Superman is back.
Lex Luthor is back, too.
It’s really good.
But is it a triumph?
First, a little explanation: This movie is a sequel/restart. Back in the seventies and eighties, Christopher Reeve (who for many is Superman) starred in four Superman movies. The first, his origin and first meeting with Lex Luthor, and the second, his battle with three Kryptonian escaped convicts, were the only two well-received movies in the series. The current movie ignores the existance of the other movies starring Reeve and restarts the series following the events of the second movie.
Something else you really need to know before going in to this movie: In the second movie, Lois Lane discovers that Clark Kent is really Superman, and he relinquishes his powers to be with her (and to be with her). That’s all very nice until the aforementioned convicts show up and there is no one to stop them. So Clark figures out a way to get his powers back and stops them. In the final scenes of that movie, Lois is expressing how hard it is to keep a secret this huge and how it’s eating her up. Clark feels bad that she is in this position and kisses her, and in the process wipes her mind of most of the events from that movie, including Clark’s secret.
According to the new movie, soon after that happens, scientists discover what they think is Krypton. Clark needs to go see for himself whether the planet of his birth actually does still exist – hoping that perhaps he is not the last of his race – and leaves for a 5 year round trip without saying goodbye to Lois or the world.
Superman Returns begins with Lex Luthor having been recently released from prison and conning an incredibly rich dying woman into leaving her entire estate to him. Meanwhile, in Kansas, Martha Kent’s crops are ripped up by another spaceship crash, signaling the return of her adopted son. The now mega-rich Luthor goes to Superman’s abandoned Fortress of Solitude (having been there in the second movie) and steals the Kryptonian crystals – the advanced Kryptonian technology that will give him all the power he needs to rule the world. This sets the events in motion for another Superman/Luthor clash.
Brandon Routh does an excellent job as Superman and Clark, and were it not for Christopher Reeve’s shadow I don’t think I would have any problems with him at all. In the end, I think he was excellent, but not quite as good as Reeve. I think there were a couple of things contributing to that, but the one that comes to mind right now is his voice. Reeve changed his voice a little for each character: Clark was a little more nasally and nerdy, and Superman was more full and powerful. I don’t remember Routh’s voice changing at all. It’s a subtle thing, but it adds to the separation of the characters.
Kevin Spacey is also excellent as Lex Luthor. The only complaint I have is that I wanted to see more of him in “really mad” mode. The ubiquitous clip from the trailer where he yells at Lois is the best (and almost only) we get there.
Kate Bosworth was okay as Lois Lane. I can’t put my finger on it, but there was something missing from her character. I almost didn’t care about her at all. Maybe it’s that she was a little too jaded.
The effects were great. There were some totally iconic scenes, most of which are seen in the trailers. The Superman-versus-Gatling Gun scene is a great example. Absolutely perfect. Like it was ripped right out of a comic book.
The big Shuttle/plane accident set piece was a minute or two too long, but wow… great stuff visually. I thought the flying through the wing scene was going to be my favorite moment in the movie, but it turned out to be when he flew at top speed through the Daily Planet building to catch the falling globe. Very cool. I also liked how he dealt with all the falling glass without loosing momentum.
There were one or two continuity issues that I’ll deal with in a separate post because they are spoilers.
All in all it was an excellent movie, and a worthy addition to the series and the larger Superman legacy. It even takes the character in a direction I don’t think it has ever been taken before, which is cool. I liked the movie a lot.
But was it everything I wanted it to be? Almost, but not quite. The one thing I missed was the excitement and wonder I felt when I saw the original Superman movies, and more recently, Spiderman 2. That movie left me feeling triumphant and almost breathless. This movie left me feeling with a warmer, “Yeah, that was really good” mood. I loved what they did, but I missed the triumph.
Still a great flick though. Four out of five stars.
Loading ...
[...] after the Justice League of America makes its box-office run, but I’m excited to see the Superman Returns crew back at it. Singer has stuck to his previous promise of upping the action in this outing. [...]
[...] Review: Superman Returns [...]