Man of Steel (2013)

Every choice in Man of Steel feels deliberate. The framing, the pacing, the oil rig rescue — Zack Snyder is operating at a level most filmmakers never reach. It's the kind of film you study rather than just watch.

We watched Man of Steel together and spent an hour talking about hope vs fear afterward. That kind of conversation doesn't happen often. The film gives you something real to think about together.

I usually avoid this kind of film but gave Man of Steel a chance after constant recommendations. Completely converted. Zack Snyder transcends genre entirely. It works as pure human drama first.

Man of Steel builds so carefully to its conclusion that when it arrives you feel genuinely moved. The the immigrant experience thread pays off in a way that's earned rather than manipulative. Couldn't sleep afterward.

Man of Steel ended and I sat with it for weeks. The the immigrant experience theme kept circling back. I'd be doing something mundane and the Zod fight in Metropolis would pop into my head. That kind of resonance is rare.

Some elements of Man of Steel show their age, but the core of it — the immigrant experience, the reimagined Kryptonian mythology — hasn't diminished at all. Films this good age better than almost anything else.

Man of Steel is not background viewing. Every scene requires you. Put your phone down. Zack Snyder is doing too much to be half-watched. Give it the attention it deserves.

I first watched Man of Steel as a teenager and thought it was fine. Rewatched at 30 and it hit completely differently. The hope vs fear undercurrent makes total sense now in a way it didn't before.

Man of Steel is technically accomplished and I understand its place in film history. But it left me cold. The the immigrant experience element felt mechanical and I never connected emotionally. Maybe I'll try again.