Plot:
The film begins at the Kent Farm in Smallville, Kansas. The night is quiet. Jonathan and Martha Kent, a homely young couple, are watching the stars one night. Jonathan sees a shooting star and tells Martha to make a wish. Martha solemnly wishes for a child. The two go inside. As they're asleep, a light comes down from the sky and crashes into the cornfield. This wakes the two up and they head outside, Jonathan equipped with a shotgun just in case. They go and find the light and it turns out to be a large silver pod. The pod opens up, revealing it to be a sleeping baby. Martha takes the baby inside.
Twelve years later, the baby has grown to be twelve and is named Clark. Clark is at middle school one day and is hassled by some bullies. One of them tries to punch Clark... and he breaks his wrist on Clark's face. The bullies run off in terror, calling Clark a freak as they do. This causes Clark to break down and cry. He goes home and talks to Jonathan. Jonathan, unable to tell his son the truth, simply tells him he's special. This cheers Clark up somewhat and the two go out for ice cream.
Few years later, Clark is seventeen and attending high school. He's displaying more super abilities, mostly super strength, super speed, and x ray vision. He uses these powers around the barn to help with chores. The only person who knows about these abilities other than his parents is Jimmy Olsen, the dopey second-in-command of the high school's newspaper team. He mostly encourages Clark to look through girls' clothes. At high school Clark has a crush on local popular girl Lois Lane, though he's too shy to ask her out. One night, while attending a party, Clark gets drunk and finally asks her out. She says that she'll think about it.
Overjoyed and drunk, Clark begins to float. He flies high above the party house and then flies back to Kent Farm though he crashlands in the field. In the field he discovers the pod he came to Earth in. Not knowing how to operate it, he presses a randon button. This prompts a hallographic recording to come on. The recording is from a man named Jor-El who claims to be Clark's real father. Jor-El tells Clark what he really is.
Enraged that Jonathan and Martha lied to him, Clark confronts them. They tell him that they didn't mean to lie and go on to explain that they didn't to put that on his shoulders. They show Clark the blanket that he came to Earth in. He looks at it and finds that it's not a blanket but rather a t shirt like top with the house of EL on it. Clark puts on the top half but doesn't put on the bottom half, instead going for some plain blue jeans. He then sows a small red cape to it. Martha jokingly calls him "Superboy" and Clark likes it.
As that's going on government agent and secret Meta Human Amanda Waller arrives in Smallville to investigate Clark. She's speaks to an unknown employer on the phone. She checks into the local hotel.
Back at the farm, Clark is preparing to fly again. After a few failed tries Clark is finally able to fly. He flies to Lois's house and knocks on her window. He shows her that he can fly and offers to take her for a flight. She accepts and they fly across the town to other cities, including Metropolis and Gotham City, before heading back to Smallville. Unbeknownst to them, Waller is watching them and recording notes. Once they land, they discover that a bank robbery is in progress. Clark suits up and quickly stops it, debuting as Superboy for the first time. As the robbers get away in a green car, Superboy stops them by lifting it off the ground.
Over the next few days, Superboy defends the town from all kinds of crime. With his friends and family backing him up, he becomes the small town's superhero. Waller records her last notes and her employer tells her to set a trap for Superboy. Clark and Lois attend the prom. While Lois is going to fix her makeup, Waller kidnaps her. Clark, worried, goes to check on her and finds a message left by Waller instructing him to go to the local church.
At the local church, Waller has Lois tied up to a stake and is preparing to burn her. Superboy arrives and he and Waller fight. As that happens, Lois cuts herself free from the ropes using one of her makeup tools. She jumps down and she and Superboy fight Waller together. At one point, Waller is prepared to shoot Lois. But Superboy takes the bullet for her and discovers that his skin is bullet proof. They defeat Waller and tie her up before leaving. The police find Waller and take her to the police station. There she tells them that she knows Superboy's secret identity but the police just ignore her, saying that they don't want to know who he is. This shuts her up.
A week later, life has returned to normal. Clark and Lois are leaving on the last day of school when they get an alert of a crime being committed from a nearby radio by a supposed "Toyman." Lois smiles as Clark runs to a phonebooth and changes into his costume. He then zooms out and flies above the city, ready to stop more crime.
Post Credit Scene:
Waller is sitting in her jailcell. Suddenly, two masked men run in and free her. They take her to a secret government building and it's here that we discover the agency that she's working for: Checkmate. And it's being run by none other than Lex Luthor.
After Credits Scene:
Superboy flies to Gotham after getting a text from an unknown number. He lands on top of a building and waits. A large dark shadow suddenly falls over him and he breaks a smile. A bat screeches into the night.
The End.
Cast:
Asa Butterfield as Clark Kent/Superboy.
Alisha Boe as Lois Lane.
Cole Sprouse as Jimmy Olsen.
Dennis Quaid as Jonathan Kent.
Marisa Tomei as Martha Kent.
Mary J. Blige as Amanda Waller.
Alex MacQueen as Lex Luthor (cameo).