*** Official SUPERMAN RETURNS Review Thread (1 Viewer)

[Brett_M]

There's a lot of griping in this thread right now. "I hated this ... and hated that ... and hated this too ... but it's a good movie." That last part is the kicker.

We all need to get over ourselves.

I saw each of the Superman films in the theater and I have watched parts I and II twice in the last couple of weeks. I LOVE SUPERMAN. Christopher Reeve is Superman to me. At least until I saw Superman Returns yesterday.

I grinned like a fool during the opening credits -- like a complete fool, I grinned. Loved it.

When he exited the plane at the baseball park, I wept. It was Superman. Not Donner/Reeve or Singer/Routh -- it was Superman.

The film has room to breathe -- I have no problem with it's length.

Casting: Fine with me.

Performances: I will not gripe. Films like this walk a fine line. They have to cover a lot of ground to reach the common denominator. "Lois was a bitch, Richard was dull, the kid was annoying, Superman was blah, blah, blah." It's an origin film -- like it or not -- and we as an audience need to get over it.

Superman Returns is a good flick. It is well-made and has a heart. Best of all, it shows respect for what came before it. There's a lot of baggage associated with films like this. We own them. They're part of our culture, something we have grown up with. Nostalgia is tough to overcome. We are annoyed when something new doesn't surpass our expectations because nothing can compete with our cultural memories. Why do you think everyone gets pissed off when George Lucas screws with Star Wars? He is screwing with our memories.

I have issues with X-Men but X-2 was a home run.

I expect Superman Unchained (or whatever it will be called) to blow us away because, literally, the sky's the limit.

I loved every frame of this film. I made a new memory. I can't wait to see it again, either.

 

[ChrisMatson]

Short review:
I saw Superman Returns last night and loved it.
As others have said, the baggage associated with the movie may hinder some.
How can a movie wrap up nearly 70 years of mythos spanning comic books, TV shows, movies, cartoons, and various origin stories while attempting to please everyone?
As a fan of the original Donner film who has never read a single comic book, I greatly enjoyed this new addition to the Superman story.

 

[Duane Robinson]

My Extremely Short Review: I have a new favorite superhero movie.

 

[David Williams]

Just got back from the afternoon matinee. I was disappointed... with all the positive critical plaudits I was expecting something bigger. It was an okay movie, but it didn't blow my socks off. I felt like X3 was a better film this summer, in terms of cohesive storytelling. The SFX were great, Brandon Routh & Kevin Spacey were fantastic but my real trouble is with the script. It's been five years and Lois has moved on, so why is the Big Blue Boy Scout acting like a creepy stalker? :frowning: The sequel needs to find a way to wrap up this particular storyline or make Supes a lot more virtuous.

My other big problem with the movie was the ending... it felt like the story was building towards something and then... nothing. No resolution to any of the threads in the film. Everything remained as it was in the beginning except Lois thawed out a bit. Plus, Martha got the shaft. I really felt like there should have been one more scene between adoptive mother and son. She waited so long for him to return and bam he's back working at the Daily Planet.

The two casting choices I was a bit iffy on at the outset, Frank Langella & Kate Bosworth, worked out okay in the end. Langella's Perry White was as close to the comic book as is possible in live action, in terms of look and feel. Bosworth was an acceptable Lois but she doesn't recapture any of the spirit that Margot Kidder had the way Routh recaptured a lot of Christopher Reeve.

BTW, I agree with those who say the Christ allegory is overplayed. I was okay until the plummeting cross-shaped Superman.

All in all :star: :star: 1/2 out of :star: :star: :star: :star: :star: or a C-.

 

[nolesrule]

I just got back from seeing Superman Returns and I really enjoyed it. There were a few moments that paralleled Donner's Superman a little too much, but all in all it was worthy to be the new Superman III. I thought all the acting was spot on.

