Starring Brandon Routh, Kate Bosworth, Kevin Spacey, Frank Langella,Parker Posey, Eva Marie Saint, James Marsden.
Synopsis: The Man of Steel returns to Earth and Metropolis after a 5 year absence to visit his home planet of Krypton.He returns to find
Well, I decided to treat myself on this Holiday to a widescreen viewing of what looks like will be the summer's big blockbuster...as well as my all time favorite superhero. I'm glad I did, but I can't say it blew me away in all aspects.
Superman Returns is a special effects and CGI masterpiece that will be fun for almost anyone to watch, in my opinion, though I think the film is too long, not really ever boring but definitely dragging in some parts.
The premise of the plot is dubious for Superman fans...he returns after travelling to Krypton (didn't it blow up a loooonnng time ago?) for five years, after some astronomists apparently find pieces of it floating in space. What's more, Supe apparently did not tell anyone, except Ma Kent (Eva Marie Saint), where he was going, or why, or if he would be back. Sounds kind of out of character for Superman, if you ask me.
When he gets back, we see that Ma Kent is still in Smallville-Pa Kent has passed and is not in this version-and Superman's (Brandon Routh) alter ego, Clark Kent, returns to the Daily Planet in Metropolis after his own "sabbatical" to find that no one, except Jimmy Olsen, is overjoyed to see him and that the love of his life, Lois Lane (Kate Bosworth), has a significant other, Richard White (James Marsden), a Pulitzer for writing an article on why the world does not need Superman, and, not least, a kid. Of course, his irascible boss, Perry White (Frank Langella) is there as well and doesn't miss a beat in relegating
Coinciding with all of this, of course, is the release and ascension back to the criminal mountain top of Lex Luthor (Kevin Spacey) and his girlfriend, Kitty (Parker Posey). It seems that the always innovative criminal genius Luthor has found the Fortress of Solitude and the crystals that are the key to understanding the advanced planet of Krypton and, by extension, of weakening Superman.
In this version, Supeman is certainly more global than he has been, getting out of Metropolis to save the day in China, France, and other places while not easing up on the bad guys, big and small, in Metropolis. There are some scenes that are truly exceptional, from a special effects point of view; including Superman saving a space shuttle and commmercial jetliner (with Lois aboard) that are hurtling towards the ground. There is another scene where a run of the mill bank robber, equipped with heavy artillery, bounces a bullet off the eye of Superman. Good stuff.
Superman Returns shows you a more vulnerable Man of Steel than previous editions, of course the expected brush with Kryptonite, but also in emotions and feelings for Lois and others. Routh is a good Superman, close to the all time movie standard of the dashing, strong, clean cut of Christopher Reeve. He does fine in his dialogue, relatively limited for the star of such a big movie, but it works very well. Parker Posey is very good in the Valerine Perrine part of Luthor's main squeeze, and Frank Langella is an equal for Jacke Cooper's Perry White in the original.
Kate Bosworth, in my opinion, while giving a good performance, is just a little too b****** as Lois, so I'd still give the nod to Margot Kidder in the original or Teri Hatcher in the popular TV series. Sapcey is a wonderful Lex Luthor and, like Gene Hackman in the original, steals evry scene he is in.
The big problem I had with the film was the script and its plot. Thew whole idea of Superman taking it on the lam and then returning out of the blue was a bit much for me to buy and, I thought, unnecessary other than to build the romantic tension, shall we say, with Lois. The film is a little too long, and if you are watching it with little ones, they are going to start squirming despite the awesome stuff going on up there on the screen.
There is an undercurrent theme here that surprised me and might for some long time Superman fans. Without spoiling it, I guess I'll just say that if the Da Vinci Code can go there with the hero of one of the world's great religions, then this flick can with
A pretty good flick with some flaws, but nothing to make me urge caution or to stay away. This is a story that, in my opinion, should be told in its own way in every generation. What's wrong with a good, clean, superhero that we all grew up with, and want our kids to enjoy for whatever window of time their youth allows? Nothing, in my book. And this movie does the job. Go see it, relive your youth a little, and have some fun.
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