I was floored

Rating: 9/10 (24 February 2014)

After the planet Krypton is destroyed, newly born Kal-El, is sent to earth. The Kent's find and raise him like their own son. He struggles to find the meaning of his existence and his extraordinary abilities. When General Zodis released, he promises to destroy Earth and turn it into the new planet Krypton. But more importantly, obliterate Superman as well. After an elaborate (and arguably overlong opening) I feared that this would be another disappointment like Superman Returns. Thankfully, that was far from the case. I loved this unique take on Superman. I'm sure people have complained that it decided to do things differently, but I'm not one of those people. Superman was begging for a reinvention of sorts. They didn't try to play it safe, they wanted to go down a new path and succeeded with it. I thought they did a really good job of making sure to keep the traditional Superman formula intact, while creating their own vision as well. It was the best of both worlds, really. The action scenes are absolutely astounding. The first half of the film is full of exceptional storytelling, but it turns into an action extravaganza sometime in the second half. The action blew me away. Yes, it's filled with copious amounts of CGI, but the action is exhilarating. Even an I-Hop gets destroyed! We do get a decent upbringing with Clark Kent's childhood. It is mostly done in flashback style in a scattered manner, but it was still riveting to watch. The acting is excellent in my books. Henry Cavill is by far the best Superman since Christopher Reeves. It took me a little while to warm up to him, but once I did, there was no turning back. He had great intensity, the right look, and had Superman down pat. I'm glad they chose him. With all due respect to Margot Kidder, who is very good as well, Amy Adams is my favorite Lois Lane. She's wiser and a bit more engaging to watch. She had good chemistry with Cavill. Michael Shannon chews up the scenery as Zod and I had a blast with him. This guy's intensity was off the charts. Russell Crowe isn't a favorite of mine, but he was pretty good as Jor-El. He certainly has more screen time than Marlon Brando did. Lane & Costner are rock solid as Clark's parents, Lane especially. Fishburne plays a more courageous version of Perry White, and I dug it. I smiled heavily at the ending. Longtime Superman fans will get a huge kick out of what commences. My only major carp is that it lacks humor in needed situations.
Final Thoughts: I was truly floored by this reboot. Superman Returns was such a dud, I feared we might never see a good Superman movie. The action is incredible and rarely lets up. The storytelling is excellent, as is everything else. I give this movie my highest recommendation. I'm jacked for Batman Vs Superman.
9.3/10