Today’s Prayer Focus
MOVIE REVIEW

Man of Steel

MPA Rating: PG-13-Rating (MPA) for intense sequences of sci-fi violence, action and destruction, and for some language.

Reviewed by: John Decker
CONTRIBUTOR

Moral Rating: Offensive
Moviemaking Quality:
Primary Audience: Teens Family Adults
Genre: Superhero Action Adventure Drama 3D
Length: 2 hr. 23 min.
Year of Release: 2013
USA Release: June 14, 2013 (wide—4,200+ theaters)
DVD: November 12, 2013
Copyright, Warner Bros.click photos to ENLARGE Copyright, Warner Bros. Copyright, Warner Bros. Copyright, Warner Bros. Copyright, Warner Bros. Copyright, Warner Bros. Copyright, Warner Bros. Copyright, Warner Bros. Copyright, Warner Bros. Copyright, Warner Bros.
Relevant Issues
Featuring Henry CavillClark Kent/Superman
Amy AdamsLois Lane
Michael ShannonGeneral Zod
Russell CroweJor-El
Kevin CostnerJonathan Kent
Diane LaneMartha Kent
Antje Traue … Faora
Laurence FishburnePerry White
Christopher Meloni … Colonel Hardy
See all »
Director Zack Snyder
Producer Warner Bros.
Legendary Pictures
See all »
Distributor Distributor: Warner Brothers Pictures. Trademark logo.Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company

Sequel: “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice” (2016)

I am a little mixed on how to label the cleanliness or lack thereof with this film. That’s because most of it is clean, like 90% or more. However, there are some portions of dialog which are potentially very offensive. It should clean up real well on your word censoring home video player. There are no sex scenes and no nudity. There is little gore. There are some theological issues, sort of, which I’ll get into.

According to Wikipedia: “Superman’s flight from the planet (Krypton), with exact details of its destruction (varies) by time period, writers and franchise.” Guess why today’s Superman’s planet is destroyed? It is due to the “over harvesting of the planet’s core”. Add a coin to the environmental indoctrination bucket. Next subject.

The profane language in this movie is somewhat limited, but strangely an outlet for creative juices. While I found the dialog in general to be lacking quality and poignancy, the profanity was on contrary, somewhat elaborate and provocative. The terms are:- dumb…, … wipe, and some so colorful I won’t mention. Think ‘Fifth grade school yard bully kind of stuff’. Side note: I wonder what a homeschooled Superman would be like? Lois is strong, liberated, a bit crude and foul mouthed, trumped by that so familiar redeeming backbone, fit with a semi-cherubic face.

Super theology: It’s not likely that one would go to see Superman expecting it to line up with Christian theology, but I’ve heard there are some Bible studies and such coming out to go with this film. There are some over the top religious references, like a stained glass image of Christ in the background, while Clark gets council from a preacher. There is a leap of faith statement and some of the like that hold some merit, but they have little context in the movie, so applied with a modicum of thought, they are kind of weak. I would guess someone wanted to make some Christ replacement references in an even stronger manner and someone else suggested that by doing so they were bordering on offensive to the orthodox crowd. I would guess that, were I a guessing man. As it stands, the references are simultaneously highly present yet vague, obvious yet undefined. The “officials protecting the public from knowledge of aliens” thing is so old. Even “officials protecting the public from the truth” is old hat when not applied properly.

A short rant: Executed violence should make sense. Bullets fired at close range bounce back and hit things. Sure, we expect some unrealism from superhero films by nature, but I heard this was to be the “down-to-earth” Superman. It didn’t turn out that way. As for the explosions and the way the violence is executed, I found it to be less than unique, unoriginal, and it’s getting pretty old. Unimaginably enormous machines, put in place to kill our heroes are, well—yawn.

I’m blowing the whistle on movie characters being unphased by mass casualties across the street, simply because the unknown stranger to their left is fit and healthy. It’s not just that the massive explosions are getting real old, or because we all know they’re fake, and I’m not saying they look fake—some do, some don’t. It’s this: how unimpacted can a character really be when scores of unknown people across the street are pulverized in falling skyscrapers? It’s silly. It could be a directing marvel to get so many people to express the emotions inherent with watching multiple 60 story buildings fall, but if you can’t figure out how to accomplish it, you’re going to put us to sleep. Some of these new directors promise realism and deliver marvelously. This movie missed that mark, in my opinion.

