Superman

I'll keep this short, Man of Steel is not a very good movie. It is dark, slightly depressing, full of dizzying action sequences, and it interpreted one of the most important characters, Jonathan Kent, in a deeply problematic way. Basically, he did not want Clark to embrace his identity as Superman, a misguided idea for which he died when it was not necessary. However, the movie does have its redeeming characteristics mainly in its depiction of Jor-El which gave Russell Crowe a chance to shine. He's even better than Superman himself.

However, the best thing about Man of Steel is that it inspired several critics to revisit the much maligned Superman Returns, a film that I have loved since its release in 2006 and one which I admire more now given the recent wave of superhero films. Here are the links to a couple of my favorite pieces.

The first is a video essay by Matt Zoller Seitz and Ken Cancelosi which is particularly helpful in showing the links between the Christopher Reeve movies and Superman Returns:

VIDEO ESSAY: DEEP FOCUS: SUPERMAN RETURNS, Angel of America | Press Play

The second is an article by The Bitter Script Reader that explains, as the title points out "Why the world needs 'Superman Returns'" and argues, in part, that Superman Returns is an important father and son story:

http://www.filmschoolrejects.com/opinions/why-the-world-needs-superman-returns.php

Verdict- 2.5/4 Man of Steel (2013)
              3.5/4 Superman Returns (2006)