3.5/4

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

(Admin note - massive spoilers in the following review, near the end of it - read at your own risk)

Originally posted here:

Superman Returns is the most subversive superhero movie I've ever seen. The leads may be young, but this movie emphasizes change and maturity in a genre that values by stability and youth. Indeed, the marvel is that these characters still intrinsically feel like the ones I remember in a story that places each one in a position they've never been before. Some new characters get more screen time than established favourites. Jor-El's lines of exposition from the 1978 film serve as emotional sign posts along his son's journey, until his original prophecy, that "the son becomes the father, and the father the son," is realized in a unexpected and resonant way. A way that finds real emotional truth out of dialogue conceived originally to forward a Christian allegory.
That beat, which I'll cover at the end, is even more revelatory in a movie that transforms that Christ allegory into a rather extreme and literal parallel. Superman: The Movie was a celebration of Superman as a Christ-like figure of hope. Superman Returns treats its hero's calling as a burden rather than a blessing. It spends almost too much time mourning our hero's sacrifices and — after the first big action scene — little to no time celebrating his most visually epic accomplishments. This will be a deal breaker for many; its the most radical thematic break from tradition. After seeing what the movie gave us instead, though, I decided I was okay with it. The victories this film gives instead are smaller and messier but more meaningful. Being responsible for the whole world is abstract and grandiose. Being responsible for people, for a family, is unglamorous but tangible; since mistakes on this level won't destroy civilization, you have to live with them when you wake up the next morning. What a strange truth to find in superhero movie.
Each and every cast member is perfect and unfailing. Routh's Superman, so awkward and gawky in stills, inhabits the role with grace and natural believability. All he had to do was save a spacecraft and an airplane, and I never really questioned him in the tights again. It's not a matter of a good performance or a bad one. He simply is Superman. Bosworth, whom I've never liked in anything else, makes a better brunette than a blonde and straddles perfectly the line between fearless reporter and mother. She didn't remind me of any other Lois, so much as conjure my collective memory of all of them. Sam Huntington fleshes out the gag of Jimmy Olsen into a cohesive manner of being. Frank Langella, faced with J.K. Simmons's powerhouse J. Jonah Jameson, ventures out in the opposite direction. As the world falls to pieces around him, he confidently and casually rides the wave, keeping his headlines up-to-date all the while. Langella remembers that Editor-in-Chief is a job as well as a mouthpiece — and his Perry White is damned good at his job. Eva Marie Saint isn't given much to do as Ma Kent, but she does it with professionalism and class.
Then there's the bad guys. Spacey's Luthor was the character I was most scared about. He ended up unquestionably one of the highlights of the movie. Definitely in the lineage of Hackman's goofy take on the role, Spacey departs to the character's gain by imbuing the role with real menace. Lex's collection of wigs was a fun gag in 1978. The wigs are no laughing matter after spending some time with Spacey's Luthor in 2006, because like the cry of a wolf they're a sign that danger is near. Parker Posey's Kitty Kowalski is Miss Tessmacher with a dangerous streak: dumb as she is, unlike the latter I could actually believe her handling day-to-day living with a criminal mastermind. One of Lex's thugs, in guarding the prisoners, also standouts in one particular scene.
Then there's Lois's fiancé, Richard White. Given more to do here as a mortal than as Cyclops in the X-Men series, Marsden has created a strong emotional antagonist. It would have been easier on everybody if he'd made the character a prick, but his Richard is decent down to the bone. We'd all be cheering if Superman swooped in and saved Lois from a prick. Instead, we like him almost as much as our hero. On some level, even Superman respects Richard if he doesn't outright like him. The family that Richard and Lois have created is functional and warm. It would cheapen the character of Lois Lane if it were anything else. It would cheapen the character of Superman if he allowed himself to be a home wrecker. Yet Superman and Lois Lane, more clearly than ever before, are meant for each other. And so Superman Returns asks questions that no other superhero movie, perhaps even no other superhero story, has asked before.
Bosworth's Lois is guarded, the eagerness of Routh's Superman is tempered by concern. The love of each for others, and especially for each other, is deepened as a result. Lois wouldn't accept Superman back easily. Superman wouldn't get Lois back easily. Lois, always the awestruck schoolgirl alongside damsel in distress before, now faces a real emotional journey of her own. Accepting Superman back into her life, allowing the emotions she has for him — and perhaps more importantly the trust she had in him — to seep back in is a more elusive and more rousing victory than the most astonishing and exhilarating rescue.
In order to discuss Superman's victory, I have to spoil it all; his victory comes not up on the figurative pedestal of an adoring crowd, not set to rousing up tick in the score, not soaring victoriously over the fields of battle. It's found sitting on a bed in a small suburban home, watching the sleeping form of his child for the first time, seeing through his father's eyes, repeating his father's words, and finally understanding what it means to be part of something and not alone. (

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[Tim Glover]

Well, it's late...but just got back from seeing Superman Returns. In short, I LOVED it.

