Heroic Retrospective: ‘Man Of Steel’

“During the build-up toward Man of Steel, I had no anxieties about the casting, nor Zack Snyder’s direction. I never particularly liked any of Snyder’s films other than Watchmen, but the trailers for this new Superman movie were epic on a scale I’d never expected; they conveyed a legendary quality to Kal-El, and, paired with the Hans Zimmer score, it was almost inspirational. The film itself was a bit of a letdown; unlike the trailers, it didn’t seem to have a clear sense of what it wanted to be or what message it wanted to send. Clark Kent’s parents didn’t seem like great people, and Clark himself didn’t have as clearly defined a set of morals as I’d have liked. There’s the typical “grim dark” complaint against the film, and, while I do believe Superman looks better in blue daytime skies than rainy dark ones, that wasn’t personally an issue for me. Now, in Batman v Superman, Superman has the chance to have that clear characterization, as he faces up against his greatest foil: Batman. As strange as it sounds, I’m most excited for how much Batman v Superman will enrich Man of Steel for me.” – Alex Ward

“Man of Steel. To say this film was polarizing is underselling it. I get why so many people had issues with it but I can’t deny I left the theater really excited about what I had just seen. Yes, there was tons of destruction, and while I hesitate to use the word “realistic” – I would expect a battle of this magnitude to have these levels of destruction. To me it makes sense. And yes, he probably could have stopped Zod without killing him (of course, he killed Zod in the comics at one point too so it’s not totally unprecedented). However, I feel it’s important to remember that he had been “Superman” for at most a couple days. He literally just got his suit and learned to fly. This was not a veteran super-hero and they showed that fantastically. I loved the non-linear storytelling used for his background rather than the straight origin story we typically get. I recently re-watched “Man of Steel” and I still think it is great. Bring on Batman V Superman!” – Brent Clark

“I was first introduced to the comic book world when I saw Batman Begins in theaters. This introduced allowed me to a whole new world. I fell in love with D.C. Comics and the entire D.C. Universe. Fast forward to Man of Steel being released in 2013. This movie re-introduced me to Superman and I saw the D.C. universe in another light. I saw the world through the eyes of a God. The character of Superman seems larger than life and this was made instantly clear seeing him brought to life again on the big screen. Man of Steel combined heart, action and character development in a way that felt different from the Batman trilogy. It was more colorful, hopeful and passionate. This story humanized Superman in a way that was relatable, just as his character was trying to relate to humanity. Zack Snyder introduced me to another part of the D.C. Universe and I continue to be conflicted about Team Superman or Batman because I fell in love with them both.” – Chelsea Lewis