I just watched the Man of Steel. I have no idea why reviews are so mediocre.

[F0X]

wilco said:

F0X said:

What was he going to do? Pin Zod down on the ground until one of them die of starvation? Zod was right - it's a fight to the death. There are no magic Kryptonian chambers capable of stripping his powers in this movie. Keeping him alive would only continue to put people in danger.

At the end of the day its up to the writers to figue this stuff out. I'm sorry but they could have easily come up with another way. Superman killing Zod was just lazy writing.

Now I'm not one of the people that thinks Superman should NEVER kill, that was not my problem with that scene. My problem was that moment hadn't been earned yet. That moment should have come at a later date, in a later movie. Going forward there is no reason for superman not to kill everyone as soon as they threaten a family of four. Also, the events preceding that moment, contradict that moment. Superman and Zod had been displaying wanton disregard for human life for pretty much the entire film and now all of a sudden superman must do the unthinkable just to protect one family despite showing zero concern earlier? If he really cared, why didn't he snap his neck sooner? Ridiculous.

Blatant disregard for human life? I'm pretty sure Superman blew his cover multiple times in order to save other people's lives earlier in the film. Isn't that how Lois Lane eventually tracked him down? Granted, regard for human life is something he grows into over the course of the film - he wasn't born a hero, but he ultimately chooses to be. The turning point being when he gives himself up to Zod - not sooner, not later.

If you're talking about where Superman and Zod's cronies typically fought their battles, I don't think Superman has much of a choice there either, unless the villans are supposed to be extremely stupid. If he's in a remote location, then smashing a few buildings is a good way to make him come and fight you.

Fact is, at the part where he fought Zod for the last time, there weren't many options. The whole "send them back to the Phantom Zone" plan didn't quite work 100%, so it had to come down to a fight to the death. Is that lazy writing? Predictable, perhaps, but I don't think that diminished the power behind the moment. I'm certainly okay with Superman