On the quality of things: Certainly this is a quality production. I would expect nothing less of a $225 million budget. The Superman costume up close is amazing. It looks like some kind of wearable carbon fiber weave. It is believable and not overdone. Though I wasn’t as impressed with the rest of the costume designs.

I have a problem with some of the dialog. Enough so that I looked around more than once to see what kinds of reactions might be coming from other audience members. I honestly feel like much of it was 15% off, and by 15%, I mean a lot. Strangely seeded words change everything. In American movies, we are used to better “apples of silver,” even if they are shallow.

In conclusion—as I stated, the dialog will clean up for a censoring player quite well. The theology is not extremely offensive—more on the side of confusing, and inconclusive. I didn’t care that much for the film, but it’s okay, as far as shallow action flicks go, and it’s not clumsily, silly or awkward, that’s for sure. It’s pretty well done, but not what I expected from the influences of Director Snyder and Producer Christopher Nolan. If you’re looking for an amazing new take on Superman, set your goals a little lower before going to see this film.

Violence: Heavy to extreme / Profanity: Moderate—OMG (2), “damn,” “hell” (3), f-word (1), *ss (4), d*ck (2) / Sex/Nudity: Moderate—passionate kiss, cleavage, shirtless man, very tight fitting clothing

See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.


Viewer CommentsSend your comments
Positive
Positive—SPOILER-FREE REVIEW “MAN OF STEEL” redefines Superman for the 21rst century, with an amazing story, terrific special effects and an emotionally gripping story. What you know about Superman is turned on its head, as the classic story is told in a fresh way that is new and relevant. Without spoiling the story, we see a Krypton that is completely different than what we’ve seen before, with a much deeper backstory of the battle between General Zod and Superman’s father, Jor-El.

As a Superman movie, expect LOTS of biblical-type archetypes, whether it’s Superman as a Christ-type figure, Zod as a Fallen Lucifer type character and much more. Wonderfully, you can watch the movie without looking for these symbols, or you can watch the movie looking for them. They can be taken either or. When we hear Jor-El speak about his son that “you will give them something to aspire to. They will stumble, they will fall, but eventually they will join you in the sun.” I got chills. The movie makes serious changes to the Superman mythos that cannot be discussed without spoilers. Let’s just say that these changes create a new version that gives us a Superman that feels earthbound, connected to what’s going on with us in the real world, and creates a fresh take on a familiar story. See all »
My Ratings: Moral rating: Excellent! / Moviemaking quality: 5
Jason Major, age 35 (Canada)
Positive—MAN OF STEEL (MOS), a spectacular yet uneven return to the origin of the alien known as Superman. Why? Because, since the first two Christopher Reeve’s SUPERMAN movies, none after had made any impression, especially the terrible non-canon Bryan Singer’s SUPERMAN RETURN. In MOS, Henry Cavill takes the title role and earns it. He’s definitely got the physic and the charisma with what little he had to work with. Here, Clark Kent/Kal El is not yet synonymous with the Superman moniker. He is still coming to term with his superpowers, before all hell breaks loose unleashed by General Zod (Michael Shannon) and his female assistant Faora.

The actress Antje Traue who portrayed Faora stole most of her scenes, especially when she goes up against Superman. She played Faora more menacing then Sarah Douglas as Ursa, in the original SUPERMAN 2. I like them both for their own cheeky take of their respective villain characters. See all »
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Mang Yang, age 41 (USA)
Positive—This movie is like a mix of Superman 1 and 2, with lots of special effects and ridiculously epic battles, up to the point that it is a little too much. I will not recommend this movie for children under 12 because it is loud and very intense.

There is a scene that caught my attention, it was at a Catholic church… I wonder what kind of interpretation will receive… for me it was revealing. The humor was almost inexistent but the very few was way too heavy for a family friendly movie. The good point is that it could serve as a platform to touch on some topics like self sacrifice, honor, purpose, who we are and who is God. All in all is a good movie that portrays a decent Superman.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 4
Mario, age 41 (Costa Rica)
Positive—I saw an early screening and I loved it. The movie is similar to “The Dark Knight” trilogy in how it is thick in context and has a dark styled tone. I thought the casting was good. Henry cavill was a great Superman. The plot is generic, and the ending is predictable with no twists or anything, but I loved the effort put into the movie. It shows. The movie starts off slow and ends with plenty of action.

