Critics Consensus: Man of Steel Is Up, Up, and Okay
Plus, This Is the End and Before Midnight are Certified Fresh.
This week at the movies, we've got the return of Superman (Man of Steel, starring Henry Cavill and Amy Adams), an apocalyptic laugh-riot (This Is the End, starring James Franco and Seth Rogen), and a one-of-a-kind love affair (Before Midnight, starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy). What do the critics have to say?
Man of Steel
56%
Superman is arguably the definitive comic book hero, but few would argue that he's had the kind of unqualified big-screen success as his DC buddy Batman. With Man of Steel, Zack Snyder attempts to update Supe for the 21st Century, but critics say he's only moderately successful; the action scenes are often rousing and Henry Cavill brings an undeniable charisma to the character, but the film is weighted down by an overabundance of spectacle and a disappointing lack of wit. A child from the planet Krypton is sent to Earth, where he's raised by the Kent family. He learns to utilize his incredible abilities for good, and becomes Superman in the process, but eventually, the nefarious General Zod goes looking for him. The pundits say Man of Steel delivers plenty of muscular action, but it's overlong and unfortunately short on character development. (Check out this week's Total Recall for a rundown of Superman movies, as well as our interviews with the Man of Steel cast and crew.)
This Is the End
84%
Take a bunch of well-known comic actors, stick them in the midst of the apocalypse, and mix liberally. That's the basic recipe for This Is the End, which critics say is a rapid-fire, absurdist meta-comedy that's raunchy and surprisingly heartfelt in equal measure. Playing themselves, James Franco, Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, Craig Robinson and a few other famous pals are partying together when the Rapture hits Los Angeles. Our heroes embark on a cameo-laden quest for salvation, and learn the true meaning of friendship along the way. The pundits say the Certified Fresh This Is the End has so many gags that a few inevitably miss the mark, but for the most part, this is a smart, boundary-pushing comedy from an ensemble that seems to be enjoying every minute of it. (Check out this week's 24 Frames for a gallery of actors playing themselves, as well as our interview with stars Rogen, Robinson, and Jay Baruchel.)
Before Midnight
98%
In Before Sunrise, Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy) were two young travelers who formed a bond after a chance meeting in Vienna. In Before Sunset, they were older, wiser, but no less enamored with one another. Now, in Before Midnight, they're married and hoping to recapture the spark that first brought them together. The third installment in Richard Linklater's enduring love story goes wide this weekend, and critics say the Certified Fresh Before Midnight is as funny, insightful, and achingly poignant as its predecessors.
Also opening this week in limited release:
- More Than Honey, a doc about the relationship between people and bees, is at 100 percent.
- Call Me Kuchu, a documentary about an openly gay man fighting persecution in Uganda, is at 95 percent.
- 20 Feet From Stardom, a documentary tribute to some of rock's finest backup singers, is at 94 percent.
- In the Fog, a World War II drama about a Russian village that suspects one of its citizens is collaborating with the Nazis, is at 86 percent.
- Far Out Isn't Far Enough: The Tomi Ungerer Story, a documentary portrait of the influential illustrator, is at 80 percent.
- Berberian Sound Studio, a psychological thriller about a sound technician who becomes unnerved while working on a gruesome horror movie, is at 78 percent.
- Sofia Coppola's The Bling Ring, starring Emma Watson and Leslie Mann in the ripped-from-the-headlines tale of a group of teens who robbed various Hollywood stars, is at 63 percent.
- Pandora's Promise, a doc about the potential environmental benefits of nuclear power, is at 58 percent.
- Hatchet III, the latest installment in the slasher series about a swamp-dwelling psycho, is at 56 percent.
- Vehicle 19, starring Paul Walker in a thriller about an ex-con who becomes a target when he takes the wrong rental car is at 33 percent.
- The Guillotines, a period action epic about a clandestine group of assassins who employ deadly metal blades, is at zero percent.
Andrew Brinkerhoff
I can't believe "This is the End" has such a higher rating than "Man of Steel". What a disappointment. -_-
Jun 13 - 04:49 PM
Mohd Syafiq Bin Jabaruddin
This Is The End is pretty good, but so is Man of Steel from what I've seen.
Jun 13 - 05:44 PM
Andy Edwards
I saw This is the End two days ago. I though it was a really funny comedy. Man of Steel is better.
Jun 14 - 01:17 AM
Laura Porter
Start working at home with Google! It's by-far the best job Ive had. Last Monday I got a new Alfa Romeo from bringing in $7778. I started this 9 months ago and practically straight away started making more than $83 per hour. I work through this link, www.Bling6.com
Jun 19 - 03:47 PM
Andy Edwards
thought* (sorry)
Jun 14 - 01:18 AM
jj l
Just saw Man of Steel. The synopsis above is dead-on. Too much action, way over the top, and not enough character development. I wanted to like it, but was disappointed. They had the elements of a good movie: they had a good story premise, good actors and acting, but it just didn't come together.
