Superman Returns Review

 “A tour-de-force of pop cinema”

 Few movies have endured the long and tiring journey to the big screen as Superman Returns. The man in blue has had so many different directors and writers attached to the project that actually getting it cast and crewed became the real project. Rather than have me go on about all the different versions and directors, here’s a popular site that goes over some of the many different versions and stories that were tied to the movie. But put simply, after everyone had failed or walked away, Brian Singer came up to bat and as far as super-hero movies go, he was hitting 1.000 (directing X-Men 1 and 2).

Singer has created a truthful, loyal following to the earlier movies done by Richard Donner and has made a true spectacle of this next installment. While sticking to the roots of the first two movies and disregarding the last two, Singer has created the Titanic of super-hero movies…thus far. The grandeur of the film is befitting of Superman as he represents the very essence of goodness in a hero. Singer sprinkles the dust a bit long at around 2 hours and 40 minutes, but you would never know it watching the movie.

Superman Returns takes place after the first two movies, having Superman(Brandon Routh) return from his trip to Krypton and coming back to an Earth “that doesn’t need a Superman”, as deemed by now Pulitzer prize winning, Lois Lane(Kate Bosworth). Upon his return, he learns that his nemesis Lex Luthor(Kevin Spacey) has appealed his court case and is still walking free. Luthor has a plan of global domination that includes ransacking the Fortress of Solitude of valuable crystals from Krypton and using the alien technology to hold the world hostage.

The story really is about the man in blue returning to what he does best. Superman/Clark Kent is played to near perfection by new-guy Brandon Routh. He encapsulates Reeve at his best and even brings intensity to the role of Superman. While no actor may ever capture Superman as well as Reeves, Routh looks, talks and flies the part with ease. I can’t wait to see his next Superman preformance to see how he now better understands the character. Bosworth also surprised me with her take on Lois, leaning a little more on the emotionally detached side of the character to make her wanting of Superman work. As much as she may appreciate and love the qualities of her fiance Richard White(James Marsden), she is swept off her feet by this caped crusader and rightfully so. Their romance in the film is very touching, and leaves the viewer just wanting them to get together, regardless of Richards goodness. The relationship is after all an incredible driving point of the movie that includes a sub-plot involving Lois’ child. Spacey’s take on Luthor was pretty much what I expected and incredibly effective. Jimmy Olsen(Sam Huntington), is also a quirky comedic influence on the film.

The action and special effects were A+. I haven’t been in awe of a movie’s action beats and effects in quite some time, so for Singer to have me cheering with every daring rescue is quite a feat. The action scenes in this movie were so thrilling, with my favorite being one involving a plane and a baseball game. Truely awesome. I wasn’t crazy about a certain sub-plot, but wasn’t really pissed about it. The ending dragged a bit, and didn’t really have my sympathy or attention to its fullest extent, but I suppose even Sinatra coughs. Singer wowed me and made me forget about the villains of the world for the 2 and half hours I was in the theater. This movie truely is an opus of pop culture, if I may be so bold to semi-quote Entertainment Weekly. I cannot wait for the coming installments of one of my new favorite franchises. This movie get’s 9 Bones out of 10 for being a triumphant return, and a grandiose spectacle of action, romance and nostalgia and loses a point for the somewhat draggy ending and unnecessary sub-plot.

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