Great acting bogged down by a mediocre script

Rating: 4/10 (15 June 2013)

There is some truly amazing acting going on in this film. I can't name a single actor who did less then their best. However, the film is incredibly rushed. After arriving on earth the movie feels like a summary of itself until the villain finally arrives. The special effects are really good, but the camera moves far too quickly so you never get time to appreciate them. And the CG used in the fight scenes is overused. It's flashy, but none of the blows have real weight because in the end you're just watching two animations fighting instead of the actors. On top of all of this is the fact that Kevin Costner's Jonathan Kent is acted beautifully but is written terribly. His death scene is patently absurd, since Clark Kent could have easily saved him but doesn't. It hurts the scene and it hurts Superman as a character. All in all a bad film elevated by elegant acting.