The world doesn’t need a savior…until something like 9/11 happens or 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 he didn’t prevent these sorrows, and how he could allow such suffering and pain.

We don’t need a savior as long as life is good; but when things go wrong, we need someone to blame – and perhaps, deep inside of us, we long for someone to 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, convincing themself they never really needed him in the first place. But in Superman Returns, it seemed to me that the only one who’d learned to live without him was Lois Lane. Perhaps the rest of the world had moved on, too, but we’re never really shown that, and it’s one of the minor things that hinder this movie from achieving true greatness.

However, where X-Men: The Last Stand was shallow, Superman Returns is a meaty feast-though there are missed opportunities for drama. For example, 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 heundertook in finally bringing the world’s greatest superhero back to the big screen, Bryan Singer's done an excellent job.

I’ll try not to waste time covering what others already have, but we still need to address the big question: can Brandon Routh truly be Superman? I think he did a very competent job. He emulates a lot of what Christopher Reeve did with Clark and Superman, but also adds a subtle edge to the character. Routh’s Superman may lack the gentle confidence and self-assuredness of Reeve's Superman (and unfortunately, Clark Kent comes off more as an after thought) but Routh does an admirable job with what he’s given. It almost feels as if the director and writer weren’t sure of what to do with Kent. So, yes, Routh is a good Superman, but he needs to grow into the part and he needs more to do as Clark Kent.

As for Kate Bosworth, she didn't feel like Lois Lane to me, and it has nothing to do with how young she looks. I’m not sure if it was the writing or the performance, but her Lois Lane was flat. The tension between Lois and Superman over his disappearance didn’t resonate as strongly as it would have had Lois been a stronger character. The romantic chemistry is there, but it lacks the spark and electricity of the original.

Then there’s Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor, who brings a darker edge to the campy Gene Hackman role that feels just right. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have much screen time, and many scenes felt detached from the rest of the film and rushed (of course he was only available for six weeks of shooting, so that may explain it). Lex’s showdown with Superman also lacked punch, which is unfortunate because it’s one of the most anticipated scenes. Maybe it was to preserve the PG-13 rating, but Lex’s faceoff against Superman could have been darker, more brutal and thus more emotionally powerful. It feels like 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.

Continue: 1 2