Superman Returns

Superman Returns (2006), in my opinion, is one of the most underrated superhero films to come out of the twenty-first century. This film came out ten years ago and has never gotten the respect it deserves. One of the best elements of this film is its heart. This film out of all the films that were released from 2000 to 2010 do not match the amount of heart and soul of this film. Batman Begins (2005) does come close. Not many superhero films deal with adult themes of loss, isolation, and returning to a home and finding their place in the world. Finding yourself is never easy, and Superman goes through the a emotional and physical journey throughout.

A lot of people complain about the lack of action, however, I'll take great drama and characterization over action sequences anyway. True, there are about 3-4 action sequences throughout the film, but they are what I consider A+ sequences. The Air Plane rescue, the Bank robbery, and Saving Metropolis from Lex's earth quake, were well crafted for the time this film came out. This film showed Superman accomplish more than the Christopher Reeve era could have hoped for. Note: I love that era as well.

Furthermore, I believe the film has great cinematography by Thomas Newton Senegal and a majestic musical score by X-Men and Fantastic Four composer John Ottman. Bryan Singer's direction is great. Respectful and epic at the same time.

For all the heart and awesome technical aspects of Superman Returns, it does have flaws. My issues with the film are that the film never quite feels right at home till the Air Force One sequence begins. Maybe beginning with Lex Luthor and not Kal-el was not the best choice. Also, there film's third act with Superman lifting an island into outer space feels odd for a third act conclusion. However, these are minor quibbles.

Overall, Superman Returns is a delightful film. The cast shines, being a spiritual sequel to Superman I & II gives the film a nostalgic feel. In fact, I feel this film has a lot in common with look and tone to the two J.J. Abrams Start Trek movies. Loving reverence towards the past for sure is the big similarity. I've always thought Superman Returns was a film that attempted to be the Dances with Wolves (1990) of Superhero films. Big, bold, and emotionally charged with real human emotions. Superman Returns is an unappreciated film that both plays it safe and takes risks. Much like Superman, the film sores and deserves its place among the clouds.

After an absence of several years Superman/Clark Kent (Brandon Routh) returns to Metropolis. The world has moved on, Lex Luther is plotting another plan involving Kryptonite and Lois Lane now has a kid. Everyone is curious as to where he's been the entire time, but it turns out he went back to see the remains of his home planet. One big flaw about the Superman films/comics is no one ever knows about Clark when his only disguise is a pair of glasses. And it was even more obvious when he turned back up out of nowhere the same time as Superman.

Directed by Bryan Singer (X-Men, X-Men 2) Superman Returns is a reboot/loose sequel to the 1978 original. But even though it references a little bit from that film (be it a Marlon Brando cameo or the original John Williams music score) it's less a sequel and more of a homage to that film. It's done considerably well however it's best viewed as its own film. If it was a real sequel Lois Lane and Clark Kent would be in their late 50's with it being 28 years later.

Kevin Spacey is the highlight as Lex Luther, he's over the top and sometimes hammy but he appears to be the only one enjoying himself. The other actors do good jobs but they are often bland, but in a way that's oddly a relief because there are no goofy comedic performances. Clark Kent is not the cliché clumsy nerd this time and Lois Lane isn't as whinny as she was in the other films. There's also no annoying background extras.

There are a few intense action sequences, the plane rescue being the highlight but they tend to rely on CGI that looks dated even for the time. There are so many shots where Superman is recreated using CG effects and it looks like something taken straight out of a video game. His suit has a plastic look to it, but to be honest the Superman suits have never looked great, it was only until Man of Steel (2013) when they got his suit right. The bright colours and underwear are fine for the comic but they don't translate very well on screen.

Running well over two hours, the film runs at a sometimes plodding pace and some scenes are drawn out a lot. However the film has a solid story and great performance from Kevin Spacey. The tone of the film isn't too dark drawing a fine line between its lighthearted and serious themes. The cinematography, set designs, music score and editing are all great. It's a film that deserves to be watched even if it suffers from a slow pace.

There have been critics who have been stinting in their praise for this movie, but others were quite condescending. This film is far from a masterpiece, and definitely not the best of the Superman franchise, but it was fairly solid considering what it could've been. First off, visually it looks amazing and I thought the special effects were extremely good. Same with the music score, full of those familiar motifs and some new haunting ones too. While Lex Luthor wasn't portrayed as the cold, shrewd yet somewhat lovable villain Gene Hackman played so memorably in the original movies, Kevin Spacey the competent actor he is played him very well. Also Bryan Singer's direction was able and had just the right edge, and I was intrigued by the film's concept. And I have to say, some of the action scenes were very exhilarating. However, there were elements that could've been better. One of the main problems I had with the film was the pace, I found it unusually slow and there are scenes like Clark listening in on Lois and Jason that dragged on for too long. And maybe I am in the minority who felt that it could've been half an hour shorter, and that the script was clunky at times. Also, I wasn't taken with the two leads either. Brandon Routh is handsome and he is charming but he isn't charismatic enough as Clark Kent/Superman, and Kate Bosworth left me cold as Lois. In regard to these two, the relationship between the two characters was underdeveloped. All in all, a solid and visually enthralling film, but it is let down by uneven pacing and a clunky script. 6/10 Bethany Cox

Bullet points:

Good - using the Williams score, original titles style and Brando voice-over for the start sequence: all good calls;

Bad - Kate Bosworth: bad casting. No charisma. Never for a second convinced me that she was a spunky reporter;

Good - Brandon Routh: I thought nobody could fill Christopher Reeve's shoes, but this lad does well;

Bad - costume. They got it right in the 70s movies. The effect of darkening the colours, reducing the shield size and dropping the waistline of the trunks is well-known to clothes designers - it makes the wearer look tall and thin. Reeve looked broad and imposing.

Good - saving the shuttle/plane, and dealing with the Metropolis "quake";

Bad - not enough of that stuff;

Good - Spacey's Luthor. Clearly grown from the same seeds as Hackman's, but much more definitely a villain. I believed that this Luthor was fundamentally evil;

Bad - Kitty Kowalski. What an underwhelming character. Miss Tesmacher-lite;

Good - Richard White - a potentially interesting new character, to sit in a potentially very interesting group dynamic;

Bad - Tristan Lake Lebeau. Superman's son is autistic? Sorry, kid - you were rubbish.

Good - tweaking the franchise back into life again;

Bad - forgetting that Superman isn't Batman. Superman is supposed to be light. Superman is supposed to be FUN! Don't take it so seriously, next time!

The movie experience wasn't bad enough. It had some good moments. However, yes, it's not one of the most spectacular films. The reason I wanted to watch is I want to enjoy Man of Steel, Batman v Superman and Justice League to the fullest. You can do that too, as I'm sure this won't completely disappoint you. It was a little dark, but pacy enough and not slow. The movie wasn't spectacular but Brandon Ruth definitely was. The story was on the average side, however, since it had its moments, it can't be considered poor!