Film Review – Superman Returns
A rousing spectacle of return
By: Rianne Hill Soriano
Starring: Brandon Routh, Kate Bosworth, Kevin Spacey, James Marsden, Parker Posey
Directed by: Bryan Singer
My statement remains. I am not obliging people to agree with this but this is my answer to the big question: “Can a Superman be out there in this world we live in really?” My answer is, “There can only be a Superman if there’s a Supervillain.” (Think about it, this quote of mine might become a classic on its own). Balance – the world keeps up with this. Yes, it is possible for a literal Superman to come into our midst, but this shall always have a counterpart on the other side – the way Newton explained the Law of Action and Reaction. Now, would you go for the ‘risky excitement’ of having to witness the world of extreme proportions or would you opt to maintain the ‘ordinary everyday life’ without the tangible Superman? Well, at this point of our timeline, the Superman epic, at least, is still within our reach – thanks to our various art forms extending and realizing our most intense human emotions and our widest imaginations.
‘Superman Returns’ soars as a breathtaking, thundering epic honoring the Superman mythos. Retaining the spirit and essence of the original comic book, it delivers a modern recreation of the caped hero, this time, in the persona of Brandon Routh – as a welcome addition to the superhero cinema archive. ‘Superman Returns’ keeps up to the legacy of every Superman movie extending a certain respect to the films prior to it. Truly, the gravity-defying myth of Superman and its cinematic rebirth is a colossal experience all over the world that even the thematic and cinematic weaknesses of this new version doesn’t give a total failure campaign because of its legendary appeal.
With the seeing of the big red “S” back on big screen during this era, film technology has undoubtedly improved so much since the superhero days of the late Christopher Reeve. The challenge to reinvigorate the comic book saga into a modern 2006 moving picture version demands the upholding of the astounding grandeur, infectious energy and fierce conviction of the Superman legacy. From the youngest children to the most grown-up folks, Superman, born in 1938, is very much alive in our present day. The Superman icon has been skillfully carried out to permanently settle into our imagination as if he were really within our midst, when in fact, he really lives within the metaphors and symbolisms of the various heroes of the world. And this may be one of the major beguiling subtext directing towards Superman’s undisputed charm to humanity. Truly, once again, the Man of Steel steals the hearts of this generation’s fans and film aficionados all over the world.
‘Superman Returns’ takes off from the hands of former ‘X-Men’ director Bryan Singer who seems to pay great respect and reverence for the mythology. He brings genuine connection to the enduring superhero of great cinematic legacy as a commanding orchestrator of a new pop and yet classic spectacle. It is apparent that there has been pressure taken as a challenge in his hands. More than utilizing first-rate and present-day special effects unavailable decades ago, Singer shows a sort of a play safe treatment in this Superman production. This makes a confusingly play safe version of conflicting timelines – showing the ‘classic past’ look and feel in the midst of mobile phones, computers and present-day technology – not justified by it being a pure work of fiction. In this light, this adaptation falls a bit short to perfection.
Singer has to deal with issues like acknowledging the thin line between revering and paying homage to an enduring icon and merely delivering on a bankable franchise: torn between it becoming a Superman classic vs. it being a purely Superman franchise. Singer pays homage by grounding a beautiful cinematic vision through its intimately solid production values. However, though this version looks more well-intentioned than just purely putting on hype to bring money in, it falls a bit short with its heavy-handed script and some weak characters. Moreover, it has nothing new and historically impressive to bring. Nevertheless, with its overall feel for the Superman fans, this one is something to look forward to after a long wait since Donner’s 1978 version.
With its magnificently mounted and gorgeously detailed visuals from Clark Kent’s Kansas home to his work place at the Daily Planet to his crystal fortress in the far, icy pole of the earth, Singer has really utilized the film language to promote exuberance for the wonder and possibility of a superhero from the young boy Kal-El renamed Clark Kent and better known as Superman. Keeping up with the Superman tradition, this new celluloid offer tickles something primitive and comforting from where the Superman ideal has originated that even the pickiest die-hard fans can get to yield to this adaptation. Encompassing the various genres as action-adventure, science fiction, fantasy and romance, this film may really spawn its own set of sequels. But I am hoping that next time around, it could be much better in terms of the quality of story and plot more yielding to the comic book fans’ perspective and faith.
