Superman Returns
The world doesn’t need a savior…until something like 9/11 happens or when a hurricane like Katrina devastates the country. Then the savior we didn’t need goes from non-existent to scapegoat. We ask where was he, why didn’t he prevent this, how could he allow such suffering and pain. We don’t need savior, as long as life is good; but when things go wrong, then we need someone to blame – and perhaps, deep inside of us, we long for someone to come and rescue us and make the world right again. Perhaps, even though we don’t want to admit it, we really do need a savior. Yes, when tragedy strikes, it looks like a job for…
Superman Returns is a story of what happens when messiahs come back, or so says director Bryan Singer. The new film features a world that has learned to live without Superman, and in fact, has convinced themselves that they never really needed Superman in the first place. At least that’s the premise, but in watching Superman Returns, it seemed to me that the only one who felt like she’d learned to live without Superman (or at least tried to) was Lois Lane. Now, perhaps the rest of the world had moved on, but we’re never really shown that; which is just one of the many minor things about this movie that hinder it from achieving true greatness. However, where X-Men was shallow, Superman is a meaty feast, but there are definitely some missed opportunities for drama; like what would it be like if Superman had to regain the trust of an entire world and not just one heartsick and bitter reporter. Still, considering the unwieldy project that Bryan Singer undertook in finally brining the world’s greatest superhero back the big screen, he’s done an excellent job.
So much has already written about this movie that I’ll try not to waste much time covering what others (more capably) have already done, but we still need to address the big question; can Brandon Routh truly be Superman. Well, I think he did a very competent job. He emulates a lot of what Christopher Reeves did with Clark and Superman, but also adds a subtle edge to the character. However, Routh’s Superman lacked the gentle confidence and self-assuredness of Reeves’ Superman and unfortunately, the Clark Kent character comes off as a mere after thought in this film. Routh does an admirable job with what he’s give to do, again mirroring much of what Reeves did, but the character just doesn’t have a lot to do with the film. It almost feels as if the director and writer knew that in a Superman story Clark Kent had to be in it somewhere, but they weren’t entirely sure of what to do with him. So yes, I think Brandon Routh was a good choice to play Superman, although he needs to grow into the part a little bit, and he definitely needs more to do as Clark Kent.
As for Kate Bosworth, well, she just doesn’t feel like Lois Lane to me, and it has nothing really to do with how young she looks. I’m not sure if it was the writing or the performance, but this Lois Lane was a bit flat. The supposed tension between Lois and Superman over his disappearance didn’t resonate quite as strongly as it could have because Lois wasn’t as strong of a character. As for the romantic chemistry, it’s there, but it lacks the spark and electricity found in the original.
Then there’s Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor. He brings a darker edge to the campy Gene Hackman role, and it just feels right. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have a whole lot of screen time, and much of his scenes felt somewhat detached from the rest of the film and even a little rushed (of course he was only available for six weeks of shooting, so that may explain it). Lex’s showdown with Superman also lacked a certain punch, which is unfortunate because it’s one of the scenes we really anticipate through the whole film. I don’t know if it was to preserve the PG-13 rating, but when Lex faces off against Superman, I thought it could have been a bit darker and more brutal and thereby much more emotionally powerful. I’m not saying it was a bad scene, but it feels as though Singer and company held back. Spacey doesn’t quite steal the show like I thought he would, but he does a great job embodying one of Superman’s deadliest foes.
