DVD Review HTF REVIEW: Superman Returns - Two-Disc Special Edition (RECOMMENDED). (1 Viewer)

[Ron Reda]

I finally finished this film last night (I had to watch it over 2 nights due to the length) and thought it was horrible. Lex Luthor's plot just seemed very hokey to me and was there just to give Superman something to resolve in the end. I also thought the whole son storyline was lame. Anybody wanna buy a watched once 2-disc version???

 

[DeathStar1]

One problem I had with Lex and his plot. If he kills billions, who's going to be left around to buy his new land?

 

[Antony James]

You can kill billions and still have two thirds of the population left.

 

[Jerome Grate]

I did have an issue about Lex's level of violence. Not withstanding the master plot since in STM, he was ready to drop California of the map, the issue I have was the fact:he physically stabbed Superman which I thought was a bit much.
That's the reason why the kids won't watch it. Outside of that, still a great movie.

 

[Dave H]

But, wouldn't that devastate the world economy dramatically lowering the value of his land?

Okay - too much analyzing - it's a Superman movie.

 

[paul_austin]

the stabbing was nothing, the thugs kicking the sh@t out of him was brutal

 

[Jerome Grate]

Yep, pretty intense.

 

[JoePassmore]

Anyone try watching this on their computer? I've tried playing it in Windows Media Player AND CyberLink PowerDVD and in each player the movie doesn't seem to display anamorphically as I see black bars...shouldn't it fill the entire window?

 

[Patrick Sun]

The aspect ratio is 2.35/2.40, so a typical 16x9 window will have black bars for a film with a higher than 1.78 aspect ratio.

 

[Nick Chavez Beverly Hills]

Okay....my thoughts on the picture/audio quality and plot problems of the ONE-DISC WIDESCREEN EDITION (which I assume exhibits the exact same characteristics as the two-disc and other variations of this release, specs-wise...).....

First of all, the video quality on this 2:35:1 transfer is awful in my opinion -- unless this was Singer's intention, the image from beginning to end is downright glossy, soft and behaves as if there is some kind of foggy "shield" over the picture; this actually provides a good-VHS-copy-type result on my 55" Mitsubishi display. I also found instances of annoying, distracting grain in dark sequences -- watch where Luthor is drilling for the kryptonite element in the museum in the dark -- there is an abundance of annoying grain here, but I dont know if this is in the film element or was added for effect. Still, it was there. With regard to plot, I agree that Luthor/Spacey's plan for "creating a new continent where countries would be dying to buy land" or some such rhetroric is absolutely hokey and ridiculous...but, IMO, so was Hackman's Luthor's plot in the original for breaking off California with that earthquake; to me, Luthor has always been a hokey comic villain.

The audio too dissapointed me at first....the opening sequence with Brando and the talk over, while the planet explodes and then the title words fly in the classic Superman style toward the viewer sounded a bit too....low, for lack of a better word, and needed a great deal of amplification on my system to "get going," a characteristic I find typical on Warner's Dolby Digital soundtracks in general. Now, of course, this is Warner we are talking about, so DTS was not even a thought in their heads (although, as a head scratcher, the Batman Motion Picture Anthology set received DTS mixes on all four films), but I thought this track could have used more ooooomph for a recently released mega blockbuster like this. Once the track heats up -- when Superman is tumbling with the jet, the Metropolis breakup scene at the end, etc. -- there is some very nifty and aggressive use of the surrounds and sub, but it still seemed to me that was an "average" Dolby Digital action soundtrack at best.

 

[Ron Reda]

Ya know, I thought the exact same thing. It was intense for me and I'm a close-to-middle-aged guy. And people wonder why kids are violent these days???

 

[DeathStar1]

Because parents don't take the time to tell them that something like that is wrong?

 

[Todd H]

I've gotta agree with all of that say the transfer is terrible. I was shocked at how alive with noise the dark scenes were. Not sure if it's the transfer or the use of digital cameras.

 

[SteveJKo]

Got to say I too felt the presentation of this film on DVD was underwhelming, but then again so was the film itself. I rented it last Tuesday, started to watch it that night. After about 40 minutes or so I kept thinking to myself that this thing still has almost two hours to go and I don't care about a single character or circumstance. I turned it off with the intention of going back to it later in the week. It never happened. A friend of mine purchased the disc, perhaps I'll give it another chance and watch it with him someday. But from what I've seen I feel like if I don't attempt it again I haven't missed much.

 

[Ron Reda]

I feel the same way. I understand that feelings vary from person to person on a film, but I just can’t get over that people actually thought this film was really good. I guess I just don’t get it.

 

[dpippel]

I guess you don't.

 

[paul_austin]

this really pisses me off, the return to kryton deleted scene was one of the main deleted scenes i was interested in seeing and obviously they're holding it back for the double dip or re-cutting it in for the double dip De or whatever. this double triple dip crap is out of hand, yet they scream bloddy murder if we copy a disc...lol

 

[dpippel]

Another possibility to consider is that they've decided to use that footage in the sequel.

 

[TheBat]

I think the choppy editing in the beginning of the film hurt the movie. It needed more of the farm stuff to care about the characters.
some of the farm stuff is in the deleted section. I would recommend watching them if you have not.
Jacob

 

[Bryan Ri]

So, here's someone who needs help (me).

Is anyone getting really weird coloring from this movie? Like a purlplish tint to some of the dark browns? (like Superman lying in the crater, etc)

Or is my set just in need of a recalibration? Some of the different shades of blue have a weird discoloration too, at times.

Anyone else getting this???

And Jacob, as much as I loved loved LOVED this movie, I agree that some of the adult scenes of Clark on the farm with his mom would have gone a long way.