Lois and Clark didn’t have any real chemistry. Clark kent even talks to a priest to ask what he thinks he should do. Clearly making the comparison to Jesus. I don’t find fault in a superhero modeled after Jesus Christ, because who wouldn’t wanna be like him? All in all, the movie has interesting political messages and moral ones, as well.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 3½
Michael, age 19 (USA)
Positive—For a movie in this day and age, “Man of Steel” was AWESOME in terms of godliness and morality. There is little that could’ve been perverted in this movie; all women dress modestly; there’s no cleavage, not a short skirt in sight, no hints of fornication. One man does flirt rudely to a waitress, but it’s portrayed in a negative light. Superman tells a priest that God told him [Superman] that General Zod cannot be trusted; God is clearly influencing Superman’s decisions and choices.

As a child, Superman believes he should help people and a bully becomes a friend. The violence can get extremely intense. However, it is not terrorism for the game of it; Superman is a hero protecting the Earth from a genocidal maniac (General Zod). Even when Zod meets justice, Superman clearly shows self-anger over having to take a life. The Bible speaks of many heroes (King David, Sampson, Moses, Abraham, and many more) who were warriors for justice and harmony. There is also a verse that says “There is a time for peace, and there is a time for war”. So while the violence was intense, it’s a “Light defeating the dark” type of violence. See all »
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Peter, age 23 (USA)
Positive—I really enjoyed the new Superman movie. To me it was filled with scenes and comparisons with Christ. *Examples* He is 33. He has come from another world to save mankind. There is a scene before the fight where he has arms outstretched crucifix style. Along with various other things interwoven in the story. There is violence, but it’s the fight between good and evil. Not blood and gore. I didn’t find any chemistry between Lois Lane and Clark. I didn’t notice any bad language, but others have said there is some. Overall, I think a great story good movie.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Excellent! / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Rebeca, age 32 (USA)
Positive—My family and I went to see this movie today. No doubt this is a great movie. The word D*** and A** was used twice in the movie. I found that to be unnecessary.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 5
Sharon, age 37 (USA)
Positive—This is the best movie that I have seen in a long time. It is perhaps the best super hero movie rivaling the original Spider-Man Trilogy. It was clean, edge of your seat action packed, with a great story and great acting. The only objectionable material is the scene where the Priest asked Clark what his god was telling him, as if there are multiple gods. It was refreshing to see a Superman movie where the hero didn’t have to bed Lois, as in the original Superman of the 80’s and in “Smallville.”
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 5
Paul, age 52 (USA)
Positive—I really enjoyed this movie. Henry Cavill did a great job portraying the Man of Steel, and certainly looked the part. Amy Adams was also a good Lois Lane, and I was glad to see her character incorporated in an essential way. My objections are few, but important. There was some language, mostly in the beginning, and sadly, mostly from kids (in flashback scenes from Clark’s past). It was disappointing to hear. Also, the violence was pretty heavy. Nothing gory, but still frightening for kids. Other then that, “Man of Steel” was free from any inappropriate situations, and is a great movie for teens and adults. I’m looking forward to a sequel!
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 4
Beth, age 18 (USA)
Positive—I have to say I was surprised at this movie, not just for being a good Superman movie, but for how much Christian symbolism and analogy there was in this movie. Clark Kent becomes Superman when he is 33 years old. He has a unique birth. His Earthly father is a tradesmen who dies before he starts his mission. He surrenders to his enemies to save man. The villain was a high ranking leader who rebelled and was cast down into the abyss with a third (give or take) of the soldiers. We have Jor-El, Kal-El, and Holo Jor-El; it’s not hard to see an analogy of the Holy Trinity there. When speaking to the priest the stain glass of Jesus behind Superman when he is trying to decide if he should hand himself over to the military is of Jesus at the Garden of Gesthemene, where he prayed before letting the Temple guards arrest him.

