Review of Superman Returns (2006) by Brannon H — 07 Aug 2013

And here we go, another movie that gets hate for no apparent reason. And I am going to review it, yay.

The Man of Steel returns to the big screen with this continuation of the icon's film legacy that picks up after the events of the first two Christopher Reeve films. Some time has passed since the events of Superman II and the world has gotten used to life without Superman (Brandon Routh) ever since his puzzling disappearance years earlier. Upon his return, he finds a Metropolis that doesn't need him anymore, while Lois Lane (Kate Bosworth) has moved on with another young suitor Richard White (James Marsden) in the meantime. As the hero begins to tackle the fact that life on Earth has continued without him, he is forced to face his old arch-nemesis Lex Luthor (Kevin Spacey) and restore the life that was once his. Directed by Bryan Singer from a script by the writing team of X-Men 2, Superman Returns marks a return to the screen for the man in tights, whose production history has seen many failed attempts including a famous near-miss from Tim Burton and Kevin Smith with Nicolas Cage in the lead role, along with another from director McG and writer J.J. Abrams (Lost). Singer eventually won the prestigious gig when he pitched the idea to not tackle the origin story again, but continue with director Richard Donner's original vision. ~ (Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi).

I really enjoyed this movie, granted I like Man of Steel more but I still view this as an enjoyable, fun comic book movie. Bryan Singer brings his excellent directing skills to the franchise that hadn't been on the screen for decades, and the tale he has chosen to told is really good. I like the script, it is well made, well plotted, contains great dialogue, and is at times really charming. Brandon Routh is cast perfectly to wear the sacred cape, and he does good in his role. And the Lois/Clark love story is as delightful to watch as it was before. And the two have good chemistry. The action and special effects are really great, it is well shot and well edited. And the music is also really good.

The pacing of the film is kind of the biggest problem I have with it, that and the fact that it is over 2 hours. Like really? That and the fact that they had to have Luthor be the villain again, I mean he was a joy to watch and all but fucks sake: When are we going to get a live action Doomsday vs Superman film?!

With a great script, a good cast, and a big budget, Bryan Singer crafted a great love letter to the Richard Donner films that everyone grew up with. This is in my opinion, really underrated.