There's nothing like a pop-culture icon to "inspire" Hack Stamp-worthy wordplay, and some of the usual suspects are out again to tell us how "super" Man of Steel is or isn't:
“It may not be super, but it’s pretty good.” – Tom Long, Detroit News
“The Man of Steel is not super, man. Not even close.” – Gary Wolcott, Tri-City Herald
“Man of Steel is not so super.” – Lloyd Carroll, Queens Chronicle
“The film is solid, not super.” – Stella Papamichael, RadioTimes
“There are some ideas here that are admirable, sure, but are they enough to make Man of Steel super? Not so much.” – Anders Wright, U-T San Diego
Then the vintage catch-phrases come out in force:
“The easily pleased may get ‘up up and away’ on such garish window-dressing but those interested in Superstorytelling will find themselves falling to Earth with a bump all too quickly.” – The Irish News (no byline)
“Man of Steel isn’t a flop. Nor does it go up, up and away.” – Rick Bentley, Fresno Bee
“… there’s reason to hope that future chapters will really lift us up, up and away.” – Peter Howell, The Star (Toronto)
“Guess we’ll have to hope the inevitable sequel lifts this venerable franchise up, up and away.” – Chuck Vinch, Navy Times
“Shannon and Cavill have one high-flying fight in the film that will send your jaw to the floor faster than a speeding bullet.” – Jacob Burch, OntheRedCarpet.com
“… faster than a speeding bullet, this sets Man of Steel up for some superhero sequels.” – Bruce Kirkland, Jam! Movies
“It's a bird, it's a plane, it's the broodiest Superman ever depicted.” – Sandie Angulo Chen, Moviefone
“A righteous, riveting relaunch leaving no doubt that, even after 80 years, you still don’t tug on Superman’s cape!” – Kam Williams, AALBC.com
“You'll believe a man can fly, but this one never truly soars.” – James Dawson, Back Row Reviews
And then there's this masterwork, which, while a transcript from an on-air review and not a written review, is a masterpiece worthy of Gene Shalit himself:
“It’s not a bird, it’s not a plane ... and thankfully, it’s not a turkey. But with a super budget of over $225 million, Hollywood should have given us a SUPER Superman movie, right? Well, Man of Steel isn’t super ... but it’s not a Kryptonian bomb, either.” – Russ Simmons, Fox4KC.com