When Superman Returns came out in 2006, the general public gave it mixed reviews. Some praised it for its dashing visuals and respect to the series before it,helmed by Christopher Reeve. Others hated it for its slow demeanor. Me? I admit that I wasn't a huge fan, but I also don't remember finishing it.
So there I was at my local video store when I saw this on DVD for a buck--I bought it (what a steal) and watched it. The shock rolled over my face that a film I didn't like became one of the most pleasing movie experiences with one of my favorite comic book characters. Prepare to be divided: this is a POSITIVE review of Superman Returns.
This film isn't a reboot or remake, but a continuation from where Superman II left off. After fighting the Kryptonians sentenced to the Phantom Zone, Superman sets off on a quest to find the ruins of his dead planet. He leaves Earth to fend for itself and the love of his life, Lois Lane to move on. Upon his return he finds Lois bearing a child with a new love interest, Perry White's son, Richard.
As he tries to settle back in, Lex Luthor is up to no good with a plan that involves wiping out billions of people in one swell swoop involving stolen crystals from Superman's Fortress of Solitude. Now Superman must face his own emotions (and some hefty loads of kryptonite) in order to stop Luthor's plan and save the world when it needs it the most--as well as defend humanity despite his alien origins.
Though it's been said that Superman Returns is a slow and boring affair, I couldn't disagree more. The film is over two hours long and certainly doesn't have the type of action the other films in the series have had, but to say that it's boring is a little off. Being a sequel, it jumps head first back into the story of Superman and takes on a larger theme that's more mature and introspective than any of the other films before it.
Superman is a God-like figure and this movie has a lot of themes in it that are truly dazzling to explore on an intellectual level. The script is worked very well around the transitions in Superman's life and how they explain his absence. Superman himself, played by Brandon Routh, has more light shed on his being this time around--his psychological dependence on humanity as its savior as well as the emotions relating to it all--and his relationship with Lois, which takes center stage.
The visuals are a force to be reckoned with. While a large sum of this movie was done on sets without a lot of location shooting, it looks really polished and well done. There is a lot of CGI work, but it really looks good and forces Metropolis to look its own instead of being an obvious clone of New York City. The visual component of this movie really adds to its intensity and I found some of them to be jaw-dropping and gorgeous from Superman zipping through the city to the craziness that Luthor unleashes on the world. Hopefully you'll be as thrilled by this as I was.
Bryan Singer left ship on the X-Men franchise in order to make this film and he got a lot of flack for this--as it didn't measure up to the standards many people in the industry (and Superman fans) had been looking for. He's no longer attached to the sequel, tentatively titled The Man of Steel. This is ridiculous since I think he did a fabulous job here--something that [original Superman director] Richard Donner would be more than pleased about. He has a genuine excitement about him that bursts through his work here and he's clever in Superman Returns as he tries to develop the characters instead of making the whole movie a flat 2D comic adaptation.
Brandon Routh takes the mantle from the late Christopher Reeve and fits the part to a tee. Sure, some of his acting is quite wooden through various parts of the film, but he looks the role and acts just as awkward and cute as Reeve was. I think he's a great leading man and put together a solid performance of Clark Kent/Superman.
However, his counter-part, Kate Bosworth as Lois Lane, was atrocious to watch and stands to be the biggest flaw of the movie. Say what you will about how old Superman looks here, but she shot this movie when she was in her teens. Her inexperience shows here and she is laughable as the strong-willed Lois Lane figure we've grown to love. In the end she looked like a little girl trying to act older and wiser than she actually was.
The movie was really well-written and I think that if all the people who didn't like it originally sat down and looked harder at it then they might find something to enjoy. There's a lot of humor thrown in as well as nods to earlier parts of the series--and it catches what made the first two movies in the Superman franchise so good. Singer did an excellent job at giving a suitable homage while making this so exciting and interesting that it stands as one of the best sequels in the series. I'd probably say this is my second favorite Superman film behind the original.
There's a ton of solid action that's put together in a fresh and original way--full of special effects that make you see things you've never seen before in a Superman film. The movie has a really entertaining story behind it. I can't even begin to tell you how pleased I was by this movie and I think that in a realm of superhero movies behind every corner, the really well done ones are few and far between. This one stands true to the source material and creates something wholly original and intriguing. Superman Returns should not be missed. It's one of the best superhero movies of the decade.
5 out of 5 stars
© Jason Haskins, 2011
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