I actually liked it better than Pirates 2. Pirates 2 was so-geared toward a third installment that they should have just release a Pirates 2/3 and called it a day.
Anyway, back to the movie at-hand.
Kevin Spacey, I thought, played an excellent Luthor, actually a little more sinister than Gene Hackman's rendition.
As for Superman's "near death experience was from being kicked the shit out of by regular people and the guy from harold and kumar", that was because he had a piece of Kryptonite shrapnel shoved into his side after he just landed on a min-continent made of Kryptonite. However, if anyone out there has ever wanted to see Supe get his ass kicked, this is the movie to see.
As for the plot, it was mediocre. Supe just gets back from a 5 year hiatus and tries to "fit back in" It doesn't come easy and a few things have changed. The special effects were phenomenal as was Superman's "new look"
I will say there is one part to this story that opens a whole new era. You'll have to watch to see.