This movie was a surprise for me. I expected it to be over the top and loaded with explosive special effects. I also expected a sugary sweet love story. Instead of the standard movie catalog, I saw a movie with an opaque background and characters with realistic reactions to situations. Superman was a loner who struggled with doing the right thing. The supporting characters helped flesh his personality out further rather than giving us their own storyline. And the special effects were fantastic, but not too much. Michael Shannon as Zod is fantastic and steals the show with his passionate, angry performance. I am surprised to have sat through this movie quietly (cause I'm a talker) and simply enjoyed the experience.