15 Most Disappointing Films Of The Decade (So Far)

2. Man Of Steel

Man Of Steel was going to be the antithesis to Batman Begins. Whereas Christopher Nolan had shown how a superhero could come out of the real world, Zack Snyder was going to look at how the real world would react to a genuine superpowered figure. The first teasers, released alongside The Dark Knight Rises, were moody, meditative pieces that (even knowing how tat the finished movie ended up being) can't help but send chills down your spine. This, coupled with the oft-repeated statement of intent, promised a film with great world awareness and a strong moral core.

So what an utter let down when the film itself was two hours of moody grumbling and self-gratifying destruction, which culminated in the hero snapping the villain's neck because writing a satisfying conclusion is hard. There was so much promise in the film, which makes the fact it wound up being a massive dud, at once an assault on the senses and a crushing bore, all the more offensive.

Man Of Steel is inexplicably providing the basis for the DC Cinematic Universe (probably because, after a failed attempt with Green Lantern, Warner Bros. were running out of chances to catch up to Marvel) despite having no clear wider world and a rather distinct and thus inimitable style. Whether Batman V Superman or Suicide Squad are any good is up in the air, but one thing's certain - they're going to have to be really bad to be worse than expectations.