Man Of Steel saw 300's Zack Snyder taking on the Superman myth to varying degrees of success - visually stunning but bombastic and unfocused, the movie certainly managed to rebrand Clark Kent for a new generation, but at what cost? After going at it with bad guy General Zod during the destructive climax of the film (in which Metropolis is blown to smithereens), Superman does something you really wouldn't have expected: he kills. Yes, fans of the superhero were shocked and dismayed over a key moment in which Superman snaps Zod's neck in an attempt to save a family from being fried by laser vision. Many argued that - quite simply - Superman would have never taken to such extremes, with director Snyder and writer David S. Goyer arguing back that this was a new interpretation of the character, and that the guy had no real choice. One hell of a controversy this was, then.
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.
