Superman Returns

"ON THE DOOMED PLANET KRYTON, A WISE SCIENTIST PLACED HIS INFANT SON INTO A SPACECRAFT AND LAUNCHED HIM TO EARTH. RAISED BY A KIND FARMER AND HIS WIFE, THE BOY GREW UP TO BECOME OUR GREATEST PROTECTOR... SUPERMAN. BUT WHEN ASTRONOMERS DISCOVERED THE DISTANT REMAINS OF HIS HOME WORLD, SUPERMAN DISAPPEARED." That’s the opening to Superman Returns. One of the best, if not THE best movie to come out since Lord of The Rings.

Superman Returns is more than just a sequel and its more than just a homage to Superman I and II, it is an amazing movie. The fact that it pays tribute to the previous movies is awesome, but it only adds to the greatness of this movie. I was a bit skeptical of this movie at first. I am a huge fan of the Superman movies, especially I and II, and parts of III (Bad Superman vs Clark Kent). So when I heard that a new superman movie was going to be made I was a bit worried – especially with all the incantations this movie went through during early development. The Kevin Smith script was terrible….if you get the chance download it and you will be ever thankful that they never made that one! Tim Burton’s version starring Nicholas Cage could have been a nightmare both before and after Christmas! Tim Burton is cool – but not a good match for Superman. Then, in more recent years, McG (director of the Charlie’s Angels Movies) was tied to the movie….retarded. So when Bryan Singer left Xmen III to do Superman I was intrigued, but still a concerned. Could this guy actually make a good Superman movie? The first 2 X-men movies were good – but they lacked the flare and spectacle that would be needed in a superman movie. But Singer is a self confessed Superman fan – especially of the first 2 films and when he said that this would be a film that continued on from the originals – my excitement level increased 10 fold!

I loved the connection to the earlier films which is most felt through the opening credits and music. Right from the beginning you feel like you are watching Superman!. So first I’ll comment on the cast and then the story.

Cast:

At first, I was a bit disappointed that Tom Welling wouldn’t be cast as Superman. But then again, that would have made the movie a “Smallville Movie”. In the end, Brandon Routh IS Superman! Routh embodied the character of Superman perfectly and emulated Christopher Reeve amazingly. This is different in comparison to Ewan MacGregor sounding like Alec Guiness. Routh had very similar mannerisms to Reeve, maybe its acting, maybe its natural…..who cares – he was great! As Clark Kent, he was a bit different than Reeve. Reeve played the bumbling fool perfectly, bumping into people, spilling things, getting his coat caught in the women’s washroom door etc. Whereas Routh looked like he was trying this…but never quite got it the same. Then again, this movie is definitely more serious than the other films and most of the Clark Kent scenes involve some pretty heavy moments, where you know that he is having issues with being back and learning that so much has changed.

Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor was also wonderfully cast…..and I hate Kevin Spacey. I know that everybody thinks he is ultimate but I don’t….I think he is crap…..but I admit he was an awesome Luthor. He seemed to have the quirkiness of the Gene Hackman Luthor, but also the deep vengeance of the Smallville Luthor. What I really liked was when he had Superman defeated, he didn’t beat around the bush with some huge monologue….he just kicked his ass. Very well done.

Kate Bosworth as Lois Lane. I liked her and I didn’t. I liked her in this movie because her character fit the story arc very well. I didn’t like her because she never really felt like what I think Lois should be. If this movie is following the originals, then Lois needs to at least be a stronger character. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want Margot Kidder back, but I just felt like Bosworth was a bit too much of a damsel in distress, not a stubborn, risk taker who is always getting herself into trouble.

Story:

This is one of the best superhero stories of all time. This movie did for the superman movies what Batman Begins did for the batman movies……it made you understand the character’s motives. Superman is more than just a guy who saves people because he is a good guy. This movie had so many elements that were incredible – and not only the special effects – which were mind-blowing. When Superman saves the plane from crashing and puts it down on the baseball field and you hear John Williams famous score…its hard not to get the chills of excitement go down your forearm. The robbery stop was also very cool. The runaway car sequence was interesting, especially with the Action comics #1 ending. Towards the end when Superman left Lois and her family, shot to the air and recharged himself with the sun and flew down to deal with the Kryponite continent – you just knew that this was going to be Superman at his best. The following near death sequence was gripping and actually had you believing that this was it for Superman.

Without going into detail on every story element, I think the most important was that Superman was searching the universe for something like him, when all along he had a son growing back on Earth. For Superman to quote Jor-el’s speech that was given to him as a baby was perfect. “The son becomes the father…and the father the son”. Superman was “raised as a human being” and so will his son, but he will be there for what comes in the future.

Superman Returns perfectly delivers what Superman is all about and adds more to his character. Brian Singer did it right. Part of me wants to see more Superman movies, but given that they did it so well this time and that the Story comes around full circle to the beginning of the original film, it will be hard to capture the same feeling in another sequel.

9.5 out of 10.

Why not 10? Cutting out the Krypton scenes.....(what is with that?)