This ever-increasing animosity toward Man of Steel reveals some underlying things that we would all do well to think about when it comes to our blockbusters.
In the months since the release of Man of Steel, the reviews have somehow seemed to be getting worse and worse. Initially, there were indeed many reviews that were generally mixed, citing faults such as joylessness, never-ending fight sequences, and, of course, the neck-breaking. But each new day in the world of superhero movie fandom seems to bring reviews more relishing in their castigations than the previous ones, and these castigations are generally not due to discoveries of new flawsthey are generally the same points being rehashed over and over and over again with greater intensity. Man of Steel is not a perfect film but whether or not you dig what it's trying to do, it certainly doesn't deserve the matter-of-fact derision it is increasingly receiving, and I've come to the conclusion that this ever-increasing animosity toward Man of Steel reveals some underlying things that we would all do well to think about when it comes to our blockbusters. Besides web hits of course. Spoilers ahead...
10. A Director With A Signature
Let's face it. If we really think about it, outside of casting and maybe dialogue, many of us don't like to see the signature touches of a director in our blockbusters. When taste becomes too specialized, it at least initially can take a lot of us out of what we're watching, and some of us can't get past that. At the end of the day, we just want to see our beloved characters standing next to each other without camera, color, or editing styles getting in the way. Filmmakers can really be interchangeable so long as a movie is entertaining. In the case of Man of Steel, even if you're not familiar with Zack Snyder's stylistic predilections, such as shaky cameras, quick zooms, cool colors, and grand-scale reverence, it's easy to notice that Man of Steel is highly stylized (although not nearly as prominent as some of Zack Snyder's other films). From start to finish, from the cinematography to the music, you can tell a filmmaker is exerting his influence on it. The culmination of every single element is meant to create a very distinct motion picture experienceit's not just a story on paper, but a signature statement through film. We want quality superhero movies, right? Movies that can be recognized for the art they are? Man of Steel is not the epitome of that, but it is a step in the right direction. If a director clearly respects the source material but we don't click with his or her style, we need to fight any initial revulsion we may naturally feel, even if the style in question wasn't conveyed well in the trailers. That's what being a film fan is all about. Taking in different styles can be very rewarding.
Ian Boucher is many things when he is not writing for WhatCulture.com -- explorer, friend of nature, and librarian. He enjoys stories of many kinds and is fascinated with what different mediums can bring to them. He has developed particular affections for movies and comic books, especially the ones that need more attention, taking them absolutely seriously with a sense of humor. He constantly strives to build his understanding of the relationships between world cultures, messages, and audiences.
