Well, maybe Superman Returns isn’t that bad, but it is certainly a speeding bullet’s distance away from being super. That is an enormous problem when it comes to what was predicted to be the biggest movie of the year. Last year’s guess, King Kong, lived up to the expectations and was hailed by many critics (myself included) as one of the best movies of 2005. There is no doubt that Superman Returns is a good movie but, then again, so are other recent releases Click and The Omen. I can recommend at least five other movies playing in theatres right now (including the superhero sequel X-Men: The Last Stand) that are better than good and thus superior to the man of steel.
All of this is coming from someone that typically likes superhero flicks. I can honestly say that I look forward to each X-Men and Spider-Man sequel and even enjoyed last year’s Fantastic Four. I am not against Kal-El, by any means, either. When I was a kid, I watched The Adventures Of Superman on KidsWB and Smallville remains one of my favorite current television programs. Knowing all of that, it shouldn’t be too difficult to believe that I was looking forward to Superman Returns. Therefore, I don’t just disapprove of the motion picture, I’m also disappointed with it.
Speaking of Smallville, it is important to note that any theatrical version of the superhero would suffer from high expectations due to the series. Smallville (including its engaging stories and its powerful cast) has spoiled Superman fans all over the world. It really doesn’t get any better than that.
The actor that plays young Clark Kent on Smallville, Tom Welling, would have been a much better choice to wear the red cape in the movie than Brandon Routh. Both look the part (with Routh winning the age battle), but Welling can act circles around Routh. Instead of getting an actor that can play Clark Kent – the heart and soul of Superman – we get one that looks like him and plays the guy in blue tights. It is not too hard to fly (the special effects department does all of the work) but it is very hard to be a mild mannered reporter… at least judging by Routh’s limited number of scenes requiring him to actually perform. He isn’t given room to flex his acting muscles but the taste we do get of them is hardly impressive.
Each of the other actors is commendable, though. Leading the pack is Kevin Spacey, who is perfectly malevolent as Lex Luthor. He is a bit older than the rest of the cast, adding to the average fan’s disappointment, but he manages to be as an animatedly scary villain. His delivery of an outlandish speech to a captive Lois Lane is surprisingly effective. Speaking of Ms. Lane, Kate Bosworth makes brunettes proud as Superman’s love interest. Her only shortcoming is not displaying enough of the bite and sass for which Lois is known. Finally, the scene-stealer of Superman Returns is Sam Huntington, who plays Jimmy Olsen. I can’t imagine a better actor than Huntington to play the part of Clark’s young buddy. He has the comic timing needed to make the small scenes in the offices of the Daily Planet stand out.
The basic plot of Superman Returns begins where the last in the franchise, Superman III (starring real-life Superman Christopher Reeve), left off. Lex is out of prison due to the fact that Superman failed to be present in court as the key witness. Along with Kitty Kowalski, played by Parker Posey, Lex begins to put his latest evil scheme into motion by stealing the crystals in Superman’s arctic fortress. Meanwhile, Clark returns to his old job as a reporter at the Daily Planet after an extended absence. Jimmy explains to him that Lois is engaged to editor Perry White’s (Frank Langella) nephew, Richard played by James Marsden. Lois also has a son, Jason, played by Tristan Lake Leabu.
When Lex begins to experiment with one of the stolen crystals, strange things happen all around Metropolis, including a blackout. Lois is among many members of the press aboard an aircraft that is carrying a space shuttle. Lex’s experiment affects the aircraft and it looks as if the jetliner is destined for space. Clark sees the trouble on television and blasts into superhero mode. In spectacular fashion, Superman prevents the plane from being carried into the galaxy and, within just a few feet, stops it from crashing into a baseball stadium. Everyone is excited about Superman’s return… everyone except Lois, of course, who is still sore over him leaving her.
Lex is also unhappy about Superman’s return, but he takes precautions by stealing a chunk of kryptonite – Superman’s one weakness – from a museum. The bald man’s plan finally fully develops as it is clear that he will sprout an island from Superman’s crystals and the kryptonite. In doing so, the entire East coast of the United States will be surmounted by water, he will own a piece of brand new land and Superman will be powerless to stop him. Lois’s curiosity lands her and her son in Lex’s clutches, as well. Even the guy that is more powerful than a locomotive may be unable to save Lois and the rest of the world from Lex this time.
It is a shame that Superman Returns is a sequel rather than a brand new franchise. Last year, Batman Begins reinvented the dark knight and the movie was one of the year’s best. It is a little difficult to pick up on the various details carried over from the last installment in the Superman saga (which was released 23 years ago). There are a number of plot holes that I will refrain from mentioning due to their integral parts in the film’s outcome. However, it is impossible for anyone that knows the Superman stories to ignore these very obvious discrepancies. Even newcomers will see a number of incongruent facts, rendering the movie’s own set of rules rather useless.
Even Superman himself suffers from the movie’s sloppiness. The Superman that most of us know would never have used his x-ray vision to spy on a private discussion between Lois and Richard in their own home, yet he does here. It gives the superhero an undesirable creepiness that Spider-Man and Batman never exhibited. Then there is the comprehensive suspension of disbelief that Superman Returns requires. Nobody draws a connection between Clark and Superman leaving and coming back at the same time. Fortunately, we do get a cute scene involving Lois’s son possibly realizing the truth when he sees Superman’s picture on a television behind Clark. Still, the other characters must be pretty dim.
Complaints aside, Superman Returns does deliver as a summer blockbuster. There are plenty amazing special effects sequences. Director Bryan Singer, who also directed the first two X-Men features, does a great job at bringing the ultimate superhero back to the big screen. It is nonstop fun and certainly exciting enough to take your breath away. Its two and a half hour running time promises an event type movie but audiences will have to settle for just a good one.
As I’ve said, there is no shame in being a good movie. However, when you are making a movie starring the most popular superhero ever created, it has to be better than good. It is the difference between liking Superman Returns and loving it. Some of the problems come prepackaged with the man of steel but there are many that are freshly produced. The long awaited motion picture has a lot of potential but falls short of greatness. It is thrilling yet it won’t blow you away, it is affecting yet it won’t seriously move you and it is fun yet it won’t linger in your mind for very long. Of course, none of this would have been a problem if the movie was titled Goodman Returns.
1 comment:
Hahaha, that was really good. I've been waiting for your review on Superman since you first mentioned it. It's very good and I'm quite impressed! :) "Two thumbs way, way up!"
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