Good effects and visuals, but some obvious weak links

Rating: 8/10 (23 August 2015)

*WARNING CONTAINS SPOILERS* Man of Steel was a very divisive movie, some people loved it, some hated it, and there were a few who were just like 'meh'. There is a lot to like about Man of Steel, it's got good action, the cast is all good, and it is nice to finally see Superman actually fight stuff. The problem though, is that this doesn't feel like Superman. I'll explain more in a bit, but just let me take a brief detour to say that, I wasn't overly bothered by the destruction. It was a too much at times, and done in such a realistic way that it isn't fun to see, but having destruction in there didn't bother me. What bothered me was that Superman didn't do anything about it. This movie would go from good to great if amidst all the destruction, Superman had to save people. Like in the fight with Zod, he flies over an oil-tanker Zod hurled at him which proceeds to destroy an entire building. Superman wouldn't do that. Superman would've stopped the tanker, even though it would've left himself vulnerable to Zod. What makes Superman a hero is that he's more that his powers. He's not just a brawler, he saves people. He does save the planet in this movie but he never actually saves individual people (aside from Lois and his mom). The whole Superman killing Zod thing didn't bother me, though. In that situation, Superman would've had to kill Zod. There was no other way out of it, it was Zod or well, everyone else. I hope it is used as a plot point in future movies, such as helping to develop Superman's no killing rule. But there is still a lot to like about this movie. Michael Shannon is a great Zod, and brings some actual personality and depth to the character. Henry Cavil is a good Superman as well, despite the flaws that I already mentioned (which is more a fault of the writers). Kevin Costner and Diane Lane are also good as the Kents. The flashbacks are actually done really well, as it shows us how Clark became who he is. And what I really like seeing in Superman movies is the exploration of his character (which is more complex than most people realize). Amy Adams also does a good job as Lois Lane, who is finally portrayed with some intelligence. Laurence Fishburne is a good (if underused) Perry White. So, yes, I still liked and enjoyed this movie, even though I think it is obviously flawed.