RETURNS
Movie Reviews
Bryan Singer, director of “Superman Returns” abandoned the “X-Men” franchise in order to revive the man of steel, leaving Brett Ratner to pick up the reigns for “X-Men: The Last Stand.” In that single move, the sheer quality of the “X-Men” films went dramatically down.
So, in a weird sort of way, “Superman Returns” is the “X-Men: The Last Stand” that never was. Singer’s abilities as a director and conceptual artist far surpass Ratner’s. Watch the two films in a short timeframe, and that is highly evident.
Singer’s “Superman” is vast in story and in action. Its mythology stretches back to the comics it’s based on and the movies whose story it’s continuing. For those of us who have not seen the prior movies or read the comics, the movie leaves us with a subtle, appropriate taste of mystery. We get short, jagged clips of Marlon Brando giving instructions about some crystals. There’s an awkward, stunted relationship between Clark and his mother (Eva Marie Saint). Lex Luther has powers, it seems, but we’re not really sure what they are. All of these subjects are surely discussed in the comics or movies.
That feeling of mystery also produces a sense of faithfulness to Superman. His costume didn’t really get an update and he still stands for truth and justice and all that good stuff.
The film picks up five years after astronomers claimed to have found the planet Krypton. This alleged discovery prompted Superman to visit his home planet, and he’s just now returned. So has – duh – Clark Kent. It’d be unfortunate for Clark if his coworkers at the Daily Planet were as aware of this coincidence as we are.
When Clark returns, he hopes Lois Lane (Kate Bosworth) is still in love with Superman because that would mean, by pure technicality, that she is also still in love with him. Instead, he returns to find out that Lois has a “serious” boyfriend and a son. That stings.
Of all the characters in the film, I think Bosworth’s Lois Lane has the most dialogue. This comes as a surprise as, ironically, Superman/Clark Kent probably has roughly thirty percent less to say.
Maybe that was planned because Brandon Routh is Superman, and he’s a newcomer. Does he fit the part? Fit really has nothing to do with it. I gathered from what little he said that Routh is at least a sufficient Superman. There’s a great scene atop the roof of the daily planner when Lois encounters Superman for their first hear-to-heart talk since his return. Again, Bosworth talks most of the time, but Routh is subtly sincere in his delivery.
And then there is Kevin Spacey as Lex Luther. Spacey soaks up everything that comes with a villain: the eccentricities, the sadism, the frankness, and, of course, the sure-fire plan to destroy some large city/country/continent with misinterpreted justification from historical figures. And Spacey does it all very well.
Perhaps the only mistake that occurred as far as the actors go was to cast Eva Marie Saint and then give her little more than five minutes of screen time.
“Superman Returns” keeps on returning for a running time of about two hours and thirty-five minutes. Is it too long? Not by a long shot. Singer’s direction is sharp and refined and provides the film enough visual flair to keep us watching even when nothing is happening. The special effects are the feat to beat this summer, giving us the kind of eye-popping stunts we crave when it’s hot outside. And if nothing else, “Superman Returns” is the most visually beautiful film since Peter Jackson’s “King Kong.” *** ˝