Didn't expect much going into it, but was surprised.

Rating: 7/10 (16 June 2013)

Now I had been reading a handful of critics' reviews before I watched "Man of Steel" and from reading the ones that didn't rate it so highly, I was kind of biased going into the film not expecting anything too spectacular. The film did surprise me to an extent which made it quite enjoyable and better than I expected.
From the beginning on the movie, any member of the audience could tell "Man of Steel" wasn't going to be a colorful, delightful superhero movie like "The Avengers" or "Spiderman." Due to the director and producer, a majority of the audience knew it'd be something similar to "The Dark Knight" with a serious and darker look to it.
The beginning of the film which occurred on Krypton was done greatly. It showed Clark's origin and how and why he ended up in Earth. I must add that Russell Crowe did a great job as Jor-El, Clark's father, as well. The only thing that kind of bugged me was Clark's mother. Ayelet Zurer, who took on the role, was just completely unbelievable and seemed to lack emotion during certain parts.
No matter, the first half of the film after that seemed to focus a lot on Clark's back story and how he grew up with himself on Earth and to be honest, it seemed to drag on. It was just slow and not a lot happened which kind of made me lose interest. Henry Cavill did an amazing job as Clark Kent though. He was completely convincing and really seemed to understand Clark.
Another thing that happened in the first half though was a lot of Clark and Lois's relationship. Their relationship did not feel realistic at all. One scene they just met, the next they're both looking at each other with a look like they're in love. There was just no development or even chemistry between them at it was just so awkward and kind of disappointing to watch.
Once that lull ends, it becomes a lot more interesting. Based on other reviews, a handful of people weren't fans of the fighting sequences as "they went on and on and were boring," but the actions scenes were spot on, really representing the power he possesses and it was done the best way possible without going too overboard.
The bad guy of the film, General Zod played by Michael Shannon, was done just alright. I didn't really feel intimidated by his character, but it was still a convincing job.
Overall, the film was an enjoyable watch but it went on forever. With the slow first act and a specific part of the film where the filmmakers could have ended it yet continued on, it was for sure one of the best representations of the hero known as Superman.