Routh is like a modern combination of Christopher Reeve and Smallville’s Tom Welling. His capable performance as the iconic superhero redefines him as this generation’s new living legend. He clearly is trying to channel Reeve. More than the looks, he effectively sounds like the late Reeve. And he is effectively tough enough to face the challenge and deal with the comparison. Overall, he maintains the classic Superman essence. In a more critical fashion, he does fit the suit well. But still, he can’t fit the exact shoes. The original will always remain the pioneer. And this is where Routh falls short – to make his own effective mark as the ‘New Superman’ without ruining the Superman tradition. Indeed, this is really tough to bring on. Let us just look forward that this ultimately handsome newcomer makes his own mark in the next Superman films to come (with the trend of superhero movies nowadays, surely there would be something next).
A nostalgic hero without physical flaws except for his Kryptonite vulnerability, Routh strikes memorable iconic poses. More than his ultimate powers, his search for his real roots and knowing that he thinks and feels like a human being contribute to his charm. Under the yellow sun, he draws great power to help people from his new home, the Earth. His long search for his place in the universe emphasizes his virtual omnipotence in irony to his humanly heart that is also experiencing eternal heartbreak with his relationship with Lois Lane. And Routh as the new Superman is a delightful treat of physical perfection that seems too impossible in reality – but the film does make him one. A mannequin-looking caped superhero with airbrushed appearance and wooden body chiseled to perfection, his CGI forms apparent in the film reminds me of animated beings in the likes of ‘Final Fantasy’ movies. Truly, the digital action and looks of this film mainly marks its technical difference from its predecessors.
Lois Lane is a pure disappointment in every facet. The Superman/Clark Kent-Lois Lane bittersweet love story is not the mere problem really but the casting. Kate Bosworth does not fill in the classic shoes of a Lois Lane. If Routh considerably validates his Superman character, Bosworth is nothing but a still filler. She doesn’t give out any chemistry at all – whether as a stand alone Lois Lane or a partner of Superman. She doesn’t even get near the Lois Lane essence of Margot Kidder or the Lois Lane caliber of Teri Hatcher. With Bosworth and Routh together, they tend to feature a romance that is remotely romantic and too superficial, physically and figuratively alike.
Knowing that this new rendition of Superman composes of fresh faces in the cast, the idea works in general but Bosworth and Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor don’t promote character depth and dimension. Thus, they become small pieces of Kryptonites in the flow of the story. Undeniably, the rendition of Lex Luthor in Spacey affirms the role of Superman as our savior. But Spacey’s performance looks too struck by the fact that he is about to be a part of a classic myth. Spacey has a good filmography as a great actor. But his performance here is yet to be compared to what Gene Hackman has done in 1978. As a menacing villain as he is, he has poorly conceived his character and lays a very flat performance as Superman’s sardonic villain.
The music from the genius of John Williams carries out with a blast. Though the editing and sometimes poor pacing are not things to boast for in this film, the spectacular visuals, impressive score and great use of the film language by Singer becomes a splendid audio-visual treat.
Singer has left the ‘X-men’ franchise in favor of reliving the Superman saga. Singer’s first flight into the Superman territory keeps up to the trend of what the present technology has to offer. The IMAX version of ‘Superman Returns’ makes us the more curious of it. The overall treatment of ‘Superman Returns’ seems to be pegged into the looks of ‘Batman Begins’ and ‘Spiderman 1 and 2’ and combined with Singer’s own touches. He maintains a classic feel and adds some comic touches to the picture so that it never grows too dark and assuming and let itself yield towards what is humanly. The almost 200-minute film still catches the fanatical hearts of the legend. Keeping a balance between the old school look and the 21st century sensibility, the film works without using the same hype as what the ‘Da Vinci Code’ film has chosen to do. As a legendary tale of all time, it merely maintains its epic status as a lyrical movie on its own. But although Singer knows style and grace and he delivers here, Christopher Nolan in his overhaul of the Batman myth in ‘Batman Begins’ is still on top for me.
‘Superman Returns’ continues the tradition. Singer puts allegories of Superman in parallelism to Christ as God’s only son. For the fans and aficionados, the film’s message is to become your own Superman for yourself and others.
Overall, it’s Brilliant, it’s Superb, it’s definitely Superman.
![[Valid RSS]](valid-rss.png "Validate my RSS feed")