Now, there’s been a lot of buzz in the media of late about the parallels between Superman and Jesus, and Superman Returns doesn’t downplay this aspect of the character. Although the messianic references aren’t overly blatant or preachy, they’re unabashedly obvious. While one might think that the message of this movie is that we really do need a savior, that conclusion is left in doubt at the end of the film. Despite everything that happens, despite all that Superman does to save the day, at the end of the film we see Lois Lane - the person who was most jaded at Superman’s departure – sitting at her computer writing an article entitled “Why the World Needs Superman.� The page, however, is blank, and Lois is unable to write anything, suggesting perhaps that even after all that’s happened, she’s still not ready to accept her need for a savior. How like all of us that is. After 9/11 and hurricane Katrina, we wondered where God was and why He didn’t do anything, but the truth is, even if He had miraculously intervened, it still wouldn’t be enough for some people. You see, our need for a savior goes far beyond just needing someone to get us out of trouble. We need a savior who will be there all the time, not just when we’re in trouble or facing a crisis, and not even Superman can do that. We need a friend; a friend who will always be there. One who doesn’t only save, but also guides and comforts and assures and loves. Superman returned to world that said it didn’t need him, and yet when he listened, all he could hear was a world crying out for a savior. Our world is doing the same, and some day our Savior will return, but until that day, He’s available right now to meet each every person, to meet with you and be with you on a daily basis. Only one person, one Hero, one God-man can meet that need; so this looks like a job for…
If you’ve seen the trailers, you pretty much know what this movie is all about plot-wise, but unlike many films where you learn everything you need to know from the previews, Superman Returns is definitely worth seeing. There are some spectacular actions scenes, amazing special effects, and the movie definitely brings back the awe of Superman. It could have been shorter by eliminating some totally unnecessary scenes, and dragged on at the end, so it doesn’t have much of a punch and instead just kind of fizzles. The one thing I really didn’t like was the introduction of the kid. He was obviously a plot device, but he didn’t do much for the plot and the device never really did anything. It was pointless, and it adds a new wrinkle to everything that left me wondering what they’re going to do with it in future sequels. I think they may have written themselves into a corner with this little twist, and as a Superman fan, it just didn’t feel “right� to me to begin with.
Ok, so after all of that, you’re probably thinking that I didn’t like Superman Returns, right? Not true. I though it was a really good movie. DC has once again put out a movie that isn’t just a good comic book movie, it’s quite simply a really good movie that happens to be based on a comic book. It definitely aspires to be among the greats such as Spider-Man 2, Batman Begins (which I still think is better, but I’m biased) or even the original Superman film, and for the most part it fulfills those aspirations. There were such high expectatiosn for this film that it would be impossible for it to live up to them. It's not the let down like Stars Wars Episode I, but it's also not quite the success like Batman Begins. It's more like Narnia, it's good but it could have been and should have been better. It brushes the edge of almost using too much from the original film and it doesn’t quite seem sure of how to leave things at the end, but there are some awe inspiring moments and it definitely demonstrates why we think of Superman as the world’s greatest superhero. Superman Returns is a spectacle that you don’t want to miss on the big screen; so look, up on the screen…
Superman Returns is a story of what happens when messiahs come back, or so says director Bryan Singer. The new film features a world that has learned to live without Superman, and in fact, has convinced themselves that they never really needed Superman in the first place. At least that’s the premise, but in watching Superman Returns, it seemed to me that the only one who felt like she’d learned to live without Superman (or at least tried to) was Lois Lane. Now, perhaps the rest of the world had moved on, but we’re never really shown that; which is just one of the many minor things about this movie that hinder it from achieving true greatness. However, where X-Men was shallow, Superman is a meaty feast, but there are definitely some missed opportunities for drama; like what would it be like if Superman had to regain the trust of an entire world and not just one heartsick and bitter reporter. Still, considering the unwieldy project that Bryan Singer undertook in finally brining the world’s greatest superhero back the big screen, he’s done an excellent job.
So much has already written about this movie that I’ll try not to waste much time covering what others (more capably) have already done, but we still need to address the big question; can Brandon Routh truly be Superman. Well, I think he did a very competent job. He emulates a lot of what Christopher Reeves did with Clark and Superman, but also adds a subtle edge to the character. However, Routh’s Superman lacked the gentle confidence and self-assuredness of Reeves’ Superman and unfortunately, the Clark Kent character comes off as a mere after thought in this film. Routh does an admirable job with what he’s give to do, again mirroring much of what Reeves did, but the character just doesn’t have a lot to do with the film. It almost feels as if the director and writer knew that in a Superman story Clark Kent had to be in it somewhere, but they weren’t entirely sure of what to do with him. So yes, I think Brandon Routh was a good choice to play Superman, although he needs to grow into the part a little bit, and he definitely needs more to do as Clark Kent.
