Review of Superman Returns (2006) by Mrmoviebuff — 05 Feb 2016

A bleak, and empty installment for the once joyous "Superman" franchise, this is not a reboot, but just an overdue sequel that manages to kill off and dull down one of the most iconic superheroes in comic book history.

Bryan Singer ('X-Men' and 'X2: X-Men United') takes to the director's chair to complete what Richard Donner started with Christopher Reeve back in the late 1970s...he manages to fit, or even copy, the style, but everything else just seems...bland.

A 25 year old Brandon Routh dons the Superman outfit this time as he seems to physically resemble Christopher Reeve, but lacks the overall charisma. He comes off as a bore, yes, we get it, he's tortured and hasn't returned from Krypton in over 5 years, but where's the joy? Where's the enthusiasm? He just seems like the kind of guy who would try to smile in front of a camera, but ultimately just exposes his teeth with a blank expression, and the picture would just look awkward.

Kate Bosworth, who was 22 at the time, plays Lois Lane who has a child that is 5 years old...she does not look like someone who should have a child that's 5 years old. She seems shocked that Superman has (as the title suggests) returned, but is mad at him for leaving in the first place.

Kevin Spacey plays the ever-so-threatening Lex Luthor, he has charisma and seems to be the only one giving the most effort in his performance, but he's a cartoon...his presence and his appearance make him more animated than a Pixar film.

Overall, this is bleak, dry and underwhelming. I applaud Singer for trying to bring some cinematic life back to the iconic character, but the franchise needed a reboot...fresh and different, not an overdue sequel where it feels like a carbon copy of previous installments.

There's promise, but there's disappointment.