SYNOPSIS

“Superman Returns” picks up just where the first two Superman movies starring the late Christopher Reeve left off. The filmmakers wisely ignore the generally detested events of “Superman III” and “Superman IV: The Quest for Peace.” To bring our non-nerdy readers up to speed, here’s a quick summary.

Years ago the planet Krypton was on the brink of destroying itself when a wise scientist named Jor-El (Marlon Brando) sent his only son Kal-El to the tiny planet of Earth. The kid, raised by Jonathan and Martha Kent as their only son, eventually discovers he has superpowers and moves to Metropolis as a mild-mannered reporter named Clark Kent. When the glasses come off he becomes Superman -- fighting crime, defending justice, and foiling Lex Luthor. That widely known origin story is retold in the 1978 film “Superman.”

In “Superman II,” released in 1980, things got trickier. Basically, Superman gives up his superpowers in order to settle down and marry his true love, Lois Lane. But shortly after becoming human, three galactic bad guys team up with Lex Luthor and start to cause trouble. Superman returns to his Fortress of Solitude, regains his power, and defeats them all. Now, “Superman Returns” picks up 5 years later. Apparently, astronomers thought they discovered the remains of Krypton, Superman’s home planet. He takes a half-decade vacation to find it, then returns to Earth to continue his work fighting crime, reporting for the “Daily Planet,” and admiring Lois (Kate Bosworth).

Unfortunately for the Man of Steel (Brandon Routh), Lois seems to have moved on. Her Pulitzer Prize winning article “Why the World Doesn’t Need Superman” mimics her own life; she’s engaged, has a kid, and just doesn’t want to be rescued anymore. Other things have changed, as well. Lex Luthor (Kevin Spacey) is out of prison on an appeal because the chief witness was in a different galaxy during the trial. Lex breaks into the Fortress of Solitude and discovers a Kryptonian secret to creating land. He hatches an evil real estate scheme that puts millions of lives in danger. Will the Last Son of Krypton be able to stop him in time? Will Lois ever love him again? What’s the deal with her asthmatic kid? Two and a half hours later, all these questions and more are answered.

Review by
STEVEN HARRELL

“Superman Returns” does everything it needs to. Much like last year’s “Batman Begins,” the movie restores a suffering franchise to its former glory as a cultural icon. The first two films of both the mostly 80s Superman series and the mostly 90s Batman films were visually stunning, emotionally gripping, and included some of the most fun popcorn-munching action sequences around. The third and fourth installments of both series were lame, cheesy, and collectively booed by comic book geeks, critics, and most movie-goers. The most recent releases take us back to everything the revered films did well.

So, is “Superman Returns” a good film? Absolutely. Is it as good as it possibly could be? Perhaps. But for some reason, it feels like something is missing. Maybe it’s because when the first “Superman” hit the big screen back in ’78, it delivered on the promise of its tagline: “You’ll believe a man can fly.” By 2006 we’re used to seeing people in movies fly, destroy planets, dodge bullets, and defy the laws of nature. We’re not really impressed by the impossible anymore. And the idea of an indestructible superhero (green kryptonite aside) just isn’t as entertaining as it once was.

But it’s still pretty darn entertaining. “Superman Returns” is worth twice the admission price just on looks alone. Director Brian Singer (“X-men,” “X2”) uses the light and shadow to recreate a comic book feel, making each frame spectacular. The Daily Planet office is perfectly busy and campy, and the Fortress of Solitude is even cooler (pun intended) than it used to be.

The actors are also well cast and give good performances. Newcomer Brandon Routh took the part that just about every bankable male star in Hollywood passed up, and he does a surprisingly good job with it. When they first announced he would fill the role, I cynically assumed it was just because he was 6’4” and looked like the pinnacle All-American quarterback. However, he succeeds mostly by just imitating his predecessor, Christopher Reeves. The cheesy one liners, the nervous Clark Kent, and the longing looks at Lois Lane are all a spot on recreation of Reeve’s Superman. Speaking of Lois, Kate Bosworth also gives a fine performance. Her Lois is more polished and more professional than most of the other interpretations of the Daily Planet reporter, but it worked for me due to the fact that this Lois has apparently grown up.

“Superman Returns” is rated PG-13 for some fairly intense action sequences. Little kids might get scared. In keeping with Superman’s virtues there is very little bad language or sexual dialog in the film.