As for Kate Bosworth, well, she just doesn’t feel like Lois Lane to me, and it has nothing really to do with how young she looks. I’m not sure if it was the writing or the performance, but this Lois Lane was a bit flat. The supposed tension between Lois and Superman over his disappearance didn’t resonate quite as strongly as it could have because Lois wasn’t as strong of a character. As for the romantic chemistry, it’s there, but it lacks the spark and electricity found in the original.
Then there’s Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor. He brings a darker edge to the campy Gene Hackman role, and it just feels right. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have a whole lot of screen time, and much of his scenes felt somewhat detached from the rest of the film and even a little rushed (of course he was only available for six weeks of shooting, so that may explain it). Lex’s showdown with Superman also lacked a certain punch, which is unfortunate because it’s one of the scenes we really anticipate through the whole film. I don’t know if it was to preserve the PG-13 rating, but when Lex faces off against Superman, I thought it could have been a bit darker and more brutal and thereby much more emotionally powerful. I’m not saying it was a bad scene, but it feels as though Singer and company held back. Spacey doesn’t quite steal the show like I thought he would, but he does a great job embodying one of Superman’s deadliest foes.
Now, there’s been a lot of buzz in the media of late about the parallels between Superman and Jesus, and Superman Returns doesn’t downplay this aspect of the character. Although the messianic references aren’t overly blatant or preachy, they’re unabashedly obvious. While one might think that the message of this movie is that we really do need a savior, that conclusion is left in doubt at the end of the film. Despite everything that happens, despite all that Superman does to save the day, at the end of the film we see Lois Lane - the person who was most jaded at Superman’s departure – sitting at her computer writing an article entitled “Why the World Needs Superman.� The page, however, is blank, and Lois is unable to write anything, suggesting perhaps that even after all that’s happened, she’s still not ready to accept her need for a savior. How like all of us that is. After 9/11 and hurricane Katrina, we wondered where God was and why He didn’t do anything, but the truth is, even if He had miraculously intervened, it still wouldn’t be enough for some people. You see, our need for a savior goes far beyond just needing someone to get us out of trouble. We need a savior who will be there all the time, not just when we’re in trouble or facing a crisis, and not even Superman can do that. We need a friend; a friend who will always be there. One who doesn’t only save, but also guides and comforts and assures and loves. Superman returned to world that said it didn’t need him, and yet when he listened, all he could hear was a world crying out for a savior. Our world is doing the same, and some day our Savior will return, but until that day, He’s available right now to meet each every person, to meet with you and be with you on a daily basis. Only one person, one Hero, one God-man can meet that need; so this looks like a job for…
If you’ve seen the trailers, you pretty much know what this movie is all about plot-wise, but unlike many films where you learn everything you need to know from the previews, Superman Returns is definitely worth seeing. There are some spectacular actions scenes, amazing special effects, and the movie definitely brings back the awe of Superman. It could have been shorter by eliminating some totally unnecessary scenes, and dragged on at the end, so it doesn’t have much of a punch and instead just kind of fizzles. The one thing I really didn’t like was the introduction of the kid. He was obviously a plot device, but he didn’t do much for the plot and the device never really did anything. It was pointless, and it adds a new wrinkle to everything that left me wondering what they’re going to do with it in future sequels. I think they may have written themselves into a corner with this little twist, and as a Superman fan, it just didn’t feel “right� to me to begin with.
Ok, so after all of that, you’re probably thinking that I didn’t like Superman Returns, right? Not true. I though it was a really good movie. DC has once again put out a movie that isn’t just a good comic book movie, it’s quite simply a really good movie that happens to be based on a comic book. It definitely aspires to be among the greats such as Spider-Man 2, Batman Begins (which I still think is better, but I’m biased) or even the original Superman film, and for the most part it fulfills those aspirations. There were such high expectatiosn for this film that it would be impossible for it to live up to them. It's not the let down like Stars Wars Episode I, but it's also not quite the success like Batman Begins. It's more like Narnia, it's good but it could have been and should have been better. It brushes the edge of almost using too much from the original film and it doesn’t quite seem sure of how to leave things at the end, but there are some awe inspiring moments and it definitely demonstrates why we think of Superman as the world’s greatest superhero. Superman Returns is a spectacle that you don’t want to miss on the big screen; so look, up on the screen…
