Man of Steel- The DCEU's Best Movie and Here is Why.

You are absolutely correct! Man of Steel is the single most underrated comic book film of all time. It is probably one of the top 15 super hero films ever made and in the top five DC films. The supposed criticism of the film is so ridiculous on its face that one can only conclude that the real reason people deride the film is that they came into the film with expectations colored by the nostalgia of Richard Donner’s version of Superman. The movie was a worthy successor to the Dark Knight Trilogy and could have easily been incorporated into that world, precisely because it was grounded in the anesthetics of a real world scenario. Looking at the reasons that people gave that the film is supposedly not good, one only needs to look at the films that garnered almost universal praise to demonstrate the hypocrisy in that opinion. Man of Steel was criticized for:

1) Being too dramatic and sullen YET...Logan a highly acclaimed comic book film was far more somber and no one seemed to have a problem with it.

2) Having a wooden acting performance by the lead actor Henry Cavill (an opinion I totally disagree with) ...YE... the lead actress in another highly acclaimed comic book film Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) is routinely called out for being an atrocious actress and being carried in her own film by Chris Pine. No one seems to have a problem with that.

3) Breaking with the traditional character of Superman by having him kill...YET...the reason that is presented why he kills Zod (to stop an unstoppable menace) is the EXACT reason he kills Doomsday in the comics making it completely consistent with his character. I find it funny that when he kills Doomsday in Batman v Superman...NO ONE HAS A PROBLEM WITH IT!

4) There was an over long CGI heavy ending fight scenes...YET in both Aquaman and Wonder Woman, the two films that supposedly set the DCEU on the “right” path...both films feature overly long, CGI heavy fight scenes and you guessed it...no one had a problem with it!

5) Superman kisses Lois while in the middle of a burning Metropolis...YET in Aquaman, Arthur and Mera kiss in the middle of an underwater war where their people are being killed all around them and nobody seems to have a problem that! I actually agree the scene was in poor taste (as was the one in Aquaman) but it did not ruin the film. It was a minor issue.

Man of Steel suffered from the high expectations of people coming off the Nolan Batman films as well as the unfair comparisons to the beloved Donner Superman films...both of which led to criticism of the film being harsher and elevating very minor issues as defining ones. Man of Steel was acted, directed and shot better than any other DCEU film thus far. The CGI was better and the story was more logical, grounded, and cohesive. Even in comparison to the Donner films, the Cavill version of Superman’s origin was better. People point to the Donner version as the archetype of Superman yet if you look carefully at that version, he was morally INFERIOR to the Snyder version. Here is why (and I won't even touch the Superman 3 or 4 films):

1) The Snyder version was criticized for destroying a truck out of revenge...but he had not become Superman yet nor did he hurt anyone physically. The Donner version went after a truck driver (way after the initial altercation had occurred and attacked him physically) AFTER he had already become Superman.



2) The Snyder version was criticized for not being sympathetic to the death of others and kissing Lois Lane inappropriately. The Donner version PLANNED to let a nuclear missile hit Hackensack, New Jersey (a populated area) just so he could make sure Lois and Jimmy were OK when the missile he was going to catch first was headed to an unpopulated area. It is only because Ms. Tessmacher forces him to promise he would save Hackensack, New Jersey he saves that population.



3) The Snyder version was criticized for allowing his father to die even though he was directed by his father not to intervene. The Donner version was told by his father (Jor-El) that it was forbidden to interfere in human history. And what does Superman do, he effectively says "f#ck it, I will do what I want" and makes the absolutely selfish decision to change time for one person.



4) The Snyder version is criticized for bringing the Kryptonians to Smallville contributing to the destruction there. Not only did the Donner version make the self centered decision to give up his power AFTER his mother warned him not to...later during his fight with Zod, Ursa and Non, he gave up and flew away leaving the people of Metropolis at the mercy of the Kryptonians.



I have yet to read or hear a serious reasoning as to why Man of Steel is a bad film. It concisely and effectively brought one of the great origin films to the screen. Every film after man of Steel has been pure garbage and has sent the quality and reputation of the CBM genre backwards.

Man of Steel is completely underrated and by far the best DCEU film made!