I have no idea what movie you watched, but it's totally different from the one I watched.
I thought the movie was pretty focused (Krypton going boom, then Kal wondering about his place in the world, then accepting his role as Superman to stop Zod). The flashbacks were used mainly because we all know the basic Superman story, so we just got some relevant info on his childhood. Plus, I thought the story was great. It's definitely the most human and most relatable Superman I've seen in a long time, journeying from a brooding, angsty person wondering about his purpose in life to finally discovering his role as Superman.
And while darker, the suit was by no means grey. I saw color just fine (granted, it's a bit harder to see in the ashen covered skies of Metropolis, but the Smallville fight has plenty of color).
It seems to me you're just angry at Zack Snyder in general.
I agree with this review; especially the color theme thing - I've never liked how Snyder movies look - it worked in 300 because most of the shots were framed right out of the comic book panels on purpose, and that kind of hamminess had a place in that particular story. But not here, because, well, "dark-looking" does not equal "dark and realistic".
Definitive proof that a good trailer does not mean a good movie.
Tyler Durden is my bitch.
The color? Really? The suit had plenty of color to it and so did the environments, except for metropolis, but what did you expect a crumbling city to look like? Sunshine and rainbows?
That being said, the pacing did feel off while watching it, but in retrospect, I think that was because I didn't know how the whole story will be structured. Now that I know the proportions of setup/conflict it makes more sense to me.
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It's not a bird, it's not a plane, but it's also not Superman
In short: D+.
More thoroughly...I walked out of the film reasonably pleased, but then my brain re-engaged (presumably switching itself off in self-defense upon realizing I was walking into a Zack Snyder film) and immediately I started finding faults. After the opening scenes on Krypton, which are well-done, Man of Steel quickly loses all sense of direction. The casting is great, but they're given nothing to work with—that Adams and Cavill manage as much chemistry as they do is a testament to their skill, not having anything to do with writing or directing. The effects and visuals are gorgeous, but the film is so leached of color that, among other things, Superman's suit might as well be dark gray, and that's in 2D. The childhood sequences are acceptable, Pa Kent's character aside (don't even get me started...), but the script or editing necessitating those be flashbacks absolutely ruins the pacing of the film as a whole. I could even buy the big ending, which I know many fans of Superman might not be able to...if they had just set it up better. As it is? Well, it could have been worse, I guess. In fact, virtually everything positive I can say about the film comes with "but [something negative that all but invalidates the positive]". About the only thing I can recommend wholeheartedly is Hans Zimmer's score (and even that's not really true, coming with the caveat of "if you're a fan of Hans Zimmer").
In the end, Man of Steel is sit-throughable. It is everything you would expect from a Zack Snyder superhero film with a weak script—it is style over substance, as shallow as a coat of varnish, diverting and vaguely entertaining but ultimately empty of anything but spectacle. It's in no way a Superman movie, and the word "disappointing" doesn't even begin to describe it.