Watch this for its entertainment value, nothing else.

Rating: 7/10 (19 March 2014)

As a blockbuster, this works if you watch purely for its entertainment value, and not as an exact chronicle of Superman's origins and life on earth. A 2.5 hour movie will never do justice to a proper telling, no matter who the director or writer is.
It starts off building the Krypton backstory, then a few modern-day incidents where he saves some people while having flashbacks of his troubles adjusting as a kid. Then comes the fun part when Superman is revealed and the battles begin not long after.
The plot is pretty predictable, in the sense that you could almost always know what the particular reactions are going to be. In that sense, there are few surprises. The action is good but repetitive at times - Superman or Zod or someone else slamming into buildings or the ground. But there's enough of it and other action to keep you engaged. And I thought the scenes of destruction were rendered well enough to still be able to awe you somewhat.
Not much acting skills seemed necessary here, though the actors still did a pretty decent job. Henry Cavill is an acceptable Superman, with just enough sensitivity imparted into the character. I thought Russell Crowe did an excellent job as Jor-El, while Amy Adams took some getting used to as Lois Lane.
I did have some quibbles though - with Superman's desire to help the humans, he seems pretty blase flying/throwing Kryptonians through buildings and causing huge explosions and great destruction. And didn't seem to care either as demolished buildings start falling, potentially on people (I mean, there are still many of them standing around - I don't know why; Apocalypse had arrived and they were gawking?) Perhaps in the heat of battle, he didn't have time to care about collateral damage. Yet he had time to save the gunner. Maybe he could only see falling people. And Grand Central Station was almost empty of people in this crisis? I'd have thought it'd be packed more than usual. Where did all the people of Manhattan go to?
But as I said before, if you watch this purely to be entertained, there is little likelihood you will be disappointed. The story's told pretty well, acting's decent, special effects aren't anything to crow about but the levels of action and destruction are acceptable.