Review of Superman Returns (2006) by Tj L — 12 Jun 2013

Not a horrible film by any means, although some would beg to differ. Director Bryan Singer gets high marks for attempting to bring Superman to a new generation as well as paying homage to the original films that starred Christopher Reeve.

There are some great visuals here and the plot twist that involves Lois and Superman's child didn't bother me at all. I actually found it a nice change and gave the film more dramatic weight. Singer and crew also managed to maintain some of the campiness from the originals without overdoing it.

The film is darker than Reeves' films and rightfully so. A darker Man of Steel film is a good thing...but too much darkness could take away from the lighthearted feel we've grown to love in this franchise.

Singer has a good balance here. However, my biggest issue is the Lex Luthor plotline. Kevin Spacey is solid as Luthor, but I think that introducing a different villain would have been better for this reboot (or sequel).

Someone more physically formidable against Superman...with Lex doing damage in the background. In that sense, I see Superman Returns as a missed opportunity. And I feel bad for Brandon Routh, who never got the chance to play the Man of Steel twice.

He was quite good as both Clark Kent and Superman. The biggest problem with Superman Returns is that it's just not very memorable. And for a Superman film...that's just not cool.