Eager to please; lacks a good story

Rating: 6/10 (12 October 2014)

$668 million at the box office is nothing to sneeze at. Superman as a character is as memorable and recognizable as say the McDonald's logo, and it's almost expected that a large-budget film starring the Red Blur will make it's money back fairly quickly. The problem is that Superman as a movie franchise is currently in the wrong hands. While director Zach Synder is a competent visual director, he does not hire the correct people to write a solid script. This is prevalent in "Man of Steel".
In the film, Clark Kent's home planet is under geographical turmoil for some reason. His father, Jor El, against all odds, decides to launch baby Clark across the cosmos in a space pod directed at Earth, in the warm American state known as Kansas. It's never entirely explained why Krypton is experiencing total destruction. Despite Synder's best efforts to make the visuals as grandiose and spectacular as possible in the beginning of the film, there is no solid prologue to set the stage.
David S Goyer may be a good story writer, but he lacks the ability to translate that to film. The missing ingredient was a solid screenwriter. The main plot loses focus half way through. While going on the empty journey of Clark's life, the point of things gets lost in translation. This is due to the fact that we as an audience do not learn why Clark is so important as a character. It's always just assumed that he is, without any indication of him reacting and relating to real world problems. While Henry Cavill portrays the classic look of Superman, his character lacks fun and heart.
The final problem I have with "Man of Steel" is the absurd action. Action is necessary in a film. But, too much action without a strong story to complement it comes off as pointless and ultimately boring. Cluttering the frame with destruction for 45 minutes straight is not what makes a movie good. Excessive action is not always effective action. "Man of Steel" is eager to please, with glorious looking special effects, but Clark Kent as a character is not entirely relatable, nor are any of the supporting characters interesting to watch on screen.