Jun 14 - 01:51 PM
Jason Saunders
Too much action? It's a summer movie. Go rent Steel Magnolias. Superman doesnt need character development. The only thing i would have changed was giving the Super Lady more scenes. She was awesome.
Jun 14 - 02:44 PM
Todd Knaperek
Everyone who hasn't been braindead over the last 60 years knows the backstory to Superman. Alien baby is shot through space from a dying planet, lands in Kansas, does a lot of super human things through childhood...it's been done.
I thought it was a good movie, it wasn't TDK, which everyone is probably holding it up to, but Superman was never as complex of a character as Batman was. He didn't have the flaws or limits and basically when Superman was basically god-like and invincible. You can only do so much with that type of character other than hit him with trains and level half a city in a fight.
Jun 14 - 05:42 PM
Richard Ditty
What's more over the top then a man that can fly and is basically indistructable? Superman is the definition of over the top. I would have liked to have seen a bit more dialog between the main characters but other than that it was a very good comic book movie and way better than Superman Returns. I liked how they made Superman seem more alien and less magical. I also liked how they made him a good guy but not some kind of goofy overgrown boyscout like in the Donner and Singer movies.
Jun 14 - 08:53 PM
Onyeka Obilo
Sir, you are echoing my EXACT emotions...way too many explosions, good (potentially great) story, very good casting and acting but it all didn't gel as expected. A lot of potential to be way better...still, enjoyable movie, I was a bit disappointed though
Jun 16 - 11:48 AM
Marco Chaudry
The only flaw was character development, that was it, we already knew how the story went, and fans already knew who these characters were. Zack Snyder nailed it with this reboot on the dark humanity of Superman.
Jun 16 - 12:39 PM
Jake Cecena
Well, it's a Zack Snyder film. It's impossible to expect a masterpiece from a director like him.
Jun 13 - 05:46 PM
Eminem .
I read some reviews that just bashed him as a person. They mentioned a few flaws, but overall they complained. Also, many positive reviews were focused on the negatives.
Jun 13 - 06:00 PM
Mohd Syafiq Bin Jabaruddin
That's ridiculous Jack. And spiteful. But I guess I have to thank you for putting Zach Snyder in the same ranks as The-Shining-era Stanley Kubrick.
Jun 13 - 06:14 PM
Al Pi
And it's because of idiotic ideas like this that many of the reviews are coming from. They simply don't like Snyder and they take it out on the film.
Jun 13 - 08:51 PM
Big Brother
To be fair most people seem to be criticizing the story and how it was thrown together so they don't like Goyer OR Snyder. Snyders best work has always been when he's working with someone elses proven story.
Jun 13 - 09:38 PM
Luck Dragon
What do you mean, they "simply don't like Zach Snyder"? Perhaps they simply don't like Zach Snyder's movies. They're not alone; I haven't liked anything he's done since Dawn of the Dead.
Jun 14 - 06:12 AM
Brian Toohey
I haven't liked anything he's done since Dawn of the Dead, either. 300 was all style and no substance, just terrible. Watchmen was better, but bungled as much as it did right, and still relied on those awful slowed-down, slo-mo fight sequences. And Sucker Punch was the worst of all... and still relied on what seems to have become his signature style. Some early reviews for Man of Steel were pretty stellar, and I was hoping that might mean Snyder had learned how to actually put down his 13-year-old fanboy jizzcamera and focus on characters and just tell a story, but from the low tomatometer it seems its not anywhere as good as those early reviews. There's enough dissension among the reviews that I'll check it out, but definitely more excited about This is the End.
Jun 14 - 11:46 AM
Mark Marquis
"What do you mean, they "simply don't like Zach Snyder"? Perhaps they simply don't like Zach Snyder's movies. They're not alone; I haven't liked anything he's done since Dawn of the Dead."
And I didn't even like that one. Never cared much for Snyder before this. Man of Steel, however, is fantastic.
Jun 17 - 02:16 PM
Cray-Cray Crystal
Jake Cecena, it starts with the script. Many would argue that even the best director can't make a good film based on a bad script. I'm not stating that the "Man of Steel" script is bad, however.
Jun 14 - 01:51 PM
Doc Cobb
zak snyders amazing watchmen, sucker punch, 300? ur an idiot
Jun 14 - 04:12 PM
Big Brother
Sucker Punch isn't a good movie by any standard.
Jun 15 - 09:11 AM
Marco Chaudry
Watchmen was great, but the book will always be better. Fuck the critics, they let nostalgia get the best of them, yet I still have respect for the original Christopher Reeve Supes, but things have changed now.
Jun 16 - 12:43 PM
Justin Thomas
I admit i was hesitant when I heard Snyder would be directing it. But he has made good movies like other's have said. I didn't think Man of Steel was the right job for him. But he did it. Now I am sure Christopher Nolan had some influence. But I don't care it worked!! Very happy with the outcome.