As for other moral issues Superman is shown to be highly moral. He always helps people whenever he can, except when he obediently obeys the commands of his Earthly father. His romance with Lois Lane is very clean and tame, they don’t even share a kiss till the end of the movie. And the movie has a view of the sanctity of all life that most superhero movies don’t have.See all »
My Ratings: Moral rating: Excellent! / Moviemaking quality: 4
Andrew, age 23 (USA)
Positive—Though I had not originally intended to review this film, after reading this site’s review I’ve changed my mind. First of all, let me start by saying that the above review is as unfounded and misleading as it is confusing and wordy. Yes, I was one of the many who flocked to see this film simply because of sentimental support of a character such as Superman. I was excited to learn of the actors who would be performing in this film, because I have watched them and enjoyed their work before. That said, there was a tiny part of me that feared I might still be disappointed in what may possibly be an overrated summer flick. I am pleased to say however, that this was not the case.

“Man of Steel” proved not only to be the newest Superman movie in a history of many, but is perhaps the best Superman story told yet. The action is notable. The special effects are impressive. It is the story however, that keeps your attention. I have to say that the writers danced a fine line in attempting to make our hero relatable and yet not take from him the honor we have all come to respect and admire (yes, even in a story). See all »
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 5
Paige, age 23 (USA)
Positive—This movie lived up to the hype, in my mind. After reading your review, it is apparent that you missed the point and are probably still pondering Christopher Reeve’s movies going into this one. (Why can’t people leave those in the past), and this is coming from a critic who probably liked “Superman Returns.” “Man of Steel” is what every Superman fan has longed for since the 1990s. Some viewers may rate it badly due to lack of not enough emotion, charm or humor… please people! The story is all about him finding himself, and it succeeds victoriously. The cast is amazing in this film. Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Kevin Costner, and let’s not forget Russell Crow and Henry Cavill. Need I say more? “Man of Steel” is the Superman we need.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 5
Jake S. Guerra, age 34 (USA)
Positive—I saw this movie twice, and the first time I didn’t like it as much as the 2nd. The 2nd time I went in knowing the Christian influence, and I was looking for the relation. Wow, it was awesome the 2nd time I saw it! Sure, they did show too much of his story and where he was from, but, wow, what an awesome movie for point of conversation with people about Jesus. Great movie!
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 5
Amanda, age 39 (USA)
Positive—I saw the movie today with my dad, my close friend and her dad. The film was quite good, with a strong storyline, excellent acting and top-notch action sequences and a SUPER-action musical score by the ever-reliable Hans Zimmer. Keep in mind: This is not a remake of the original film SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE starring Christopher Reeve. Of course, that motion picture soars in a class by itself, with a very very SUPER-heroic score by John Williams. If you can make that distinction, and avoid comparisons, you should enjoy this latest cinematic incarnation of the MAN OF STEEL.

The story is a bit complex, but that’s typical from Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer (who wrote the equally impressive, and I think, definitive, cinematic origin of Batman). Biblically speaking, there is plenty of violence (which is mostly bloodless), no swearing and no sexual situations. There is some mild language, but nothing too harsh. Kids under thirteen shouldn’t see this film, as it’s too intense. However, they can certainly view SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE and its abominable sequels, \.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 5
D, age 27 (USA)
Positive—The best part of this movie is the choice of the actor who plays Superman and the dramatic aspect regarding Superman’s “Earth” family, and Superman’s morality and character development… It was well crafted and beautifully performed… Not once during the movie did the dramatic appeal of the main character sag or decline. The action sequences which saturate the last third of the movie are over the top and perhaps a bit drawn out, perhaps slightly more then “Thor,” or “The Avengers,” or “Iron Man”.

There is an attempt in this film towards literal symbolism between Christ and Superman… There are overt signs and signals and symbolism, however, I found it refreshing that if a movie about Superman is created that tries to draw a symbolic comparison between him and Christ, that they attempted to create a “Man of Steel” who is perfect in his morality and compassion is refreshing considering its a piece of video made in Hollywood. The writers and director of this movie created an authentic “Superman” whose compassion and integrity are the real character aspects that make him “Super”. See all »
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 4
Lc, age 52 (USA)
Positive—Someone other than the reviewer should have reviewed this movie. The review seems like a rant without direction or a point. The movie is morally average, but with several teachable topics—…such as sacrifice, morality and humility.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 5
DQ, age 51 (USA)
Neutral
Neutral—Religious symbolism aside, and apart from the expanded father roles of Jor-El and Jonathan Kent, I really didn’t like this movie much. There are some great things about it, but it’s lacking a soul. Other than the Kents, none of the humans get any character development or personality. Lois is reduced to a plot point. The flashbacks are strangely placed, and the script hops around a lot. I wasn’t impressed with all the “artsy” shots, nor am I a fan of extreme close-ups or shaky cams… if you’re filming a 250 million dollar movie, having it not be blurry would be nice.

