Man of Steel: Hard But Cold

Rating: 6/10 (6 August 2013)

Another Superman movie hit theaters a short while ago. I didn't know what to expect, and so I went into the theater a blank slate, hoping to finally be impressed by a modern Superman movie.
Man of Steel starts off very slowly, beginning with Clark Kent as he's grown up, but then the movie starts throwing flashbacks in every five minutes or so. I felt like half of the movie consisted of flashbacks alone. Then, suddenly, the action starts as General Zod arrives on earth. Naturally, we need a flashback to explain how he got there. I wouldn't mind one or two flashbacks, but the movie should've played out chronologically. As it stands, it just feels awkwardly paced.
The acting is nothing special. Amy Adams does an okay job as Lois Lane, and so does Henry Cavill as Clark Kent/Superman. The problem is, it never quite stirs up emotion. Even Michael Shannon disappoints as Zod. When the last hope for Krypton's resurrection is lost, Zod gets a bit angry and says he lost his reason to exist. After that, he quickly reverts to his old self, and fights Superman some more, for no good reason. I will say, though, that I liked Shannon's subtlety, and that he has a certain air about him that makes him believable as a villain. He produced his lines decently, and didn't have a totally bland expression like some actors did. Superman, in turn, gets mad when Zod talks about his mother, as though this is the Jersey Shore of movies. Steroids everywhere. Diane Lane is quite sympathetic as Clark's mother, Martha Kent, but then, she only has a small role. Then there's Russell Crowe, who is fairly believable, but plays a boring character that barely interacts with Superman. He's his father, but neither of them care.
The movie contains a lot of explosions and fights, but some of it is lost on the viewer, as the camera often shakes all over the place, blurring the action. The special effects are quite good at times, and other times reminiscent of Unreal Tournament 3 (a 2007 video game), which is bad.
In the end, this movie started too slowly (with awkward acting), then sparked short bursts of emotionally dissatisfying action and bland acting. When your favorite scene is Superman punching Zod two or three times, you know the movie isn't great. It's a typical action movie; not good, not terrible.