Entertaining with flaws here and there

Rating: 7/10 (4 July 2013)

I did enjoy Man of Steel, with its fresh look at an old story, but I can't give it more than 7 out of 10 stars. No, I'm not expecting superhero movies to be all-time classics. I just think there are a few problems with Man of Steel, which detracted from my enjoyment of the film. Go see it, then see if you agree with any of my points.
I'll start with the good stuff, because I did like the film overall. Spectacular cinematography. Sometimes all you need is a camera and a good eye. Fantastic job by director of photography Amir Mokri. There was thankfully no attempt to overly glam-up Lois or any of the other characters with either makeup or lighting effects. You see them warts and all, which adds a deep sense of realism and truth. It felt like an indie production at times, with just camera + actors + location, which puts a premium on acting skill. Speaking of which...
Great acting. The ensemble did a great job with the dialog they were given. The biggest scene, from an emotional viewpoint, is one of Jonathan Kent's scenes. You'll know it when you see it. In general, Costner shined as Kent. He played the tell-it-like-it-is Midwesterner adoptive dad perfectly. Michael Shannon was fantastic as General Zod. As was Amy Adams as Lois Lane. And I have a huge crush on Antje Traue after seeing the film.
And now for the the bad stuff. Just one sentence for each bad thing:
The opening Krypton scene should have been shorter, less confusing, more compelling. The Jor-El character, as written, constrained Russell Crowe too much to allow him to really act. There was occasional poorly written dialog, especially in one scene with little Clark in school. Finally, the CGI fighting is too fast and cartoonish, like The Matrix Revolutions.
Overall a 7 out of 10 in my book. Go see it and decide for yourself.