‘Man of Steel’ Kills At Box Office, Doesn’t Wow Critics

Man of Steel’s scored a massive $113 million at the box office over the weekend but failed to impress the majority of critics and nerds, who complained about it not being as humorous as Thor, Amy Adams’ non-brown hair and Henry Cavill smoldering too much for their fragile eyes.

The biggest flaw cited was the apparent lack of fun. Richard Roeper wrote, “There’s very little humor or joy in this Superman story, and not enough character development for us really to care.”

I beg to differ. The scene where tiny Clark Kent locks himself in a closet at school because he’s overwhelmed by the sight of his classmate’s nasal cavities made me care about him and his earth mama Martha (Diane Lane), who consoles him through the door as he tells her that the world is just too big.

The opening scene on Krypton made me care about his birthparents Lara (Ayelet Zurer) and Jor-El (Russell Crowe), and every scene with Kevin Costner (especially the one with the tornado) made my eyes water because it was Father’s Day and mine’s dead. (Just kidding, I’m mostly fine.) 

Eighty-two percent of Average Joe viewers on Rotten Tomatoes enjoyed it, while only 56% of the critics did. (Interestingly, 2006’s Superman Returns was favored by 75% of critics and only 67% of audience people.)

Cavill isn’t Christopher Reeve because his Superman is darker and hairier and people seem to recognize him without his glasses, but he was also charming and relatable, like Tim Riggins in a cape.

It should have ended a bit sooner, but that goes for pretty much every Marvel film as well. The moment when Diane was rummaging for photo albums in the wreckage of her farm house would have worked for me with an expected conclusion of the Zod story in the sequel, Manly Man of More Steel, or whatever.

It was really, really good despite the length and too many of the buildings in Metropolis being destroyed Transformers-style. Nitpicking isn’t becoming.

You’ll enjoy it if you just bring a donut pillow for your ass and a granola bar for sustenance.