Man of Steel Trends From Backlash Over Criticism That the Film Lacks Heart

Coinciding with the release of Zack Snyder's latest film, Army of the Dead, on Netflix, a piece in Variety ranked the filmmaker's work. The piece evaluated each of his films "taking visuals, plot, storytelling and slow-mo all into account," creating a top 10 list that breaks down what works and, in their estimation, does not about the filmmaker's offerings. While the list has some things to say about each film that die-hard Snyder fans probably don't necessarily agree with -- the inclusion of the theatrical release of Justice League in the 10 spot being one of them given that it is essentially Snyder's film in name only -- it's the commentary about Man of Steel that has fans speaking out and sending the film trending on social media.

In the piece, the film praises the look of Man of Steel as well as the casting of Henry Cavill but soon turns its criticism to the more substantial elements. Specifically, the analysis says that the film "seems to lack any heart associated with the iconic character" going on to elaborate that "this Superman is dark and brooding, ready to kill and commit massive property damage at a moment's notice". While there is an argument to be made that Man of Steel does deviate in a major way from how Superman is frequently presented in comics -- and indeed is quite different from most other cinematic presentations of the character -- fans online were simply not having it.

Man of Steel fans quickly took to social media, declaring that the film does have emotion and warmth and heart while others note how the film was, for them, the first time they connected with the character as it presented him with more human qualities. Others saw an opportunity to call for a sequel to Man of Steel, something that at this point doesn't appear to be in the cards as Snyder himself as said that Warner Bros. doesn't seem to have interest in any further films from his take on the DC Universe.

"The reality is, as far as I know, there's no interest and/or appetite to do more of these movies from Warner Bros. With me, anyway," Snyder said in an interview with I Minutemen. "But I didn't think making this, finishing this film correctly would ever happen. But I did do my best to — as far as the creation of the Justice League, those different personalities being brought together — that idea, that's what this movie is about."

Read on for how fans are reacting to the comments about Man of Steel in Variety and let us know your thoughts in the comment section.