Good, But a Bit Silly

Rating: 7/10 (15 July 2013)

Man of Steel is the reboot of the movie saga that started out with Superman: The Movie in 1978 and ended with Superman Returns in 2006. It tells the classic story of how Superman is transported to Earth, and how the planet is invaded by a villain called General Zod. Yeah, we all know the story by now, so let's just move on.
I was not really looking forward to this movie. First off, DC Comics aren't really my favorite. I have liked the Superman movies in the past (except for Superman IV), but they've never really stood out. Another reason I was skeptical was because it is produced and written by Christopher Nolan, the creator of the Dark Knight trilogy. I was afraid he would turn the comical and family-friendly Superman into a dark and realistic character that wouldn't feel right.
Man of Steel is a silly movie. It's pretty entertaining, but it's overall a stupid adaptation of the Superman name. They try to make us take the character of Superman seriously, and it doesn't work. When will they ever make Superman the comedic guy that he was in the past?
This movie looks great, and the action scenes are some of the most spectacular I've seen in a while. But especially towards the end, it all becomes a bit too much. Even then, the CGI is great and the soundtrack is also pretty good.
The movie starts off very promising, but eventually just develops into your everyday typical big-budget action movie. A lot of the characters are underdeveloped, and the only ones I really cared for were the relationship between Superman and his human parents.
Another big flaw is how seriously the movie takes itself. It works for the first half hour or so, but when Superman puts on his suit ... oh man, that made me laugh. It just looks so silly and out of place. I was just thinking: "What is Superman doing in this film?"
Overall, Man of Steel is a pretty cool movie. However, if you enjoy the comedic Superman movies of the past, not to mention those hilarious classic cartoons, you'll probably be disappointed. The movie looks great, the acting is good, and the action scenes are spectacular. But the movie is really long and you don't care for the characters nor the story. Why does everything have to be dark and serious these days?