Superman often flies into the bad guys, propelling them backward… not into open fields where the worst damage will be ruined corn stalks, but into buildings, trains, and I-Hops. Instead of luring the villains away from Smallville, they fight in the street! He rushes off to stop a monstrous alien ship on the other side of the planet, while Metropolis is crashing to the ground all around them. Sure, he stops Zod from frying a family alive, but what about all those office buildings they crashed through? That’s a lot of collateral damage, Clark.

Many people are going to LOVE this movie. I found it tedious, dull, and not very “Superman” like.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 4
Charity, age 30 (USA)
Neutral—The new Superman movie is kind of a mixed bag. The good: the story itself answers a lot of questions the original Christopher Reeves Superman's did not adequately address. It was very clever how they weaved Lois Lane and Superman's father into the plot. I thought it was much better than the originals in that regard.

The Bad: not sure why the swearing needed to be in the movie. It didn't add anything to the movie and only serves to make some people uncomfortable. I'm not exactly sure what it is, but compared to Marvel superhero movies, there always seems to be a lack of character development in D.C. super hero movies. I leave the theater not caring about the actual characters as much. Maybe it is the constant focus on being so serious that makes the characters more one-dimensional. It just seems harder to care about the characters in general, and Superman was no different. See all »
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 4
Jason, age 39 (USA)
Neutral—The first half of the movie was decent, with Christian symbolism and some deep questions about free will, heroism, etc. I could definitely see the influence of Christopher Nolan. However, once the real fighting begins, you can tell who directed the movie (Zack Snyder). The violence was senseless, over-the-top, and, frankly, downright boring in its never-ending destruction. Although some of it was epic and heart-warming (such as Clark defending his mother and Lois), most of it just seems out of character. Superman is supposed to be the cream of the crop, the most moral superhero of them all. The struggles he goes through in this movie have a humanizing effect, but he doesn’t always end up doing the right thing.

***SPOILER*** In fact, he kills Zod. But he ends up fine and dandy a few days later, with next to zero emotional turmoil, subtly telling us that murdering the villain really wasn’t that big of a deal. ***END SPOILER***

He is not the slightly comic Superman of the 80s, but nor is he the noble Superman of my imagination. Overall, there is so much wasted potential for a compelling story, it’s really quite depressing for those who love superhero films.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 3½
Christina, age 20 (USA)
Negative
Negative—I don’t know that I could have said it better than the reviewer. At a certain point in this movie, I checked out. I went to see this with young and old(er) and the comments passed back and forth between us were much more interesting than this movie. The hero participates in destruction on an epic scale then has an overacted meltdown because he is forced to kill. Superman steals clothes and Lois Lane is a potty mouth. I wondered at the Director’s direction: let’s do another building fall! How did they number them? Destruction scene #430, Metropolis City Center // Destruction scene #459, space station // Destruction scene #710 Kansas cornfield. We were actually giggling at the end.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 3
Dana, age 50 (USA)
Negative—The beginning was interesting up until the violence began, which was intense, and much like a violent video game with no sense. I know some viewers really liked this movie and were touched by parts of it. The plot was about 1 inch deep for me, and I was quite surprised and disappointed in this movie. I went to see this movie because I was bored, and hoped I would like it. My mind and spirit felt beat up for 24 hours after, due to the excessive (and boring) violence. Now I have to ask myself and the body of Christ: shouldn’t we give entertainment less of our time? Shouldn’t we gather together in our homes to seek the heart of God and intercede for this lost world much more than we do, like maybe at least one Friday or Saturday night a month (or how about two?). Lord forgive me, and forgive us; help us all.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 4
Hope, age 58 (USA)
Negative—Extremely violent, and boring, with few exceptions. Gives a very mixed message, at times indicating pacifism is best, then showing Superman repeatedly beating on both males and a female. Pretty creepy. Tries to portray Superman as Christ on the cross, at one point. There’s something they’re trying to get across in this movie, and it does not seem like a Christian message. Superman’s father tells him that Superman will be Earth’s savior, and his adopted father implies and even straight-out says the same type of thing. It seems like a set-up to accept a savior that’s not Christ, but is not of this world.

