Flawed but succeeds in setting up the whole DC universe thing

Rating: 5/10 (20 March 2016)

Going into Man of Steel, I admittedly wanted one thing above all else: Superman to demonstrate his abilities and kick some ass in the process. The film definitely delivered on that part, but I suppose I should be careful what I wish for. I found much enjoyment in roughly the first 2/3rd s of the film, but the last 40 or so minutes were at times a headache, ending in a way I feel the film didn't exactly earn. However, it leaves things exactly where they should be for this new DC cinematic universe to build upon.
Where credit is due:
* The opening in Krypton was a great way to show that Man of Steel isn't afraid to embrace the more sci-fi side of the Superman mythos. The film moves along never veering too long on one particular subplot, trusting the audience to keep up.
* The cast is pretty solid, with Russell Crowe giving an inspiring performance as Jor-El. I'm on board with Henry Cavill as Clark Kent, his character may not have had much complexity, but he made the most of what the screenplay could give him.
* Lois Lane isn't oblivious to Superman's identity. *Flashback scenes were surprisingly effective with Kevin Costner absolutely stealing every scene he's in giving the film some much needed emotional heft (perhaps not enough).
* The first hour brings up rich themes of identity, xenophobia, genocide, and some (not so subtle) metaphors of the return of a Messiah.
Where my flaws lie:
* For the last 40 min to an hour, is merely a string of set pieces and situations for characters to either survive or barely escape from. This usually doesn't hurt a film, but the problem is how bloated and long these set pieces are. With the fights comes a ridiculous amount of property damage and a continuously rising death count.
* With the destruction of Metropolis, the film is way too indulgent. I was really impressed with the whole spectacle and flying special effects, but as it wore on I felt mostly detached. A part of me thinks the excessive carnage was a knee-jerk response to the dissatisfaction of many fans with "Superman Returns" (and it's lack of action). At times it felt like an exercise in in displaying modern day terrorism (in a Superman movie of all places).
*The film could have used a some comedy sprinkled in from time to time.
* The ending had Superman looking like a hero, like he really saved the day. It pretty much ignored all the deaths and property damage of the last hour. Clark doesn't show any remorse for all the deaths he may or may not be responsible for. Instead, he's confident that he's earned the title of a savior. I could forgive a lot if Clark showed some remorse for his actions. Even in the fighting, he had a few opportunities to take the fight away from Metropolis into a location with less casualties.
*I normally look over small plot holes in comic book films. However, having Metropolis in ashes one second and rebuilt a few minutes later was a too much.