A decent summer blockbuster, but not for everyone

Rating: 5/10 (27 June 2013)

This was a decent Superman reboot, definitely a worthwhile watch this summer. However, it requires that you go into the theater with your brain turned off. For the critical thinker, there are several moments where it is apparent how poorly thought out the plot was.
First of all, Zack Snyder did an excellent job, once again, making a visually pleasing film. Complete with Avatar-esque creatures, CGI resurrected a beautiful, but doomed, Krypton. Also, the casting was excellent, full of big names filling big roles. The only problem here is that the majority of these big roles were barely developed. The always beautiful Diane Lane was under-utilized as Martha Kent and you have to imagine that Laurence Fishburne's Perry White only showed face so he can reappear in the sequel. I believe that Henry Cavill can do justice to the role of Superman, but only if given the opportunity. Amy Adams was well-cast as Lois Lane, although the romance between her and Superman seems forced rather than organic. One thing that annoyed me about this film is that it substituted non-stop action (which lasted nearly 2/3 of the film) for character development. There were a few scenes of Clark's childhood in Kansas, and those glimpses into his formative years were well-done but all too brief.
And now on to my major gripe with the movie: plot. Spoilers abound ahead, so don't read on if you haven't seen the movie. First... Lois knows who Superman is from the get go? From the fairly obvious trail she followed to find out Superman's identity, I would guess that any kid with a toy magnifying glass out of a cereal box could figure out the truth. The citizens of Smallville, particularly those who heard about Clark's childhood actions (which I'm guessing would be everyone in a small town) would put 2 and 2 together once they see a very familiar looking Superman fighting in THEIR tiny town. Also, the fact that Lois knows Superman's identity kind of ruins (for potential sequels) the whole Lois-Clark vs. Lois-Superman relationships. How do we know that Lois has feelings for one separate from the other identity now? She's just another superhero groupie for all we know. This suggests that any sequels will likely follow the same formula as this movie: non-stop, mindless action for nearly the whole movie, with little-to-no character or relationship development scattered between.
Next is the whole throwing people into buildings bit. There must have been at least 40-50 houses/barns/restaurants/shops/skyscrapers that were torn apart by projectile aliens -- more than enough to trigger some 9/11 PTSD in this former NYC resident. Doesn't Superman realize that those buildings cost money, or that there are people inside/around them who will likely get hurt or killed when it gets destroyed? Why is he so hesitant at the end, then, to allow Zod another casualty? And that is the worst crime perpetrated in this movie. The issue is not so much that Superman kills someone (which is, indeed, extremely out-of-character). Instead, after killing Zod, Superman is extremely upset, but since Snyder hasn't really shown that killing is such a huge taboo for Superman, the casual viewer might be a bit confused. Was he screaming because he was because he realizes he's again the last Kryptonian, or out of relief because it's all over, or maybe because he finally thought about all the dead people in all those buildings? The Superman that I know would have been tortured by the high casualty count from the destruction of Metropolis, which would never have happened if not for his arrival on Earth. And he still would not have killed Zod with all that in mind. I'm not certain if Snyder has a darker path in mind for Superman in the sequels or if this just another oversight, but I'm willing to bet it's the latter. Other than this, the movie is plagued with weak dialogue and many more blunders.
Again, this movie will leave the viewer entertained. But Superman is more than just a means of entertainment, he is a cultural icon, a character that has so many complexities to explore. This movie was a decent enough start, but I hope sequels of this reboot do more than provide just violence and loud noises.