Brandon Routh absolutely nails it. His scenes are so good and his screen presence is somewhat intoxicating and magnetic, that the scenes without him suffer some. He's that good. No knock on Christopher Reeve...who was great.

For me, the emotional pull of the film raised the level of it and I can forgive some minor gripes.

I'll write more in the discussion thread but Superman Returns is on par with the best comic book films of all time.

10/10
Can't wait to see it again.

 

[Josh.C]

I saw this movie tonight with fellow HTF member Tim Glover, and let me just say WOW! I was completely caught up in the movie from start to finish.

After seeing it I cannot believe some of the poor reviews it has received. Sure, as with any movie, there were some things I would have done differently. But not one of them can take away from the pure magic that was happening before my eyes.

The first big sequence w/ Superman involving the airplane was completely Awesome! After he set it down, I looked over at Tim, who was grinning every bit as big as I was.

Also, I don't know where they found this Routh guy, but he completely and totally owned that role. HE IS SUPERMAN! I think it was genius of Singer to cast an unknown for the role. Instead of me thinking "Thats Nick Cage" or "Thats (insert any well known actor)", all that was going through my head was "that's superman". He had incredible presence and was absolutely believable. I thought he had great chemistry with Lois, and I thought he did a great job with Clark as well. I know we all think the world of Christopher Reeve, but I will be so bold to say that Routh is every bit as good and maybe better.

The action sequences were spot on, along with the score. I loved the way they combined the original Williams score, but were also able to carve out a completely new sound, which neither was too much like the original, nor too "out there". I thought it was perfect. One part of the score that sticks out in my mind was when Supes takes Lois for a spin around the city, absolutely beautiful!

I was also surprised that I liked Spacey's portrail of LL. The trailers had me thinking he might go a little over the top, but I found him witty and sarcastic, just as Hackman was in the original.

I can only think of one big thing that bothered me about the film. The whole evil plot to make this new land mass and take over the world was a bit on the stupid side if you ask me. Lex is always in it for the profit, and I don't know how making a new island with no way to protect it was going to help him accomplish that feat. As soon as this land mass had formed it would only be a matter of time before the government took control. I know we are dealing in fantasy here, and we all have to use our imagination, but C'mon. That's stretching my limits, even for a fantasy comic based movie.

Like I said, thats of little meaning when compared to the overall greatness of the film. It is near perfect for me, and I can't wait to go see it again.

9.5 out of 10 stars!!!

Must have sleep now,

JC

 

[AJ Johnson]

Review/rant has potential spoilers so read at your own risk...




There are so many things wrong I don't know where to start.

The pacing of the film...there's no flow to it. The first hour feels rushed. There's no time given to anything. The movie just jumps back and forth between Luthor's plan (I'll get to how ridiculous that was later) and little moments that don't amount to much. Clark makes a cameo on the farm, has a few lines of pitiful dialogue with his mother (terribly acted by the way), has a little flashback to his youth and the next thing you know the guy is back in Metropolis and gets his job back in a throw-away line. Even the first action scene is rushed. Supes has been gone for almost two decades so you would think the first shirt rip and "welcome back" would be iconic along with the music. It's not. It's a half second shirt rip and the next thing you know we have a pilot saying "we have an unidentified bogey coming". I thought the clips online were edited but it turns out they're not. It's those little things that irritated the hell out of me. It felt like X3 all over again.

The musical score. This score (specifically the choir) just beats you over the head. You would think something epic was happening on screen when the choir kicked in but more often than not there wasn't and it made me chuckle to myself a couple of times. It was like the music was trying to make the action scenes more than they really were.

