Superman Returns – Review
Almost 20 years, 2 spin off live action and 2 animated series’s, not to mention his printed death at Doomsday’s hands and multiple resurrected forms haven’t stopped the much hailed and long delayed return of Superman to the silver screen. The fact is that the movie was pushed back a little over 10 years, not to mention the millions spent as directors, producers and actors came and went from the project. Gamer’s could have chalked this up to the Duke Nukem Forever Syndrome. Then along came Bryan. Singer took the screenplay and made his movie, his way despite skepticism over the actor/model chosen to play big boy blue. No argument that Brandon Routh looks the part of Clark Kent, but no so much for Superman. Fans wept, film-goers yawned and everyone pretty much just waited.
Ding ding! Superman Returns opened to some pretty hefty crowds, despite the late night first showings on a Tuesday. Fanboys and girls turned out in droves dressed as the man of steel in Hollywood and enthusiasm filled the room as the opening credits began to roll. Singer’s name came in a close second for appluase to Kevin Spacey’s, who now dons the nefarious Lex Luthor toupees.
The movie was entertaining. The effects were excellent. The story was okay, and the acting was okay. The problem? I felt like I was watching a rehash of the 1978 original. Kevin Spacey was acting like Gene Hackman acting like Lex Luthor. It’s as if the writers couldn’t decide whether to be kischy and over the top (a la Batman) or modern and gritty (Batman Begins). You really can’t have both. Spacey makes for a bit of a darker Lex than Hackman’s but frankly I’ve seen (or rather heard) more convincing and engagueing performances from Clancy Brown’s Lex in the Justice League Unlimited animated series. I would almost push the point and say the animated series has seen better writing than the film did too. Not saying that it was bad necessarily, but it coulda been a lot better.
Kal-El disappears for several years after astronomers discover the remains of his home planet of Krypton in a distant galaxy (I thought the Hubble was busted). When he returns to a changed earth, he discovers that Lois is involved in a serious relationship, has a 5 year old son and Lex Luthor is out of prison visiting his fortress of solitude for more than a spot of tea. Clark quickly eases his way back into reporting as does his alter ego for world saving. In the meantime, Lex plans another world domination/Superman murder plot, complete with his own documentarian, that unexpectedly involves Lois and the youngling. Supe saves the girl, the city and the day whilst learning certain truths about his life and relationships with those around him. No big cliffhangers, no feeling of danger or urgency and nothing really super to talk about. Bryan Singer oversteps ‘homage’ and tiptoes into ‘remake’ with a lack of concern for the cinematic future of the hero.
The film was fun, but ultimately disappointing as a summer must-see. It’s been done before and likely will be done again.
[Editor’s Note]: Due to heated debate and criticisms received, I’ve removed prior mention of well known Superman mythos as many readers have felt that I unjustly used them as criticism, rather than accepted pieces of the Superman franchise. Though it does not change my opinion of the film, it eliminates some of the confusion behind the reason for the mediocre rating.
