‘Superman Returns’ With Flaws
‘Superman Returns’ is par for the course as far as most summer 2006 movies are concerned. It’s good, but not great. It’s a lot of fun, but not quite edifying. ‘Returns’ has apparently been worked on by many different people over the last several years – and it’s telling. The film is choc full of storylines and events that sometimes don’t interconnect. But they’re interesting, exciting, and thoughtful nonetheless.
‘Returns’ straddles innovation and faithfulness, resulting in an ambitious film that picks up where past ‘Superman’ movies left off. I kind of enjoyed the nostalgic angle (as opposed to fresh takes on a franchise, like ‘Batman Begins’). I did hear audience members say they’ve seen this stuff before, and want something new. Oh, well. I still liked it.
After leaving earth to verify the destruction of his native Krypton, Superman returns to a world that has learned to live without him. In particular, his romantic interest Lois Lane is raising a son with her fiancée. Also returning to society is conniving Lex Luthor, who is bent on profiting from Superman’s powers. Luthor’s newest get rich quick scheme could potentially endanger billions of the world’s inhabitants. Superman’s goal is to stop Lex Luthor. Or is it to once again protect the entire world? It could also be to find a Kryptonian like himself. Then again, it could be to win back Lois Lane’s heart…
Superman’s flurry of demands and goals makes for an exciting, but kind of unsatisfying piece of cinema. With a protagonist dealing with so many issues upon arrival, we see a lot of what he does, but don’t have much time to get inside his head. We see Superman racing to save Lois Lane from a danger also threatening an entire city. But we don’t even see him make a choice – we just see him go save the city. But perhaps returning to life after any excursion is overwhelming, and maybe this film captures that.
Or maybe the film’s huge scope and runtime is to blame. At nearly 3 hours, ‘Returns’ is another of increasingly long film releases. I’ve heard that directors are increasingly writing clauses in their contracts stating the director has control over the film’s final edit. If this is the case with ‘Superman,’ it explains why it feels like a director’s cut. And as much as I liked most scenes in this film, some could have been left out.
But there are several reasons to like this movie, including the casting and special effects. The two lead actors turn in the most enjoyable performances. First, youthful Brandon Routh plays Superman very similarly to Christopher Reeves. His speech, mannerisms, and goofiness as Clark Kent all play well and hold up to scrutiny. Even his flying body language is spot on, thanks to a “movement coach.” Even more fun to watch is Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor. Where Gene Hackman of past ‘Superman’s’ was gruff, Spacey is darkly flamboyant. Notice that Luthor portrays giddiness most of the time while hardly ever smiling. Spacey once again proves he’s among the best actors of his generation.
Also noteworthy of ‘Superman’ is it’s technical prowess. It feels like technology has finally caught up with the Superman story. Time now can slow down for us to see Superman literally outrun a speeding bullet. The camera can easily move from space to earth in one take. The action sequences overflow in this film, and they are simply impressive. It wouldn’t surprise me if ‘Returns’ takes home some technical Oscars.
‘Superman’ is an iconic, complex character that seems made for the movies. He’s the geek by day, stud by night that us ordinary folks would like to be. I hope there are more ‘Superman’s’ made – only next time, with more focus.
B+