And speaking of the action....repetitive comes to mind. There's only so many times I can watch Superman catch or lift something before it starts to get stale. As the movie goes on he lifts heavier objects...great. I swear I almost think they repeated him catching the same guy in the movie. The very hyped plane rescue was underwhelming to say the least. I heard this scene was supposed to be 10+ minutes. Felt more like around 3 minutes. Most of the footage during that sequence is Lois and passengers bouncing around the plane. And then on top of that they have to ruin the end of that scene with a line Christopher Reeve said 10x better.

Also this felt more like a natural disaster flick than a Superman movie. There are more "tremor" scenes in Superman Returns than the Jurassic Park movies combined. You always know when something big was going to happen because you would see a closeup of a pencil holder or some random object shaking on the desk ad nauseum. The 3rd or 4th time I saw it (I seriously lost count) I was almost tempted to leave. I honestly couldn't believe the mediocrity I was watching.

Which leads me to Luthor's plan. One of the worst plots I've ever seen in a comic film. The worst aspect of this plan is the execution of it takes up so much time that could have been spent on more important matters...you know, like character development. From the start of the movie this plan gets a lot of attention and it goes NOWHERE. By the time the third act rolls around (after Lex has executed his little plan) and you see Lex, Kitty and his henchmen sitting around on this desolate rock looking bored I wonder what the hell it was all for. Luthor and his crew had nothing. No food, no water, nowhere to sleep. Those jackasses didn't even remember to bring extra fuel for the helicopter. This is supposed to be the work of an "evil genius"?

The performances....

Superman/Clark Kent - The performance of Routh was underwhelming and I can't blame him. I blame the writers. Routh is given absolutely nothing to say as Superman or Clark Kent. He's just THERE. If the guy isn't staring obsessively, floating in the sky or lifting something he's non-existent. Maybe they decided he couldn't act and scrapped his lines...I don't know. Anyway, how am I supposed to care for him? Lines like "Are you alright?", "Goodnight Lois", "I'm always around" is not what I call character building.

Lois Lane - She's given plenty to say...but her character was so cold throughout the whole film I honestly didn't give a damn about her either. She just has a bitchy look about her that I couldn't warm up to. Her chemistry with Superman is nowhere to be seen. The only reason I can see Superman and Lois have a romantic history is because of the past movies. There's never any substantial conversations between the two.

Lex Luthor - Spacey sleptwalk through this movie...maybe because he can play this kind of character in his sleep. After all the (camp or menace) threads it turns out Lex is basically the same as Hackman. He has his Ms. Tesmacher 2.0, same wigs, same plan (except a lot more assinine). The only difference is he gets his licks in on Superman. Their little showdown was a VERY underwhelming scene mainly because Superman stands there like a statue and says NOTHING before getting his ass kicked.

This is getting long in the tooth so I'll just say the rest of the cast was adequate.

As far as the big revelation with the kid goes....I was so disgusted with S:R by the time it happened that I really just didn't care anymore.

Overall I would say this movie is a colossal failure on all levels.

The only good thing I can say about Superman Returns is some scenes were very pretty to look at. That's about it.

 

[Paul_Scott]

not much to add I guess to whats already been said.
In fact the first review by Chuck mirrors most of my feelings, so I guess I'll just say this-

The biggest flaw to this movie is-You can not be a sequel to a movie while essentially remaking it at the same time.
Either pick one or the other.
As a fan of the original there were defintiely new moments to treasure in this film, but they were folded up within moments that were absolutley exasperating and irritating.


a long , sometimes tedious, sometimes vastly entertaining, B movie that proves once again that Singer is really not a 'great' director, but that he can fake it pretty well in limited bursts.

 

[Peter Apruzzese]

Really, really wanted to love this movie. It's essentially a remake of the 1978 film, following almost the exact same structure and with the same problems of that film.

But it's absurdly overlong and devoid of humor. It takes itself way too seriously (Superman is the "savior", c'mon now) and has no real climax. The movie has a sadistic streak that doesn't fit.

The cast - Routh is fine as Superman, but isn't given enough screen time as Clark Kent, Kate Bosworth is unmemorable as Lois, Spacey is a good Luthor until one "comic" moment near the end.

