Superman Returns (2006)
Grade:A-
The superhero genre has become as much of a staple in mainstream cinema as the romantic comedy has. In fact, in mulling over my thoughts before writing this review, I kept thinking about The Lake House. In that review, I essentially said that the premise either works or it doesn’t. That’s where I am about superhero films. You either buy that these superheroes are, well, super, or you don’t.
The recent Spider-Man films have focused on trying to sell their story as reality. Spider-Man 2 was largely Peter Parker’s struggle between his powers and a normal life. Then we have Bryan Singer’s new entry into the genre: Superman Returns. For those unfamiliar with the backstory, Superman is essentially an alien, sent to Earth as the last survivor from his planet. Right there from the premise, this is a film that is fantasy, no matter how much you try to spin it into realism.
Some have called Superman bland, simply because he is virtually indestructable, save for his one weakness: kryptonite. But from his super-strength and his super-speed and his ability to fly, Singer and screenwriters Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris have crafted a summer blockbuster that is truly stunning from a visual standpoint, and pretty solid from an emotional standpoint. It’s amazing that the filmmakers have managed to make a bullet-proof superhero be vulnerable, when all is said and done.
After a quick summation of the history of Superman, we are introduced to Lex Luthor (Kevin Spacey) who has just swindled millions of dollars from a dying woman in order to fund his latest evil plan (more on that later). Then, at the Kent farm, Superman arrives on a spaceship after a five-year hiatus. After Earth scientists discovered the remnants of his home planet, he decided to go and take a look for himself, just in case there’s a… well, it’s never really quite explained with much emphasis what his true purpose was. He was gone because the screenplay needed him to have been gone for five years.
But no matter. Liberties can be taken with the story. While away, Lois Lane (Kate Bosworth) has had a child (who is five-years-old now: coincidence?) and is engaged to Richard White (James Marsden) whom she works with at the Daily Planet in Metropolis. Upon Superman’s return, her Pulitzer Prize-winning artilce “Why the World Doesn’t Need Superman” becomes a tad ironic (not to mention a tad awkward, also, once she meets up with him again).
Why does the world need Superman? It’s apparent that director Singer has a great passion for the earlier films and there are countless homages to them throughout. But on a broader scale, why another superhero movie? Singer doesn’t try to do anything terribly innovative with the genre; he merely sets out to make an extremely-competent entry in the genre.
Even though the film isn’t that innovative, it does provide for some spectacularly conceived and executed action sequences, as well as the best special effects I’ve seen in a superhero film. Here’s a film where there are more effects than I could pay attention to, and that’s why they work. I wasn’t trying too hard to figure out what was an effect and what wasn’t: it was all so seamless that it was hard to tell. One scene that comes to mind is a night flight that Lois and Superman take through Metropolis. It’s simply stunning. They also get the flying scenes perfect, making them realistic with nary a hint of a green screen in sight. The action, while there isn’t much of it (surprisingly), isn’t mindless, and for once doesn’t rely on seeing faceless guards get gunned down over and over again.
Lex Luthor’s “Evil Plan” concerns using crystals from Superman’s Fortress of Solitude as a means of terraforming the Earth to create his own continent which he can then develop. The plan is convoluted and not too bright, but when delivered with such gusto by Spacey, it’s hard to take anything Lex Luthor says as anything but serious. Whatever scheme he comes up with seems plausible coming from Spacey (Parker Posey also pops up as his sidekick and she has a great time, managing to steal scenes from Spacey).
As Lois Lane, Kate Bosworth is an interesting choice (and that’s not a backhanded criticism). For having a five-year-old son and having just won a Pulitzer, she seems awfully young for the part, and that works against her as she tries to play the role of serious and tough reporter. However, Bosworth is a talented young actress, and she does a fine job here. When she says she doesn’t need a savior anymore in Superman, we can’t help but agree with her for a moment.
Then we get to Brandon Routh as Superman. Can he or can’t he act? In this reviewer’s opinion, he’s just fine. He isn’t spectacular, but he keeps a straight face while flying through the skies and while putting out large fires with his breath alone (for selling that moment he should be given a free pass to his next film project). Perhaps a little more subtlety would have been appreciated in the role, and I never quite bought what the conflict was other than that he like, really really really wanted Lois to pick him. (Yeah, we all have problems.) But, that’s more of a fault with the screenplay than with the performance. I’d like to see what he chooses for his next project and then we’ll get back to the can he act? question.
Overall, at a hearty 145 minutes, Superman Returns is surprisingly sketchy in some parts. A museum heist and a simultaneous car crash only make sense after the fact and a lot of the mythology behind how these crystals work and where Superman came from (and most notably, why he left for five years) just isn’t fleshed out very thoroughly. However, Bryan Singer has crafted a handsome entry in the superhero genre, and he gets a lot more right than he gets wrong; if you’re willing to accept a lot of the facts and story without too much explanation, this is a great, fun summer movie.
Bottom Line:
Bryan Singer’s Superman Returns is a smart entry in the superhero genre. It doesn’t do anything terribly innovative with the genre, but who cares? The cast is solid, the action is spectacular, and overall, this is a great time at the cinema if you’re willing to resist over-analyzing plot points.
© 2004-2009 Ben Waldorf. Posted June 26, 2006. IMDB