Superman Returns Reviewed
I saw Superman Returns on Saturday evening, and the one word that sums the film up is generic. Superman Returns is far from a bad film- it’s biggest problem is that it runs a bit long at 2 and half hours- but it ultimately is a bit bland, adding nothing new to the Superman mythos. It probably also didn’t help that the film was entirely bloodless (no doubt to make it more kiddie friendly). Characters get thrown around and stabbed and there’s not a drop of blood in sight…
Figuratively, the film is pretty bloodless as well. The promised ‘emotional’ impact is missing. This said, I didn’t find anything seriously wrong with the performances. Although his character actually seems to fade as a focal point in the last 3rd of the film, Routh is a great Superman (and a hottie in his tights), and a worthy successor to Christopher Reeve, and I would have loved to see more of him as shy alter ego Clark Kent, particularly in interactions with Lois Lane.
Kate Bosworth is a passable Lois Lane but she’s very generic in comparison to spunky Margot Kidder in the original films, who remains ‘my’ Lois Lane. Show stealers though were Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor (who, apart from a few scenes, managed to refrain from being over-the-top) and the always brilliant Parker Posey as Pomeranian-hugging henchwoman Kitty Koslowski. Their interactions have the same spark as those of The Joker and Harley Quinn in Batman: The Animated Series, and add humour to the film.
Perhaps it’s too early to say this, but with the sequel already promised, I have a feeling that the new Superman series could be like director Bryan Singer’s X-Men twosome, where emotional complexity and resonance clicks into place into the second film. In fact, Superman and Superman II back in the last 1970s and early 1980s, were exactly the same in terms of set-up and execution.
As it stands Superman Returns is solid blockbuster entertainment, with some exciting action sequences, and excellent special effects. And doesn’t leave a bad taste in your mouth in terms of how characters are handled, which X-Men 3 did. A solid 7 out of 10.
Figuratively, the film is pretty bloodless as well. The promised ‘emotional’ impact is missing. This said, I didn’t find anything seriously wrong with the performances. Although his character actually seems to fade as a focal point in the last 3rd of the film, Routh is a great Superman (and a hottie in his tights), and a worthy successor to Christopher Reeve, and I would have loved to see more of him as shy alter ego Clark Kent, particularly in interactions with Lois Lane.
Kate Bosworth is a passable Lois Lane but she’s very generic in comparison to spunky Margot Kidder in the original films, who remains ‘my’ Lois Lane. Show stealers though were Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor (who, apart from a few scenes, managed to refrain from being over-the-top) and the always brilliant Parker Posey as Pomeranian-hugging henchwoman Kitty Koslowski. Their interactions have the same spark as those of The Joker and Harley Quinn in Batman: The Animated Series, and add humour to the film.
Perhaps it’s too early to say this, but with the sequel already promised, I have a feeling that the new Superman series could be like director Bryan Singer’s X-Men twosome, where emotional complexity and resonance clicks into place into the second film. In fact, Superman and Superman II back in the last 1970s and early 1980s, were exactly the same in terms of set-up and execution.
As it stands Superman Returns is solid blockbuster entertainment, with some exciting action sequences, and excellent special effects. And doesn’t leave a bad taste in your mouth in terms of how characters are handled, which X-Men 3 did. A solid 7 out of 10.
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