The special effects are excellent, the adapted and new music is suitable, the references to the original film are nice, but why is almost every new movie so devoid of color?

2 stars out of 4

 

[Darrel McBane]

It was perfect!

 

[BarryS]

I saw Superman Returns today and loved it. It's not perfect, no but everything I wanted in a Superman movie was present (except for General Zod, that is). It's a very worthy follow-up to the classics Superman I and II. I'm probably in the minority, but I liked Kevin Spacey's Lex Luthor even better than Gene Hackman's. He was smart, devious and evil as Luthor should be. I was glad that there was no Otis in the movie too. Parker Posey's Kitty was much better. Brandon Routh is excellent as the Man of Steel. No complains there. Kate Bosworth is just too young to be a Pulitzer-Prize winning reporter, but she does a great job with the role. Bryan Singer brings a real sense of visual splendor to the film and it really looks amazing.

Overall, despite a weak story, Superman Returns is a triumphant return for the Man of Steel. The movie doesn't try to reinvent Superman, it doesn't try to do too many new things, it just gives us another awesome Superman movie. And being 25 years since Superman II, it's about damn time!

 

[Sam Favate]

I finally saw it last night and I think it is outstanding.

Visually, it is the best Superman has ever looked, and I think Routh and Bosworth were both very good in their roles. Spacey too; he gave Luthor a more menacing tone.

I really liked that they set up the story as a tradegy: Superman leaves for 5 years in search of home, returns without finding it, only to find that his absence has caused a series of events to unfold that result in him having to expel the influence of his homeworld from the earth.

I also liked that Marsden's character wasn't a jerk, that, in fact, he was a great guy. That avoided an easy cliche and made the story more compelling. Loved the scene when he and Lois rescued Superman. Also loved the scene in the ballpark. When the crowd was cheering for Superman's return, I wanted to jump out of my seat and cheer along with them!

Superman: The Movie is one of the greatest films of all time, IMO. But Superman Returns is, finally (after nearly 30 years), a worthy successor. Finally, a movie worthy of the legend.

Can't wait to see it again.

 

[Phil Florian]

I am not sure what movie the complainers saw, but the one I saw this afternoon with a nearly full house was a fantastic show, opening credits to the very end. I was grinning like an idiot through much of the movie from line references to the original film, visual references to what Perry White calls "iconic" moments (you know them when you see them) to the genuine Superman moments. I agree that Lois was the weakest link in this movie but all the other parts were great. I like Lex as a bad guy, not comic relief so his less jovial tone from the Hackman performance (which I loved, don't get me wrong) was a welcome site. He has to be bad enough and dangerous enough to threaten a guy that can fly, is for all purposes invincible and can see and hear through walls. Frank Langella was great, if underused (kind of like J. Jonah in the first Spidey...gotta love fun newspaper editors!).

The role that I was not thinking about going into it was the one that impressed me to the end and that was James Marsten's "Richard." They thankfully didn't write him as writers often do to the "other man" in a love triangle. Usually they are selfish, oafish, nasty, or in some other way tragically flawed so that we can say, "See, Lois needs to get away from him." Instead he is smart, good with kids, loves Lois and enjoys her "mystery," and is an action hero in his own right. In fact, he was everything Cyclops hasn't been in the X-Men movies, oddly enough.

The smaller roles were also fun. It was great to see Eva Marie Saint in another movie with Marlon Brando! Sort of...anyway, she was great if a bit underused. I would have loved a bit more Smallville but then it would have added a bit to the long running time. I didn't feel it was padded at all. Just as I was itching for a bit more Supes, bam...new need for Supes on screen.

Contrary to some on here, I like the slightly more loney and angst-ridden Superman. His ability to hear EVERYTHING that is going on, especially the bad stuff, is great. It reminds me of Kurt Busiek's "Astro City," where he tells the tale of a Superman-esque character who, like Supes, takes the world under his wing. That character was sad and lonely because he can't stop saving people...the moment he rests for a second he realizes that someone died that he could have saved. Why not play that a bit? I like it.

The action scenes were fantastic to the second. Great use of all of Supe's major powers, great visuals and wonderful hairy moments. He is invincible but the world around him isn't and in the great scenes where he was trying to juggle multiple crisis situations was great.

