Unfair to Compare Superman to Dark Knight

Rating: 6/10 (14 June 2013)

I read a few reviews before seeing this film (yes FILM not video) and saw that many reviewers were faulting it for being too by-the-numbers. I agree about that for the finale, but in actuality my impression was the opposite. The filmmakers were trying their best NOT to be by-the-numbers. I also felt that by design, the marketing of the film was supposed to make you think of The Dark Knight, with Christopher Nolan attached.
I think that is a bit unfair. Yes, Superman should be re-invented and more grounded in the real world. But the movie jumps around too quickly for the kind of resonance we are looking for in our origin story. The biggest problem is that the adult Clark doesn't have time to talk and engage with people to humanise him. Compared to the charismatic and playful version of Clark and Lois played by Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder, Henry Cavill and Amy Adams are too withdrawn and unhappy. We the audience need to like this guy. And sure, we all get our hearts tugged with the poignant flashbacks to his childhood with his father. But that was the kid, we need to see some resonance with him as an adult. We only get some of that as Clark returns to his mother.
But then there is the pacing. The screenplay tries to have the heartfelt moments but be a popcorn movie too. Literally within the moment of finding some sentimentality BAM! something crashes through the walls. Unfortunately, the frenetic editing pace started to remind me of the worst of Michael Bay. Much has also been made about the soundtrack. Hans Zimmer can have his brief moments of grandeur, but most of soundtrack material sounds generic. He can work up the score to give you all the evocative feelings that are happening in the story, but he can't write a memorable melody.
The gritty blue-ish tint to the film works well. It did a good job grounding Metropolis as a regular world. Lois Lane seems to just pop up everywhere in the film. She is used unconvincingly to bring peril or a surprise rescue all too conveniently. Her ease of access and involvement in almost every aspect to this story felt manipulative. In general, you get to understand the style of writing in the screenplay, as it was more necessary to come up with another big action scene that include our main characters than it was too justify it. Again, there is an out right goofy moment where Superman surrenders to General Zod. Out of nowhere, they decide to take Lois Lane as well. Why? Lois is everywhere.
This kind of story manipulation to give us more popcorn thrills is to the movie's detriment, however, this is more nitpicking than anything. If we take on this franchise reboot on it's own, without the shadow of The Dark Knight clouding over it's expectations, I say we have a very energetic and successful beginning. All the elements needed to wash the bad taste of Superman Returns out of our mouth have succeeded. Just some minor course corrections are needed. Cavill needs to lighten up a bit and try to have some fun once in a while. Lois should have to try a little harder to get in or out of a predicament. And the producers should have a little more faith in telling a story without resorting to yet another building being demolished.