Arts & Entertainment

MOVIE REVIEWS: 'Man of Steel' Super Cool or Super Meh?

Critics mixed on latest 'Superman' revamp.

The latest Superman to hit the big screen, "Man of Steel" stars Henry Cavill in the role of Clark Kent/Superman and is directed by Zack Snyder ("300," "Watchmen").

"Man of Steel" is rated PG-13 and runs two hours and 23 minutes. Click here for movie times in Alpharetta.

Here's what the critics are saying:

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Superman is in fine form in director Zack Snyder's "Man of Steel," a more serious take on the Last Son of Krypton than we've seen before. The cast is top-notch, the writing crisp (for the most part) and the direction solid and sometimes even inspired.

The pacing is tight, and the movie never loses momentum – which is remarkable, considering it clocks in at nearly two and a half hours. . . Perhaps the biggest flaw in "Man of Steel" is how seriously the movie takes itself. Attempts at humor are so infrequent and out of place that they feel off-putting. Rarely does anyone crack a smile – audience members included. — Tierney Sneed, U.S. News & World Report

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This film is too sober and action-obsessed to indulge in moments of exhilaration. "Steel" offers captivating production design, a few thrilling action sequences and generally good acting, but it does not equal – much less improve on – the 1978 Christopher Reeve "Superman." Or 2006's "Superman Returns" for that matter. — Carla Meyer, The Sacramento Bee

Eventually, though, what seals the movie's doom—as inventive entertainment, though perhaps not as a commercial venture—is its surrender to the lower power of coarsegrained action and computer-generated images of inexplicable banality. — Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal

Caught in the slipstream between action and angst, "Man of Steel" is a bumpy ride for sure. But there's no way to stay blind to its wonders. — Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

The only moments of real spectacle come when Superman learns to fly. He rockets through the air like a comet, and it's thrilling. There aren't enough of these gee-whiz moments of wonder in "Man of Steel." Never has a race to save the fate of humankind seemed so tedious. — Chris Nashawaty, Entertainment Weekly

Do you plan on seeing this movie? Leave a review of the film with a comment below after you do.


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