There is a stronger than normal push to get people out to see this movie, even to where large corporations—at least one, that I know of—are giving out free tickets to employees. And everyone has seen the commercial and product tie-ins. I know this is standard procedure, but it’s over the top with “Man of Steel.”

Reminds me of Ephesians 5:11 — “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.” We all need to be very careful of what we accept. To me, this movie is not worth the time, money, or effort. It’s an underhanded and negative message delivered by a handsome man in a weird-looking costume. “Be ye not deceived.” God bless you and yours!
My Ratings: Moral rating: Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 3½
Alex, age 39 (USA)
Negative—Although there were some good parallels drawn between Superman and Christ, they could have done much better with this hero. My main disappointment was the poor story-telling. Although I enjoy movie violence, explosions and car crashes, these action scenes were literally mind- numbing. My entire family agreed that it was like watching the director play some violent video game, long after his mother had called him for supper.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 2
Brian Schacht, age 66
Negative—This movie was way too overdone with fighting and carnage. The beginning of the movie is interesting but once it gets to the part of fighting back the evil villains, it goes way over the top. I mean how many times do we need to see them punching each other and smearing each other into pavement, buildings, trains, skyscrapers, etc., etc. The movie just seems to flop after that. The only part that seems questionable to me about biblical view would be when Superman goes to talk with the priest. There is no context that he even believes in God and while he is speaking with the priest, the stained glass window picture right behind him is Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane. So he is right next to Jesus and it is implied that he is mankind’s savior throughout the film.

Of course, I would expect this plot for a superman movie, but let’s not visually put him next to Jesus on screen. That to me was just an in-your-face Christian insult. But what else would you expect from the non saved? I must add that another viewer said this was similar to Dark Night… in no way shape or form. Dark Night is a much superior film that this would ever hope to be. Bottom line: I would not recommend spending the money to see this in the movie theater. Save it for a $1 DVD rental night.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 4
Renee, age 46 (USA)
Negative—This is a movie that one should wait for in DVD if they want to see it. It very much reminded me of the movie Transformers because of the constant destruction after destruction. The story—not much of one.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 4
John, age 62 (Canada)
Negative—All I have to say is that this movie was PAINFUL to finish watching. I asked my boyfriend about 30 minutes into it, if we can just leave and try to get our money back. He was optimistic that it would get better—well, he was wrong.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 3
Dawn, age 39 (USA)
Negative—This is a Christian site, isn’t? I half hope that some comments would have some sort of Biblical foundation other than is a movie moral or not. There are other factors to consider beside is this good or bad for you. Do you know that Superman and other super heroes are revered by young children. By young I mean 2 years old and upwards. These are the formulate years of a child’s development. One of the huge failings of this movie, in particular all the Superman movies is that this specific super hero is seen as a/the saviour of mankind. But it’s fictional you say. When people start giving more devotion to Christ than Superman then maybe it doesn’t matter as much. Problem is that Superman is adored quite a bit and merchandise sales underlines the obsessive attitude that can be clearly observed if you watch a few Youtube vlogs.

Antichrist or “someone instead of Christ.” According to this factual definition, Superman is an Antichrist. Seems hard to believe, but he’s being touted as the saviour of the world. Even from a moral point of view he is seen as righting wrongs and being an example. However, his example doesn’t have any correlation to Christ’s life. So is this film recommended? Certainly not. Besides the above point, the movie is *excessively* violent and dangerously *traumatic*. See all »
My Ratings: Moral rating: Extremely Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Matthew Sinclair, age 40 (South Africa)
Positive—This is a reply to Matthew Sinclair in “Man of Steel”. Do you honestly think kid’s bow down and worship comic book characters? Also, your Antichrist labeling is slander; Superman is NOT supposed to be Jesus (I don’t know why people get the impression; he seems like a sinner to me). He is merely someone doing the right thing, even though it could cost him his life.

