10 Most Divisive Films Of 2013

2. Man Of Steel

Man Of Steel was a divisive film. Now that's out the way, we'll continue. The problem was that when you're keeping so many different plates spinning, it's hard to not drop some crockery. Man Of Steel had to be so many things €“ the starting gun for the DC Movie Universe, a grand return to form for an inconsistent film franchise, Warner Bros' new cash cow, and the stopgap before someone roused the Batman license from its much-deserved slumber. The anticipation was ludicrously, monstrously high, and when the stakes are so big, the criticism practically writes itself. It's a harsh rod to beat any film with, but when this juggernaut fell short of utter perfection, folk waited for it with brickbats. It didn't help that there was so much to pick apart, rightly or wrongly €“ Kevin Costner's tornado-walk, the utter, avoidable destruction of Metropolis, the whole neck-snapping farrago, all lumbered with a grim, washed-out aesthetic that sucked the fun out of everything. Every writer's put Man Of Steel on the punchbag hook and gone ten rounds, and I include myself in that description. There was low-hanging fruit on offer, and damn it if we didn't all jump. Yet beyond all the easy targeting, the film retains its apologists, and they're not exactly thin on the ground. There's another way of looking at Man Of Steel, divorced from the hype machine, away from what it isn't. When you discard what you wanted it to be, Zack Snyder's effort still retained the original wonder of Superman, albeit in a more po-faced incarnation. Watching Henry Cavill take to skies with Hans Zimmer's score swelling all around him remains an awe-inspiring cinematic experience, augmented by terrific villainous turns from Michael Shannon and Antje Traue. And call me old-fashioned and narrow-minded, but I'm just happy Superman's back in any guise at all. He's too good a character to stay dead, and hopefully they can iron out the kinks in the Batman team-up. Well, a man can dream.