4. Man of Steel (2013)
After Warner Bros. had phenomenal success rebooting a certain Dark Knight (you might see more about him later in this article... keep reading), the studio turned their attention to bringing the Man of Steel back to prominence. Hiring a team of producer Christopher Nolan, writer David S. Goyer, and director Zack Snyder, the hope was for the aptly titled
Man of Steel to give WB a new tentpole to fill the void left by the departing Harry Potter and Batman series. Despite a mixed response from the critics (56% on Rotten Tomatoes, a really shocking number), audiences seem to have enjoyed the new take on Superman. With a 7.9 rating on IMDb and an 82% audience approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes,
Man of Steel is also one of the biggest box office hits of the summer. Setting a new June record with an $116 million opening weekend, the film has fallen off a bit, but it's still performing very well. Three weeks into its theatrical run, it's made an estimated $233.8 million domestically and $422.1 million worldwide and is now the most financially successful Superman film ever.
Man of Steel earns a spot on this list because it accomplishes its goal of telling
a Nolan story with Snyder action. Using Nolan's own
Batman Begins as a template, this Kal-El origin story successfully balances compelling character drama with exhilarating action never seen before in a Superman film. The film does a great job at showcasing Clark's inner turmoil as he struggles with being a child of two worlds and prepares for his destiny of being a savior of the people. Full of great moments that stand out (I won't spoil any of them here),
Man of Steel explores Superman's beginnings with newfound depth and I appreciated it. The material is elevated by a stellar cast. Henry Cavill embodies Superman, both looking the part and playing him well. Russell Crowe and Kevin Costner are excellent as Jor-El and Jonathan Kent respectively; the former bringing a hardened, authoritative presence to the role and the latter showing off old-fashioned American spirit, pulling off the scenes with gravitas. At the end of the day, Pa Kent just wanted what was best for his adoptive son. Amy Adams is a fine Lois Lane, erasing our memories of Kate Bosworth in
Superman Returns. And Michael Shannon kills it as General Zod, forming a well-rounded villain that's both intimidating and sympathetic.
Man of Steel's third act may have benefitted from scaling back the action a tad and the Jesus metaphors were heavy-handed at times, but it was still an excellent movie and a worth addition to the superhero genre. Snyder brought Superman back to relevancy and many are now looking forward to the sequel. You can read my
SPOILER HEAVY reaction to
Man of Steelhere.