A Review by Phil Calabro
2006, Warner Brothers/Legendary Pictures/DC Comics, Dir. Bryan Singer Starring Brandon Routh, Kate Bosworth, Kevin Spacey, James Marsden, Parker Posey, Sam Huntington, Frank Langella, Eva Marie Saint, Kal Penn, Tristan Lake Leabu, Marlon Brando
Ever since Bryan Singer perfected the Hollywood superhero movie, numbers of heroes and villains have gotten their respective A-list treatments. Marvel has continued to throw its cards on the table, while the elder DC Comics have let their greatest works age like fine wine. Last summer, Christopher Nolan breathed new life in the once-cursed Batman saga, and now the same can be said for America's most iconic superhero. The Man of Steel took a well-deserved hiatus after various short-lived gigs. ('Superman III' and 'Quest for Peace', for those who are not well acquainted.) For many who have grown used to the image of the late Christopher Reeve as Superman, Singer's homage/continuation may seem a bit alienating. Don't be afraid, because newcomer Brandon Routh fits the blue-clad suit like it was still 1978. With its grandiose, 21st-century touch, 'Superman Returns' is a triumphant arrival for the summer. From his trip to Krypton and back, Superman retains the same chiseled appearance and charming nature that made its earlier predecessors so damn enjoyable. Here we have adventure, action, romance, exhilaration, comedy, and tragedy sheer blockbuster brilliance. I was quite surprised the depths Singer reached into for his story, and you will to. And, oh yes, you'll believe a man can fly.
It's been years since Superman (Routh) has last been seen by the public, as he flew to see if his home planet of Krypton was truly destroyed. Once he returns, his Earth alter-ego Clark Kent has much to discover. The world has changed monumentally since his leave. Former flame Lois Lane (Bosworth) has picked up the pieces of her life and moved on. Forming a relationship with boss Perry White's (Langella) son Richard (Marsden), she also has a child, Jason White (Leabu). Clark, in his regular gawkish appearance, seems to be a loner once again. On the other side of the world, Lex Luthor (Spacey as the "world's greatest criminal mastermind") has entered the Fortress of Solitude and stolen all the proper crystals to create massive amounts of new land by means of water. In a bid to profit from world chaos, the lands he plans to create will destroy the entirety of America, leaving people to beg for a piece of Lex's real estate. But Luthor has made this plan entirely fail-safe. Using a rocket-launcher, he plans to shoot these magic crystals into the ocean encased entirely in kryptonite. The very second Superman touches the land that Lex takes refuge on, he's powerless. But when Lois and Jason end up kidnapped by Luthor, Superman has no choice but to save the world and those that he loves.
New viewers to the Superman saga should not be mistaken our hero's personality and attitude has never been a profound one. However, gone is nearly half of the awkwardness of Clark Kent, and double the mystique of Superman. Brandon Routh, despite his arrival to the silver screen, is no newbie. Taking cues from Reeve, his Superman has similar iconic moves and actions. Like an out-of-place PSA, here comes our caped hero, (and I refrain from using 'crusader'
Superman will still never be Batman) preaching the same morals of 1950s Americana that give the film a touch of wit and wisdom. Routh seems very comfortable in all dimensions as the bookish Clark and the bravador Superman. Whether flying, walking, or tossing a jet into a baseball stadium, Routh is adept. Kate Bosworth builds off the Margot Kidder era of Lois Lane, squeezing in the romantic subplot for the superhero. However, she has the task of handling the two lovers at once yet James Marsden never seem to compensate for the charm of Routh. Kevin Spacey is brooding and hilarious, all in the spirit of Gene Hackman's wonderful performance. Never is Lex Luthor commercialized like Dr. Doom was last summer, still maintaining that sense of dignity and cruelty as the perennial villain. Along with him, Parker Posey shines as Kitty, a lovable floozy with an affinity for Superman.
These are the times when our age's enhanced special effects are taken for granted, but it takes a movie like 'Superman Returns' to make an audience grateful. In 1978, it was hard enough for cinematographer Geoffery Unsworth to perfect the "flying" special effect that would carry the first 'Superman' film into such acclaim. Now, when we have the technology to make Kal-El speed across the Atlantic to stop a robbery and then jet out of the atmosphere, one must wonder how far we've come. What would a movie about Superman be without the ability to fly? Much less run faster than a speeding bullet and a Mag-lev train? Bryan Singer levels out the right amount of action for the movie, but occasionally becomes bogged down in the film's drama. Towards the finish, the viewer may feel a bit tired, occasionally checking the watch for its finish. There's a storyline I refuse to reveal, but I felt bothered by it. The story introduces an important element that will change the story of Superman, but is minimalized for the sake of action. Thinking on it, the result is inevitable but the film doesn't seem to treat the subject matter all too seriously. But right when it begins to drag on a little too long, Singer picks up the pace and ends the film with a bang and hopes for a long future.
Despite a few shortcomings, 'Superman Returns' is still an incredible film. It respectfully carried on the story of Superman in homage to much of Richard Donner's original works. Chock-filled with love, thrills, and humor, it'll be like a drug-store dream sitting down with a Pepsi flipping through brightly colored panels of printed pulp.
