Good, But Don't Expect Any Surprises

Rating: 4/10 (30 June 2013)

When I first saw the trailer for this film, I wasn't exactly hyped for its release. I'm not a big Superman fan, so I felt very indifferent when I was dragged to the theatre to see this movie the other day. My feelings did not change throughout, and I left the theatre eventually forgetting what I saw.
I will not bother with explaining the plot here, as I don't usually do, but for good reason this time. Basically, it is a remake of the classic Superman movie from the 70's, but without any of the ridiculous fun it had. It replaces Lex Luthor with General Zod, which is a refreshing change of pace from a villain who does what he does simply for power. And, although artistic liberties were taken (according to my sister, who is more of a DC fan than I am), the origin story was interesting in a sense. Too bad it was one we've seen so many times in the past few years.
I felt the characters were heavily wooden in this instalment. It's not the actors' fault, however; they're just doing their jobs. The writer, on the other hand, needs to be reminded of the definition of an underwritten character. For example, I like Amy Adams, for one; but, when it comes to playing the part of Lois Lane, who is known as the standard 'damsel in distress' in most of this franchise, she isn't given much, if any, significance in the role. The role of Superman isn't much better either; he is much too perfect, without any flaws or hindrances in his character that can apply to the story (no, there isn't even an appearance of Kryptonite, which could be considered a missed opportunity).
I also feel sorry for anyone that had to see this in 3-D (unlike myself), because the ultimately fast-moving and jiggling shots come at a high count. A reminder to Hollywood: people do not shake up and down like mad when running forward, or even sitting in a bus. It's very distracting.
So, if I were to come up with one word to summarize my overall feelings of this film, it would be 'uninspired'. It's not bad, but it's also not great; it's ultimately forgettable. It falls victim to many Hollywood clichés in several instances, and I only recommend this to hardcore Superman fans. The rest of you will probably forget what you saw within about half an hour after seeing it (like I did).