REVIEWS
* * *
My first comic book was Superman. My first real-understanding of the TV cliff-hanger came from “Lois & Clark.” The one superhero I've always said was my favorite was Superman. So naturally I had high hopes going into “Superman Returns.” From the first moment of the film, you see for the thousandth time Krypton blowing up, you hear for the thousandth time the amazing score of John Williams, but that's it. From there it is made clear everything is different. Different can be good, but when different is applied to a comic book, you face the wrath of comic book fans.
Let me start off by saying “Superman Returns” is a good movie; it was made with extreme care and done with the fans in mind. Something is just missing in the translation. Bryan Singer is a fan of the Man of Steel, so much that he left Fox's “X-Men” franchise, which he built, to helm this picture. The fine tuning he added to the movie is evident; he really was trying to re-create the awe of Big Blue. It is here where Singer is successful. Supes big public return is an amazing sequence that sucks you in and doesn't let you go until the amazing payoff shot in its finale. If the rest of the movie sprung from that moment, it would be set, but it doesn't.
Instead we find Superman in yet another battle with longtime enemy Lex Luthor. While Superman in battle with his nemesis is just what we wanted, it's Luthor's grand plan that causes the glitch. It appears and Lex even hints that he doesn't have a clue what he's doing. The big scheme is quite frankly a little odd, imaginative, but odd. Granted in superhero movies, you always agree to suspend belief and just go with it. But here you never quite grasp what the next step in the plan is and that hurts the picture. To make matters more interesting, the viewers not only have to juggle figuring out Luthor's scheme, but they are forced to see their precious Lois Lane in a new way; as a mommy. Here you have tough as nails Lois Lane, going off the criminals of Metropolis, but having to stop for two seconds and make sure her son has taken his vitamins and has his inhaler with him. Oh yeah and she's one step away from marrying the bosses nephew, but I digress.
The idea behind “Superman Returns” is brilliant. You use the popular original Christopher Reeve version and its sequel and then pretend the rest never happened. It's the ultimate choose your own adventure for a screenwriter. You can re-write the mythos of Superman. Here you have the Man of Steel leaving Earth behind and now five years later he's back. Go! You can change the future of arguably the most known superhero in the world. How do you do it? Part of the answer is “with great care,” because as we've learned, from every super hero as of late, with great power comes great responsibility. The fans entrusted this responsibility to Singer.
The difference here is that Singer gets it; he understands the fans care about this character. He cares about this character. I believe he did the right thing by casting an unknown in the lead role. I also believe he was on target with casting the rest of the characters. You couldn't find a better Lex Luthor today then Kevin Spacey. It is literally like he was born for this role. Now I've focused some on why the movie doesn't work, but let's focus for a minute on why it does.
