Well I just got back from a late showing of Superman Returns, and my heart is still all aflutter. Fans of Superman have waited a long time to see the Man of Steel back on screen, and (this is only my first of many viewings) I don't think Singer lets fans down. The movie is not without a few problems, but overall, I was totally blown back by the movie.
We all know the story at this point, right? Superman comes back to Earth after a five year absence and gets caught up in Lois' drama and Luthor's delusions. The Returns part is a great hook because it actually sets up what I found to be the most compelling aspect of the film. At it's heart, this is a movie about romance that has been derailed. It could have been a John Cusack movie with, um, I dunno... Kate Bosworth?
Bryan Singer definitely had the right idea to take the audience back into the original movies. It really does feel like a sequel even though the production design is different and all the characters look different. Oh and some of them act different, but at it's heart, this truly is a sequel, but dang, at the same time, because Superman has totally become such a part of our popular world, the movie could definitely stand on it's own, From the earliest moments of the film, Singer sets up the iconic world that Superman inhabits. The picturesque farm he was raised on, the art deco inspired planet offices, and even the look of Metropolis itself are all well thought out and almost taken from our imagination as to what Superman's world should be. Like there is one scene where Clark and Lois are leaving the Planet. And Lois is being a shit to Clark, but, I dunno, I was just there with them. The world seemed complete like these two people could actually be real and Metropolis could actually be a real life place.
And that's how I felt for most of the film. Singer clearly understands the mythology behind the character and we get a handful of moments in the film where the images rival Donner's Superman: the Movie. But Singer wasn't alone in making this happen.
His choice to cast Brandon Routh, a total unknown, was a wicked good idea! I have had mixed emotions about the casting of Routh from the start. First, how do you find someone who can compete with Christopher Reeve? Second, as silly as it may sound to some of you fools, I am still totally in love with Tom Welling on Smallville, and each year as he gets closer and closer to not just being Superboy, I love him more. But wow. Routh really performs here. He isn't playing Christopher Reeve, and in fact, he did something that totally surprised me, right? He actually brought something new to the character! Routh's Superman is on one hand the same strong guy we know and love, but even as Superman he seems more fragile. And his Clark is just as interesting really. His portrayal of Clark is a nice blend of many different versions of the character. He's still can be a clumsy buffoon, but he seems more intent on being all proactive and stuff. And he managed to lose the dorky Clark voice that Reeve was so good at, which isn't a bad thing at all.
On the other hand, we had Kate Bosworth as Lois. Now, I am not going to outright slam the girl. She did a good job with what was there, but the part was sorely underwritten. There are a couple of great moments for the character AND AND AND we get to see her actually being a touch as nails investigative journalist, but it's all kind of frustrating. Like if she is so tough, why did she basically hook up with a dude like RIGHT when Superman left. It was like, "Oh damn, Superman didn't appear on my penthouse balcony tonight. I haven't seen him in like 12 HOURS! I better find someone just like him fast!" And that's kind of what she did because Richard White, played by Cyclops, is like Superman without the tights. And his eyes are really blue!
And then there's Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor, and this is the part of the review where I should mention... he nailed it. Nah, he's not the most well rounded guy around. I mean Spider-Man has kind of given us the gold standard when it comes to creating interesting characters and showing how these people become villains. Luthor is just vain and chaotic and mean, but holy crap, it's a lot of fun to watch.
The movie is filled with fun stuff. Superman has a huge scene saving Lois from a crashing plane which had the audience applauding, we even get several scenes where Superman is just being all super-hero-y. And then when things really go to hell, the movie does a good job of kind of pulling you back into the first and second movie. The disaster scenes, and people's reactions to them, are VERY similar to Donner's movies. Well except with better special effects and 100% fewer toys. Spacey's Luthor isn't the deepest comic villain, but he would rank up there with Magneto as someone who just doesn't really care about what his villainy will cost. It's just that this Luthor doesn't have any lofty moralistic goals behind what he does. It's just to make himself more rich, which is kind of shitty because he's all rich and stuff anyway.
The movie spends most of its time with Superman and Clark as they get back into their old life, and what the effect that has on people, and that's interesting. Now where the movie really lost me was with all the Jesus stuff.
What you say?
Yes Jesus.
I kind of felt like Bryan Singer cheated me into accepting Christ into my heart. The movie is THAT thick with religion, which is like totally perplexing. I mean I can kind of understand the idea that Superman is a savior, but the movie is totally overloaded with imagery from the bible and stuff. I mean why mix it all up like that. It seemed kind of trite, and then even more so because Singer lays it on extra thick and cheesy at the end. It's especially funny because Nina and I had a good laugh about the NY Times review of Superman Returns. We read it and though, "what the heck this guys is surely seeing things that aren't all there and stuff" But as they say in First Appetites 77:34, "the proof is in the pudding." We get to see Superman as Jesus in like 3 or 4 scenes, and while I don't mind, it just seemed out of place AND GOT OLD REALLY FAST.
And please don't get me started on Superman's ability to still function with a chunk of Kryptonite stuck in his side. That was just lame.
Over all the movie is phenomenal though. Even with minor distractions like a weakish script and all the Jesus nonsense, the move is like intensely romantic in a realistic way, and the Super Heroics are totally out of sight. But next time, let's see some more mad super villainy from some of Superman's neglected legion of villains.
