Superman Returns on DVD (2006)

RJTaylor from London , 30/06/2006

The Man of Steel returns, and on excellent form. Starting with a brief explanation as to why he's been away so long, and a short recap of his origins to get the youngsters up to speed, Superman Returns is a whizz-bang comic book action flick that is very hard not to like.

Directed with flair, and shot in a wonderfully comic-book style, everyone on screen seems to be having a tremendous time. There is clever use of footage of Marlon Brando as Jor-El, shot at the time of the original Superman, as well as a great update of the familiar credit sequence and a rejeuvenated score by John Williams.

There are plenty of plot surprises and a great script, including one very slick use of the Bird/Plane/Superman cliche, and the notable change from, 'Truth, Justice and the American Way,' to 'Truth, Justice and... All That Stuff' (Apparently 'The American Way' doesn't hold the same connotations that it used to. Can't think why.) A few flashes of dark humour are also welcome additions.

The downside? Well, the film is awash with corporate logos, branding and product mentions, and it would have been nice if it had been just a wee bit shorter. There are also some rather unsubtle parallels drawn between Superman and Christ which had me puzzled. (Is it really necessary to throw the political hot-potato of religion into a comic-book fantasy?)

But they're minor detractors and easily ignored. On the whole, Superman Returns fully deserves to be the summer blockbuster it looks set to become. See it on a very, very big screen.

  33 out of 45 people found this review helpful

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Mbub from Westbury, Wilts , 12/06/2007

The 'man of steel' returns after a 5 year mission to find his home planet, only to find things have changed since he's been gone. This was a big disappointment for me, Superman is my favorite superhero, but this movie did him no justice at all. It had hardly any action, but it tumbled along on the Superman/Lois love theme. Sorry but this had already been covered on the TV series and didn't need to be gone into anymore. What was needed was a NEW enemy and alot more better action. If you love Superman, but not the love side, give this a miss.

  22 out of 25 people found this review helpful

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LazarusMunkey from Wednesbury [Highly rated reviewer] , 17/07/2006

Oh, I expected so much from this, especially following all of the glowing reviews but, alas, it does not deliver.

It's no stinker by any stretch of the imagination, the effects are good and it is funny in places, Spacey is obviously enjoying himself as Lex Luthor and the script has some real zingers.

Unfortunately, the problems are legion.

It is at least twenty minutes too long with some scenes dragging badly and the climactic showdown is no match for the Space Shuttle segment. The problem is that you get no real sense of the supposed global catastophe that is about to ensue, there is no sense of danger. Given that Luthor's plan is a revamp of the first films scheme, you would think that Singer would have had a decent template to work from but he muddles it. Admit it, aren't you a little bored with the 'Baddie Gets Kryptonite' plot to defeat Superman, surely the writers can dream of other ways to put him in peril.

Now we come to the films biggest failing, Brandon Routh. True, he had some difficult boots to fill and it must have been daunting and I'm sure he makes a better Superman that the originally-touted Nic Cage. To be honest, the problem is not with Routh as Superman who is, in fairness, a boring character, the problem is his performance as Clark Kent. Christopher Reeve was not a great actor but he absolutely nailed Clark Kent. He knew that Kent is the heart of the film, the clumsiness, the likability, the fruitless pursuit of Lois Lane and even the jealousy of his alter-ego, Reeve created a wonderfully different character but maintained the links to Superman. Routh cannot manage this, his Kent is Superman with glasses on, humourless and tedious.

Most of the issues can be addressed for the inevitable sequel but, unless Routh learns to act, the worst one could cripple it.

  16 out of 21 people found this review helpful

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Frodo from Glasgow, Scotland , 19/07/2006

...I want to be Superman!

  16 out of 25 people found this review helpful

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KingWalshington from Brixham [Highly rated reviewer] , 10/08/2008

I thought the whole superman thing was dorky and had nothing on Batman. Well this film rocked. Brilliant action scenes, addictive story and so glad i rented and watched this film. Recomend to all and worth watching several times.

  1 out of 1 person found this review helpful

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Ian Hiles from North East England , 11/08/2008

Superman returns? From where? Why did he go in the first place? This is answered quite early in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it exchange, rendering the remainder of the film redundant. That wouldn't be too bad if it was an enjoyable romp along the lines of Superman II (yes, I do like it) but this reboot is too heavy in its own mythology to crack a knowing smile at the stupidity of it all. (He wears tights and a cape, for gawd's sake! Why bother with realism?) More concerned with angst than action, this flick plods along as the antithesis of a speeding bullet. And with the awful Smallville on at least one channel at any time of the day, do we really need an origins 101 to clog things up? I could've watched half a series of Curb Your Enthusiasm in the time it takes this to get to its inevitable conclusion. (Not-so-spoiler-alert: Superman wins.) To make matters worse, it's not a full reboot a la Batman Begins. Clark Kent is Christopher Reeve's Clark Kent and Lex Luthor is Gene Hackman's Lex. If Heath Ledger did an impersonation of Jack Nicholson would everyone be raving about him? So, Mr Singer, watch those films you made when you were fresh and original, and return to them - leave the cinematic prostitution to the kids who need to pay their way through college. Oh, and for future instalments: Superman, it's about time you pre-empted the fact the baddies aren't even going to fart without having a shedload of Kryptonite to hand. It'll save us all a lot of grief.

  1 out of 1 person found this review helpful

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