Mixed feelings

Rating: 7/10 (20 July 2013)

I had decided from the box office that MOS was a flop and was going to wait for the DVD release. But when I had to have time away from the house after the death of my magnificent old dog, I decided to see it. It was better than I thought it would be, but it had problems.
There were plot inconsistencies and contrivances that had me wondering, "Why would they do that?" There were times when disasters came rushing at characters...and rushing...and rushing while the characters seemed content to stand and wait in order to add high drama to the scene. It was easy to overlook or discount most of the inconsistencies, contrivances, and melodrama during the movie. They started to whisper at me a bit later. The movie's plot was overall good and I didn't sweat the small stuff. It was a bit too long at around 140 minutes. The script could have benefited from another fine polishing, I think.
Think back to the performances, I realized that most of them seemed very superficial. Like the actors were phoning it in. Notable exception were Cavill as Kal, Shannon as Zod, and Traue as Faora. Don't get me wrong; the other performances weren't bad, they just didn't engage me. Like I said, they seemed superficial.
There are lots of special effects in MOS. Some were much better than others. The problematic ones were falling buildings that seemed to ignore the rate of acceleration and fall at their own stately pace. The tornado that appeared was massive and very s-l-o-w when such a tornado is usually unforgivingly fast.
MOS is worth your time, but it probably won't top your list of favorite movies. Use the viewing as a way to get out of the heat with a friend or loved one. It fits that purpose very well.