Superman Returns

***Spoiler alert for the internationals***

After a year of anxious waiting (thanks Patrick), I finally went to see Superman Returns. I have heard nothing but good things about it on the blogs and then the official reviews came in with good results. My sister even said it was great. So it being the second day of release, I went ahead and dragged Season to the 6:20 showing at Wonderland. (Who can beat $3.50?). Basically, it was decent.

My excitement probably peaked at the opening credits. I had thought that the director, Bryan Singer was going to do a Superman movie that is separate from the previous films. Sorta like how Batman Begins was its own little separate movie. Nope, it came out with the same feel as the Reeves movies along with the music, the Fortress of Solitude, and Jor-El’s speech. However, given the obvious differences between the 70’s/80’s and the 2000’s, the movie didn’t feel like it was on its own nor did it feel properly connected with the predecessors.

The plot had potential. I don’t know about anyone else, but I have always dreamed about growing my own little island that I could live on. If you are interested, it would be about the size of the Hawaii (the big island) located about 100 miles to the east-south-east of Hawaii or 75 miles south-east of New York City. (I like being on Eastern Time.) Anyways, the idea was to use the crystals in Superman’s Fortress of Solitude to grow another continent and for it to provide access to Kryptonian knowledge and technology. While, civilization shattering plots are best for the movies, it didn’t seem to be more complex than one of those grow-a-fish toys.

My sister said that it had the right mixture of comedy, action, and romance. I would have to agree. It was a well rounded film that didn’t provide too much of any of the three. Fighting scenes? Practically non-existent. No sex scenes either, just a few kisses—only one of which was between Lois and Superman. And the comedic parts were more quirks of action or happenstance than anything else.

As for the character, Brandon Routh was okay as Superman. I don’t know if they were trying to make the character more distant, but it seems that the delivery was flat. Kate Bosworth, I thought, was a very good Lois Lane. It was different Lois Lane than the ones I’ve come across but I reacted very warmly to her. I was pleasantly surprised by James Marsden’s Richard. I was relieved that he wasn't villanized like I had anticipated. Lois and Superman are supposed to be together not Lois and Richard. But Richard grew on me and I see him as that kid’s version of Jonathan Kent. Kevin Spacey was terrific as Lex Luthor. Period.

The ending of the movie leaves the door wide open for a sequel. Although the movie is quite rightly focused on Superman and Lois, I feel that the next movie could do well to beef up the involvement of the supporting characters like Jimmy and Perry. I’d like to see what would further happen between the Superman-Lois-Richard love triangle. I’ve pretty much come to my own views on what should happen and it’s not very happy.

I recommend the movie, but I’m not saying that you need to drop what you are doing in order to do so.