Jun 15 - 05:06 AM
Ryan Nolan
Idk, I really liked Man of Steel. I wouldn't call it a great movie but you can't deny the sense of scale to the action....and I don't mean that in a Michael Bay sort of way, there is stuff in Man of Steel that I have never seen before. Really fun to watch imo. Characters are a bit thin but both Zod and Superman himself are fun to watch!
Jun 13 - 11:01 PM
Lucio Iñiguez
Don't feel disappointing. the movie is awesome. I'm really can't understand what happen with the critics. A 70% is ok but under 60%?? Maybe I see another movie because I love Man of Steel!
Jun 14 - 12:16 AM
Mark Marquis
You aren't alone. I don't get the low score either.
Jun 17 - 02:18 PM
King Simba
I can't believe it has a much higher rating than The Bling Ring. I mean out of the two movies featuring Emma Watson opening this week, who would have thought the Seth Rogen one would earn much better reviews than the Sofia Coppola one.
Jun 14 - 07:18 AM
John Stovall
They obviously saw a different version of Man of Steel than I did. Maybe professional critics can't see subtleties if there's action stuff in a movie also. They seem to really miss a lot and are frankly blind to lots of what's going on including emotional conflicts, motivations, depth and even the moments of humor. is IMO.
Jun 14 - 10:09 AM
Fred Sanford
Comments like that, are why you are not paid for your film views, my friend.
Jun 14 - 12:35 PM
jj l
Agreed. I just saw the movie and think the critics are spot-on. There was next to no humor, no character development, the story was told in ham-handed fashion, the action was over-the-top and relied too much on incomprehensible CG. Disappointing flick overall.
Jun 14 - 01:53 PM
Jason Saunders
Dont put John down because his view is different from yours. The movies was very good. It wasn't Citizen Kane because it didn't have to be, it's an action movie. What would you remove? All of the action to spend an hour in Smallville? How about a plot regarding selling mountains that pop out of the water? Check the record, critics like Superman Returns and fans hated it, that should tell you everything you need to know
Jun 14 - 02:50 PM
Val Mordas
No character development? Half the fucking film was character development...and like it's been said how much of that do you really need from a Superman film, we know the story...It was a decent summer blockbuster film, that's what I went in expecting and that's what I got.
Jun 14 - 08:10 PM
Big Brother
Fans didn't hate SR's, you'll find if you check that fans thought it was better than Superman II. I would have spent time establishing the other characters in Supermans life so when they were in danger we actually gave a crap.
Jun 15 - 09:14 AM
Val Mordas
And yet Brother, if they would have spent too much time developing them it would have been a 3 hour movie. If they kept it the same length and removed some action scenes, they would have said there wasn't enough action. If they did less CGI they would have called the visuals underwhelming. They would have found fault regardless of what they saw simple based on their owns views of what the film should have been AND NOT what it actually was.
Jun 15 - 08:18 PM
Big Brother
I find fault with what the movie actually was, which was an entertaining action blockbuster with virtually nothing going for it beyond its technical splendor. Are you honestly telling me they couldn't have cut out 2 or three of the superspeed tackles in the movie and given Clark or Lois or Perry something to say that would have made them valuable to the film? They couldn't have done the movie in a linear fashion so it didn't spoil the character arc of at least Pa Kent? I wanted Superman to be good if for nothing else, so we could get more and gotten a JLA movie. The difference is that I didn't want it to be good so bad it blinded me into believing it was great when it was clearly a smartened up Transformers good for one watch to see the pretty pictures. If you're going to do Perry and the Planet folks the way they did, why not just cut them out entirely? Better they be gone than done badly.
Jun 16 - 12:08 AM
Mark Marquis
Lois was pretty valuable to the film. In fact, this Lois was the most well thought out iteration of that character I have yet seen. Her actions actually mattered. She guided the story. She wasn't relegated to the sidelines or simply the damsel in distress. She didn't have a kid. Did I mention she didn't have a kid?
Jun 17 - 02:22 PM
ram bond
i just came from the movies, i watched man of steel, but i don't want to bash or anything, but i felt kind of confused after the film, i mean in terms of action, it's great, great visual effects, but it only needed more character development just like the critics said, it's an ok film
Jun 14 - 01:20 PM
Darrell Glover
so, what was the purpose of the FLASHBACKS is it wasn't for "character development"? Not to mention this is SUPERMAN, we know the character he will grow up to be.
Jun 16 - 12:12 AM
Val Mordas
That's what I'm wondering... and there were plenty of them.
Jun 16 - 07:22 AM
ram bond
the relationship with lois lane isn't convincing,it was very rushed, and it felt like another generic summer blockbuster, we've seen lots of those, i prefered a more nolanesc approach in the script.
Jun 16 - 11:57 AM
Dave J
It's going to be exactly like "The Transformers" movies where it's going to make a ton of money like 300 to 400 million, and that the general audience is going to like "The Man Of Steel" more than the RT critics do!
Jun 17 - 01:48 PM