I guess I am being stubbornly traditional here but this was not really the Superman that I grow up with. I am sure that a lot of people are not going to agree with me on this one but personally I was not overly thrilled with this movie.
Sure, if what you wanted was a wild action ride and unchecked destruction then this movie will most likely satisfy you. However, as a “Superman” movie it just did not feel right to me.
The original story is tweaked and tinkered with too much. The Kryptonians, not only General Zod and his minions, are portrayed in a quite negative light. Superman himself project a hugely negative aura. Lois Lane gets to meet Superman and learn who he really is before he even starts to work for The Daily Planet. And so on and so forth…
The first part of the movie with the back-flashes, with Kal-El just trying to hide, getting bullied etc. is just sad and even boring. It is not until General Zod arrives that things starts to get going. However even then they continue to tinker with things. Apparently it is now enough to breathe Krypton-like air for him to lose his powers. This is just so wrong. Actually, the entire bla bla when they try to “explain” his powers is just dumb. There is an established story behind Superman. Even though it is fantastic and unscientific just stick to it. It is a fantasy comic character after all. Leave it at that. The story itself is not bad but it is not Superman.
Having said all that, when the fighting starts, the special effects and the action definitely have a high “coolness factor”. Superman and General Zod wrecks more havoc than half a dozen Godzillas with a bad case of hangover. Actually the level of mayhem is bordering on the ridiculous but it was fun to watch. Unfortunately I have to admit that this was my enjoyment of this movie, to watch the special effects.