Terrible

Rating: 4/10 (14 June 2013)

Let me start off by saying that almost 3/4 of the way through the movie, my friend and I were seriously considering leaving. Also, about halfway through the movie the woman behind us fell asleep. I can only say I wish I could have done that as well. I was not expecting this to be anywhere near as dark as Batman, but a little more severity could have steered these characters toward a dynamic arc in their personalities. I never for one second in this movie felt like anyone was in any really danger, save the first scene encompassing Krypton's destruction.
I was so excited for this movie, and maybe I was a little bit biased expecting something a little bit Nolan-esque, especially because he produced it, but I was sorely disappointed. For the first five minutes, I was impressed; I was crying, I literally said 'wow' when I saw this alien world that Snyder and his team created. After that first five minutes, I thought "That's cool, he's not taking us back to the beginning, he's being unconventional." But what relevance did that scene have other than to tell us that he moved every time he helped somebody; a fact that was repeatedly shoved in our faces with every other scene like it, on top of every flashback from his childhood like it.
In looks, Cavill is so stereotypically Superman (in a good way); chiseled jaw, gentle eyes, adorably curly hair. But the close-ups on Cavill conveyed no relevant emotion to the scenes they were in. He had this dead almost sarcastic (at times) stare. The one liners, along with their delivery, provoked eye rolls, as one liners should, but this was minus the laughs.
Amy Adams was miscast as Lois Lane. Their relationship was forced. So much of who Clark Kent's story and personality was replaced by a rushed week long relationship that culminated in a poorly shot kiss.
Dialogue was not this movie's strong suit; from Cavill's questioning of Crowe, to Shannon's threats, to Lane's un-motivating pep talks. Cavill rushed the delivery of his "I have so many questions," that it almost seemed like they were trying to start a dialogued montage. In the final battle Zod proclaims," This will only end with either your death or mine." No! Really? I thought he was just beating the crap out of you until you both got too tired to fight anymore. And if that was their intention, then obviously the tactics of throwing each other into buildings and tankers of gas isn't working and you should try something else. Superman missed so many moments to showcase his powers and I don't understand why that was not a predominant theme in this movie.
Also, Cavill just puts the suit on (happens to come out clean shaven on top of it) and tries to fly. Doesn't pan out at first, but then he tries again and suddenly it does. Did his father tell him? Did he just figure it out? So much of the conversation between Cavill and Crowe was not shown to us. It could not have been as simple as that two minute summary of what happened to Krypton, so come on, give us an origin story.
I appreciate that Superman's 'S' was given recognition as not being a letter but rather a symbol. However, what concerned me was that everything else about where Cavill came from and what his father wanted him to do was either left out or not explained properly. His father just gives him a suit. Granted, we see the suits as a mark of the Kryptonian people. Why is Superman's red and blue and not black? Are we just to assume that Crowe was trying to be patriotic?
Honestly, everything in this movie was so presumptuous that it proceeded to jump ahead of itself.
I didn't care about the characters; I was not given time to. I don't care about Fishburne trying to get Buller out of a cascade of debris; I've known these characters for five seconds. In a way it may have been more desperate to show people we didn't know to really extend the reach of Shannon's destruction.
And, just to be nit picky as a fan, the whole theme of Clark Kent and Lois Lane's relationship is anonymity. Props for trying to be different, but Snyder should have covered the basics before taking that route.