I was so disappointed with the previous reboot that I can't even tell you. I mean, I am a big Superman fan, and that was just bad - and I really, really like Kevin Spacey.
Batman of the 1970s was an anomaly. The fact is, he was always intended to be a dark and gritty superhero with a cruel and mean world that he was fighting against. Superman, by contrast, was often referred to as a Boy Scout, with the sun always shining and a positive outlook on life. As a consequence, they may have gone too far away from the train wreck of Superman Returns. So this movie is gritty and dark.
He's never really called the Man of Steel in the movie, and he's only called Superman like once or twice. He's mostly called either Clark or Kal throughout the movie.
I'm not sure I like moody Clark, but that's what this movie is giving me. As it is, Henry does a very good job with this new, unexpected character. He's introspective, grumpy, and not very good at protecting his secret identity.
Lois is headstrong and intelligent, so she is supposed to be the same as the comic book and, while she can't figure out who Clark is in the comic book, she is pretty much spot on. I have no idea why she gets so involved in so much in this movie, but that's the kind of unrealism you should expect from a comic book.
Russell Crow is Clark's dead father from Krypton. He plays a surprisingly large role in this film, even though he dies before Clark is grown. He spends a lit of time in Krypton arguing and yelling before running and fleeing. Then, like in the original Superman, he appears to his son to tell him everything about his own past and the wonders of the cosmos.
The storyline is fairly fast moving and has lots and lots of sub-plots. Eventually, Zod (you remember him from Superman II, right?) shows up from the middle of nowhere to destroy the Earth in favor of making it a new Krypton. Supes has to fight him and his cronies off. Russell Crow, again dead, shows up quite a bit to save the day without touching anyone.
Directing was good
Story was good
Effects were spectacular
Cinematography was fantastic
Acting was very good
Pacing was generally frantic
3.75/5