If you're like me, you're frustrated at how few comic book characters translate well to the big screen. The Punisher. Captain America. Now, we have Steel. And it's a shame. Steel is one of those characters that had enough depth and nobility as a character that it could have been pulled off without a huge budget. And that seemed to be the idea of this movie. So why is it so bad? Well, for starters, Steel looks ridiculous. Why does the suit have to be made from junk-yard leftovers? He was in the military, so why couldn't he have swiped a cool-looking prototype? And where's the cape? Call me corny, but what gives the suit its majesty is that big, flowing red cape. No references to Superman, or the sense of awe and gratitude that inspired John Irons into becoming Steel. And the hammer as a gun? Puh-leeze. Still, this could have been a decent movie if the guy who wrote the plots had hired someone else to do the dialogue. Judd Nelson is a good villain, and Shaq might have been able to pull off a true hero had he not been reduced to one-liners and jive talk. Also, why is it that no one in Shaq's hood can figure out that the 7 foot tall Shaq is the 7 foot tall Steel? This movie is so self-conscious that the obvious noble aspirations just seem pitiful. Like most comic characters, Steel deserved much better writing (like that found in his comic).
