a great Superman. Diane Lane and Kevin Costner were perfect as the Kents. Michael Shannon was terrific as Zod. Also, Hans Zimmer’s score? Absolutely phenomenal. So yeah, even though I’m not a Snyder fan overall, I can now say: this was a good Superman movie. And a solid alien invasion movie too.
I was wrong about Man of Steel. And I’m glad I gave it another shot. I wish more people would admit when they’re wrong.
—Brad McBoom