Have read quite a bit about the pros and cons of this latest installment in the Superman mythos. I have carefully perused various opinions and insights; I am a lifelong 'Superman' fan having been introduced to him through 'The Adventures of Superman' with George Reeves and have followed him through his various incarnations since. Chris Reeve embodied for a generation the ideals of the Last Son of Krypton tremendously; but after having watched 'Man of Steel' for myself last night, I found Henry Cavill to be every bit as much the heart and soul of Kal-El as Reeve. for the first time EVER the massive power of Supes was incredibly portrayed--the speed, the strength, and the heart of Truth, Justice and the American Way is as much a part of the character in MoS as in StM. I loved the updated take on Kal-El and how it would be a 'first contact' event when he revealed himself. Cosner's 'Jonathan Kent' was as moral and caring as the Glenn Ford or John Schneider versions. Of course, he didn't want the kids on the bus to have died and he did understand why Clark did what he did; he was just fearful for his son. All in all it was a wonderfully textured and very human portrayal of the Kents.
As to the end and the point that is most troublesome for many fans in MoS: the killing of Zod. It was not a first option for Kal--it was not something that he wanted to do as much as he HAD to do it. Zod himself had said he had been trained as a warrior all his life; he knew methods of combat and fighting that Kal has yet to learn. And he was so focused on preserving his race no matter what that he would willingly kill every human on the planet. As learned in ST:tOS the Kryptonians did have a right to exist, but NOT at the expense of the genocide of an entire race. Kal killed Zod as a last desperate attempt to prevent further death and destruction. Were he more experienced and more seasoned he may have found another way--but as the events of the movie show...he wasn't...yet. The torment and anguish he felt at having done this sorrowful deed ripped at his soul.
All in all 'Man of Steel' is on par in the mythos with 'Superman the Movie' and both ought to be celebrated and appreciated; for me it certainly cleansed the palate of the disgusting taste left by 'Superman Returns.' I loved it and will watch it many times, over and over. 'Man of Steel'--I salute you!