F&**@! Where do I begin? I don't think Superman Returns is a bad movie. In fact, I like many aspects of it however I find it's flaws to be annoying and distracting. For weeks I have tried to form a true opinion of what I watched but have come away with nothing more than an uneasiness and nagging feeling of an opportunity wasted. With Superman being absent from movie screens for almost 20 years, there was a lot of expectation and hype in this movie to renew the drifting franchise. Anyone who knows of the whole "Superman Reborn" and "Superman Lives" failed projects that hung in limbo for much of the 90s knows just how much effort and money it took to bring another Superman flick to life. All the more reason to spare no expense in making Superman Returns the blockbuster that it truly deserved to be. With Brian Singer of X-Men fame at the helm, I really felt that finally, in this day and age of special effects and high bar of quality for superhero flicks, that we FINALLY would be given the Superman movie that the fans deserved. After seeing the movie, I can't help but to feel let down. First the good!
I hate to say it. The opening credits in this movie was one of the better parts. The original John Williams score is phenomenal. As a friend quoted "The Superman Theme would make eating a donut look dramatic" The revived original score and blue laser credits taken from the original Superman movies were a great addition. Classic Superman and it really brought me back to when I was a kid watching these movies on TV. Thumbs way up.
Brandon Routh, though I was unsure when first cast, is a great Superman. It's hard to think of a Superman without Christopher Reeve qualities and presence and Routh indefinitely has these. I liked Reeve's Clark Kent a bit more but Routh's isn't bad either. I'm a big fan of Kevin Spacey. I think he did a great job with Lex Luthor. He was able to capture both the charm and madness of the Lex Luthor character with a little Gene Hackman comedic timing thrown in. Thumbs up.
The action scenes, though few I felt, were well executed and impressive. Nothing is more exciting then Superman stopping a plane from crashing or taking rounds from a gatling gun like a champ! Classic Superman. The story and feel of the movie really did capture the classic feel of the original flicks. It made you feel like you were coming home to something familiar. It gave me a feeling of nostolga but at the same time left me conflicted. ON TO THE BAD!
I question the whole direction of this movie. I understand why Singer and WB took the safe road in copying the formula of the original Superman movies but question if it was really the right decision. This movie was definitely in the position to either remake or further bury the franchise. Why copy something that's already been done? This is 2006 and with a budget of over 200 million, why the hell can't we put together a movie that showcases what Superman can really do? Can you imagine an on-screen battle with Doomsday? With Brainiac? Metallo? Darksid? WHAT THE HELL!!! Don't get me wrong, I love Lex Luthor but I felt the whole "create Krypton on Earth" plot was kind of lack luster. I liked how they linked it to the crystals from the Fortress of Solitude and how the plot came together but just thought something more creative and attention grabbing could have been done. Bottom line, WOULD SOMEONE PLEASE MAKE AN ACTION PACKED, IN YOUR FACE, KICK ASS Superman movie? SOMEONE PLEASE GIVE KEVIN SMITH ANOTHER CHANCE TO WRITE FOR SUPERMAN! The guy knows his superheros and had a script completed for the "Superman Lives" project until Tim Burton axed him. Everyone should check out when Kevin Smith started writing for Dare Devil. Top notch stuff. Damn it we have the tools......thumbs down.
Kate Bosworth. Eh. Not awful but they could have found a better Lois Lane. I don't like the subplot with Lois's kid being really Superman's son. Maybe that was an attempt to put a modern spin on a classic formula, but now what you have done is laid groundwork for future movies to have to include a progression of that aspect of the story. Unnecessary. Thumbs down.
In the end, I feel Brian Singer and WB played it too safe in Superman Returns. They copied a formula that may be classic but really doesn't transfer very well over to today's popular, conflicted, and edgy superheros such as your Spiderman and Batman. I would normally say in the movies defense that it was planned to be the first movie in at least a 3 movie trilogy so even though it was not a start from the beginning story, it had to explain and establish a lot to support future films. This however seems to now be in question since WB apparently is unsure about a sequel unless "Returns" makes at least 200 million domestically and even then is sure to have a smaller budget. I still remain optimistic that a Superman flick will be made, much like Batman Begins or the Spiderman series, that truly captures the potential that Superman has. Eh, I guess I can always look forward to Aqua man....
I hate to say it. The opening credits in this movie was one of the better parts. The original John Williams score is phenomenal. As a friend quoted "The Superman Theme would make eating a donut look dramatic" The revived original score and blue laser credits taken from the original Superman movies were a great addition. Classic Superman and it really brought me back to when I was a kid watching these movies on TV. Thumbs way up.
Brandon Routh, though I was unsure when first cast, is a great Superman. It's hard to think of a Superman without Christopher Reeve qualities and presence and Routh indefinitely has these. I liked Reeve's Clark Kent a bit more but Routh's isn't bad either. I'm a big fan of Kevin Spacey. I think he did a great job with Lex Luthor. He was able to capture both the charm and madness of the Lex Luthor character with a little Gene Hackman comedic timing thrown in. Thumbs up.
The action scenes, though few I felt, were well executed and impressive. Nothing is more exciting then Superman stopping a plane from crashing or taking rounds from a gatling gun like a champ! Classic Superman. The story and feel of the movie really did capture the classic feel of the original flicks. It made you feel like you were coming home to something familiar. It gave me a feeling of nostolga but at the same time left me conflicted. ON TO THE BAD!
I question the whole direction of this movie. I understand why Singer and WB took the safe road in copying the formula of the original Superman movies but question if it was really the right decision. This movie was definitely in the position to either remake or further bury the franchise. Why copy something that's already been done? This is 2006 and with a budget of over 200 million, why the hell can't we put together a movie that showcases what Superman can really do? Can you imagine an on-screen battle with Doomsday? With Brainiac? Metallo? Darksid? WHAT THE HELL!!! Don't get me wrong, I love Lex Luthor but I felt the whole "create Krypton on Earth" plot was kind of lack luster. I liked how they linked it to the crystals from the Fortress of Solitude and how the plot came together but just thought something more creative and attention grabbing could have been done. Bottom line, WOULD SOMEONE PLEASE MAKE AN ACTION PACKED, IN YOUR FACE, KICK ASS Superman movie? SOMEONE PLEASE GIVE KEVIN SMITH ANOTHER CHANCE TO WRITE FOR SUPERMAN! The guy knows his superheros and had a script completed for the "Superman Lives" project until Tim Burton axed him. Everyone should check out when Kevin Smith started writing for Dare Devil. Top notch stuff. Damn it we have the tools......thumbs down.
Kate Bosworth. Eh. Not awful but they could have found a better Lois Lane. I don't like the subplot with Lois's kid being really Superman's son. Maybe that was an attempt to put a modern spin on a classic formula, but now what you have done is laid groundwork for future movies to have to include a progression of that aspect of the story. Unnecessary. Thumbs down.
In the end, I feel Brian Singer and WB played it too safe in Superman Returns. They copied a formula that may be classic but really doesn't transfer very well over to today's popular, conflicted, and edgy superheros such as your Spiderman and Batman. I would normally say in the movies defense that it was planned to be the first movie in at least a 3 movie trilogy so even though it was not a start from the beginning story, it had to explain and establish a lot to support future films. This however seems to now be in question since WB apparently is unsure about a sequel unless "Returns" makes at least 200 million domestically and even then is sure to have a smaller budget. I still remain optimistic that a Superman flick will be made, much like Batman Begins or the Spiderman series, that truly captures the potential that Superman has. Eh, I guess I can always look forward to Aqua man....
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