I highly recommend this visual treat. It is a great nod to the highlight of comic book films while starting the series anew. I can't wait to see where they go with these films.

 

[Bob Graz]

I saw Superman Returns last night and I was dissappointed. The movie never grabbed me. It was long and drawn out. It was shot overly dark therefore was missing the punch that it should have had with brightness and color. The computer graphics were overdone. I found myself wanting it to end and was relieved when it was over. I give it ** out of **** or a "C".

 

[Sebastien S]

I'm 32 and have been a HUGE Superman fan ever since I first saw "Christopher Reeve" when I was 6. To me "Reeve" will always be Superman, he was born to play the part!

Brandon Routh as Clark/Superman did a good job... Better than most BIG name actors could have done. No, he's no "Christopher Reeve" but like I said above, no one will ever replace him so it's not fair to compare the two. Bottom line: I believed Brandon as both Superman and Clark. Good choice!

Kate Bosworth as Lois Lane... I guess I'm in the minority here but I liked her. I have never been a fan of the "character" of Lois Lane but I think she nailed the part! Better than any other rendition of Lois I have seen to date on TV or Movie screens!

Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor... This was the one I expected to like the most! When I heard he had been cast as "Lex", I thought it was a great choice. However, now having seen the movie, his performance left me somewhat... Underwhealmed and dissapointed. There are two ways to play "Lex", over the top like Gene Hackman did or as a cold cruel ruthless emotionless arrogant buisness tycoon genius like the comics. His performance seems to be somewhere in between both. He did not give a bad performance by any means but there was just something missing... In the end, I believe he was misscast.

The part of "Kitty" was total garbage for me! Neither the actrice nor the character inspired me. I believe they could have left her out of the movie completely and it wouldn't have changed anything.

The movie started off kind of slow and kind of dragged a bit for the first 20 min or so until Superman makes his first appearance in an action scene, then the movie takes off.

Seeing Superman fly is truly amazing! This is the way it was meant to be and the way it should have been in the first two movies had they had the technology available to them at that time.

Though I don't approve of the changes done to the costume... Once the movie started, it really didn't bother me that much.

The one major issue I have with this movie is:

SPOILER!
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The fact that they made this kid not only Lois' son but Superman's son as well is to me a really bad idea!!! First off, it should't even be possible for them to have an offspring (Genetics). Their simply not compatible, no more than a cat and a rabbit or a man and an ape!

Second. This child's DNA is 50% deluted by human DNA which means at best, he will only be half as powerfull as his father and his children (assuming he mates with a human female as well) will barely be stronger than your average human.

Third. Like someone said, now that they have introduced "Superman's son", we are going to have to deal with him (and related issues) in all of the future sequels.

Personally, I just don't want to see Superman as a father. Not yet anyway.

Overall this is a good movie that isn't without it's flaws (but then again, so were the first two movies) but is a worthy sequel, especially given the fact that it was done over 20 years after the first two!

I give "Superman Returns" an 8.5/10

 

[Dalton]

Sorry some of you were dissapointed. I am a big Superman fan and while the film has it's flaws i really liked it overall. I stayed away from spoilers and am glad i did. No more spoilers for me! I thought the film was pretty darn good (just short of great for me). I give it **** out of *****.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I watched this on an IMAX screen and I must say that I enjoyed it more than any of the Reeve films. As an older person than many of you, George Reeves will always be Superman to me, but Routh did a very fine job with the role and I thought this film with advance technological advances in filmmaking really captured the power that Superman possessed. The darkness of the film really appealed to me without the holding back of the violence that the Reeve films suffered from.





Crawdaddy

 

[teapot2001]

I thought it was great. Is it better than the original Superman? It could be. I wasn't that impressed with Bryan Singer's job with the X-Men movies, but he really does a fine job here. It manages to capture the feel of the original while updating the action/flying scenes with today's special effects, yet they are done in a manner where you do appreciate and feel the weight of what's happening. I was a little worried about some of the casting and from seeing photos of them, but I thought the actors did a fine job with their characters. It's how I would've envisioned another Superman movie.

~T