Well guys, it’s that time of the year again! The Summer movie event season has arrived and once again, critics and fans just cannot see eye to eye on their beloved comic book films. The latest divided entry known as Man of Steel releases today, and although most everyone in the country hasn’t seen it yet, tempers have already begun to rage with those who have towards critics. Now, I will admit that the 56% score on Rotten Tomatoes is a bad judge on the film’s quality, however, I want to express to the fanbase why this is not such a bad thing.
Reason 1: Tomatometer score IS NOT a statement of quality.
Most people tend to forget this, but just because a movie gets a Tomato score of 50%, does not mean it’s a 50% good movie. This could actually mean 50% absolutely loved the film and 50% thought it was just so-so. It could also mean 50% LOVED it and the other 50% hate it. People need to quit judging a film based on its score on tomatoes because that is always a sketchy system to go by. If the standard for a positive review is a “6” on the Tomatometer, and 85% of critics give it a 6 out of 10…does that make this an 85% quality film? No, it does not. Which brings me to my next point…
Reason 2: Mixed Reviews is a sign of a ballsy film.
When a film has a love/hate reaction from critics like Man of Steel has generated, it can mean that it does take some risks. I have seen the film and it actually does take some unconventional steps with the character. If not everyone likes it, that’s okay, it’s just not their Superman..
Reason 3: The standards for comic-book films are at an all-time high!
Most people forget we are living in a post –The Dark Knight/Avengers world and now these films are being taken seriously like never before. Man of Steel is a good film but in no way did it move me on the level of TDK or entertain me on the level of The Avengers. I do argue that it stands toe-to-toe with the first Christopher Nolan entry Batman Begins. The question I ask myself now though, is would Batman Begins had such high praise if it was released after The Dark Knight? Probably not. Why? Because critics have a new standard to judge these films by now, and that is a great thing. Trust me! Even the extremely mediocre Superman Returns- which received fair reviews- would get slammed by critics if it were released in 2013. Keep in mind, that movie came out in 2006 before TDK and the extremely well crafted Marvel Universe.
Final Thoughts
So, if you find yourself getting pissed off at critics for being nitpicky about the new Superman film, just remember, this is a good thing because critics finally give a shit about the quality of these movies. We’re no longer in a George Clooney-Bat nipple society. These films have standards to live up to now and that is exactly what we should hope for with this genre.
D-Rock out!
