Directed by: Bryan Singer

Written by: Michael Dougherty (screenplay), Dan Harris (screenplay), Bryan Singer (story)

Based on the classic DC Comics character created by Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster

Starring: Brandon Routh, Kevin Spacey, Kate Bosworth, James Marsden, Parker Posey, Frank Langella, Sam Huntington, Eva Marie Saint, Marlon Brando (archive footage), Kal Penn

Distributed by Warner Bros.

Released on July 14th 2006

Review by Matt Holmes

You can tell that Bryan Singer loved what Richard Donner did with Superman in the 70’s. Every shot, piece of dialogue and musical score is a homage to the great Richard Donner movie. Superman Returns is clearly made by someone who was having the time of their life and is not so much a new start for Superman like Batman enjoyed last year under Christopher Nolan, it’s a continuation right from where Superman II left off.

This is Superman II.5: Superman Returns.

Quite shocking when Warner Bros. got it so right with Batman Begins last year and the fanboys are still buzzing over “the right way” to do a comic book superhero on film. This is a franchise that could have done with a new restart… why this wasn’t called Superman Begins, Superman: Rebirth, Superman: The Man of Steel or something that defines this character as being new is beyond me.

Out of all the failed Superman projects over the past few years. I’m not sure one has been as confused as this one.

Credits role and we see a very elaborate but very impressive sequence involving the destruction of the planet Krypton. I don’t know but there is always something about seeing a planet destroyed that makes me feel uneasy when in the cinema, but I liked it. I got goosebumps straight away, I don’t think I’ve ever been transported back in time by a sequence like this in history.

From there we hear the first sounds of the classic John Williams score, and the familiar sequence of the names of the cast and crew flying towards the screen. We see that Bryan Singer directed, produced and helped write the film, his name is all over the movie. Surely the guy who created the X-Men cinematic franchise and the The Usual Suspects will knock it out of the water.

Well he didn’t. Superman Returns is such a huge disappointment and a film from a director who is drunk in love with past cinematic incarnations of the character and it stayed so close to Richard Donner’s production that at times you could be mistaken for thinking this movie was a re-make. Every action or line of dialogue from the new Supes Brandon Routh was merely an imitation of the great Christopher Reeve. Hell he even used the many one liners of the original (”still the safest way to fly”, “you know you shouldn’t smoke Lois”) which whilst bringing a smile the first time gets very annoying and repetitive the second, third and fourth.

That’s the biggest problem I have with the movie, is that it stayed way to close to the original two movies, whilst not being a remake. This for me just makes the movie completely pointless because you can’t replicate the magic of a great movie like the original Superman during the 70’s, so your movie is always going to come up short.

Another problem with the timeline of the film coming after Superman II, is that Lois and Superman look so much younger than they did in the original two movies. It makes it difficult for me to believe that Superman is already this established hero or that Lois is the world’s greatest reporter when they are so very very young.

Kevin Spacey is hit and miss as Lex Luthor for me, often drifting in and out of various persona’s… a confused performance from a great actor who has been directed by his friend Singer into imitating Gene Hackman. Lex Luthor’s plans to destroy America with crystals lacks any logic, and is searingly similar to Gene Hackman’s plot in Superman.

There is alot of good in this movie though. I extremely enjoyed the confrontation between Spacey and Routh, which was the most exciting and extremely well shot scene of the whole movie. It’s the first time of the movie that you truly get emotionally involved and really believe Lex Luthor is a total bad-ass. However it doesn’t last long, but for that one scene you believe in this film.

I also enjoyed the incredible action set pieces with the aeroplane and the action involving the destroying of metropolis. These were exciting and not rushed, given lots of time to breath and were gloriously entertaining. The moment when he secures the safety of the passengers in the baseball stadium and he gets a standing ovation from the crowd is breathtaking. What other character could you ever do something like that with?

Brandon Routh I actually quite enjoyed as Superman. He has a nice blending of Christopher Reeve about him but also a new focus and take on the character, with a confidence about him when he is wearing the tights and the great vulnerability to Clark Kent that Reeve could always capture beautifully. I just wish that the film was more about him than Lois Lane’s emotional dramas and the saga of Spacey… with some real meaty lines Routh could have led this movie to really heavy heights. I’m looking forward to him getting another go.

Kate Bosworth? She ain’t no Margot Kidder that’s for sure and not once did I see her as Lois Lane whilst watching the movie. She wasn’t feisty or strong minded enough.

Frank Langella as Perry White was bland, giving the character no quirky trademarks which make or break that type of character for me. James Marsden’s character? I totally didn’t understand what he was all about. Surely he should be pissed when it’s Superman who keeps saving his family and not him. Lois clearly is in love with Superman but he never gets angry about it or causes any conflict, they really missed the boat with another interesting plot line there with not adding any conflict.

For once, the casting of a Singer movie seemed totally off-cue but then again, the full movie feels like that.

If this series is going to continue, I’m desperate to see Superman fight a villain of real weight. Not another Lex Luthor movie and something that forgets Lois Lane for once. Let’s see a vulnerable Superman who has to fight someone who could match him for strength, I’m sick of seeing these Superman movies disect the same themes and situations time and time again.

Don’t go into this movie expecting another Spider-Man or Batman Begins because you are simply not going to get it. How Warner Bros. allowed Singer to go the full nostalgic route, just a year after Batman Begins breathed life into a dead superhero character is beyond me.

Still it’s well made and mildly enjoyable. Hence the 3 stars.