There's one school of thought that considers the idea that Superman, an invincible superhero, is inherently boring because he can't be hurt. For anybody who even half agrees with such a sentiment, Man of Steel isn't going to convince them otherwise; Christopher Nolan's name was stamped all over the marketing material for this Superman reboot, but what we actually got was a hefty dose of director Zack Snyder. Snyder can be a capable director when he wants to be, but he's never been all that great at narrative, which is where this movie fails (David S. Goyer penned the screenplay; credit where credit is due). Most of all, Man of Steel is incredibly loud and abrasive, but it's also frequently tedious. As the plot continually fails to kick into gear over the span of two hours, you can't help but glance at your watch, waiting for it to end.
Sam Hill is an ardent cinephile and has been writing about film professionally since 2008. He harbours a particular fondness for western and sci-fi movies.