It honestly sounds like you would label Abraham, Moses, or King David as the Antichrist, since they did heroic deeds, yet they weren’t Christ. Jesus Himself told us to be His disciples and love one another as yourself. He did NOT tell us to become ascetic, angry hermits who sneer at someone reading a fictional story. We are supposed to represent the love and truth of Christ, NOT the hatred and slander of Satan, and I honestly say the latter is what your comment looks like to me.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 4
Peter, age 23 (USA)
Negative—I went to the theater to see this pretty soon after it came out. I had high hopes for it. Unfortunately, my hopes were quickly dashed. Aside from strong performances from people like Henry Cavill as Kal-El/Clark Kent/Superman, Russell Crowe as Jor-El, Michael Shannon as General Zod, and Amy Adams as Lois Lane, and a few good action set pieces, this movie was NOT one of my favorites.

For one thing, they changed pretty much everything around from the original film series. In the 1978 movie, Jonathan Kent dies of a heart attack. In this one, for some reason, the filmmakers decide to have him die trying to save somebody in a tornado. To some, this may seem a minuscule matter. But, to fans of the Superman movies with Christopher Reeve, like myself, changing this was a BAD decision. That, and other changes made from the original, were my biggest pet peeves about the movie. See all »
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 1½
Jared, age 33 (USA)
Negative—The movie forces us to accept a different history by writing a completely different story line for the birth and early life to manhood of Superman. The movie follows the change of Batman from a happy hero to a dark hero, but all the Batman movies maintained the historical story line, while Superman here changes the story line so much that you keep asking yourself far too many times “Why did they change that?”

Also, the logic used by nearly everyone is very stupid and illogical. Only the evil people use correct logic. The special effects are, in my opinion, far too many and too often. After half the movie is over, you start seeing that things being destroyed are fake looking, especially during the increasingly monotonous fight scenes. I hate to give it a 1. I gave it a 3, at first, but the more I think about the movie, the less I like it. It is not worth seeing again because it feels like the movie, “Transformers 12” (3 at this time of writing). I do suggest at least one viewing of the forgettable movie. P.S., I did not hear the actual f-word. The word used was “ef-in,” a substitute.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 3
Chas, age 62 (USA)
Comments from young people
Positive—I took my girlfriend, my sister and her boyfriend to see this movie. My sister, 15, hated the movie, said it was too violent. My girlfriend, 17, said the same. However, I, 17 and my sister’s boyfriend, 16, both agreed the movie was excellent, and when a friend asked me to go see it with him, I jumped on the opportunity. Next week I’m going to see it a third time with another friend. Both times I enjoyed it greatly.

The violence was, yes, a bit over the top, but I found it quite gripping. The movie moved along quite nicely, had a good story and wasn’t very offensive at all (For a modern day PG-13 rated movie). I walked into the theater expecting to be bored out of my skull, I only went because my girlfriend kept bugging me, but left very, very pleased and thanked her for bugging me so much. While I did enjoy the movie, I found myself wishing I’d not taken my sister to see it. There was quite a bit that made me wish I’d taken her to see “Monsters University” instead. It’s not something I’d recommend for younger (or shielded) children as the (very heavy) violence might disturb them and Lois Lane utters a few rather profane (but PG-13-allowable) words. See all »
My Ratings: Moral rating: Excellent! / Moviemaking quality: 5
Fyzix, age 17 (USA)
Positive—This was a very well directed movie. It was good action movie with comedy thrown in at appropriate times. I saw the day it came and saw it twice more three thumbs up. The Christian values may not have been there but there was nothing that I found offensive unlike some movies.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Andrew, age 14 (USA)
Negative—It tries to be dark and serious like “The Dark Knight” trilogy, but it forgets to be even remotely entertaining. There’s a lot of violence, but nothing else in terms of offensive content.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 2½
C, age 15 (USA)
Positive— I saw this movie after it came out of theaters, mostly because I am not a huge fan of superheroes. I have not seen the older Superman movies, but I liked this one. There was quite a bit of violence, and some bad words, too. The action felt a lot like a video game, but the special effects were good. I think this movie is okay for kids 12 and up as long as parents know that their child is okay with it.

The main thing that bothered me was that I have never liked it when superheroes were invincible, because then it’s like “Now what? There’s nothing that can stop them?” The villains were apparently invincible too, or at least really close to it. Overall this was a good movie, and even if it was a little cheesy I liked it anyway. I would recommend this to a friend, but not for sensitive children.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Alice K., age 13 (USA)

PLEASE share your observations and insights to be posted here.