A Hopeful, Optimistic Superman

Alternatively set sequel keeps the best of the original

The Rumpled Critic
By David Giarrizzo

Bryan Singer asks the 20 million dollar question, what might happen if the Man of Steel really did take a powder? How he would handle the changes when he came back? Crime would rise, disasters would run rampant, and arch villains like Lex Luthor (Kevin Spacey - American Beauty, K-Pax) would be paroled from prison because their super powered nemesis never showed up to testify against them.

Simultaneously, Mankind would learn to cope with the burden... especially ace reporter Lois Lane (Kate Bosworth - The Rules Of Attraction, Wonderland), who not only has a son by another reporter/fly boy, but receives the Pulitzer Prize for an article entitled "Why the World Doesn't Need Superman." Then, five years later, a disheveled Kal-El rockets into the corn field at his old home in Kansas after having visited the graveyard of his native Krypton in hopes of finding some trace of survivors. What was he thinking? Soon enough, he's back in his rubbery suit again, pulling doomed planes out of the sky, foiling bank robberies by the score, and foolishly charging into the hands of Lex Luthor, who has nefarious plans for that nifty crystal technology lying around the Fortress of Solitude.

After two X-Men films, Singer certainly knows what he's doing with the super hero genre. He approaches this project with absolute veneration for the character - more specifically, for Christopher Reeve's memory. Reeve is to Superman what Micheal Keaton is to Batman: others may play the role, and play it well, but they're not the real McCoy. Superman Returns openly flaunts that influence and those of the first two films (directed by Richard Donner and Lester, respectively), takes its place as the Superman III that should have been.

The Man of Steel , played by unknown Brandon Routh, gives a convincing performance utilizing Reeve's tics and mannerisms. From there, the production springboards into an overabundance of direct inspirations, from the crystal technology of the Fortress of Solitude right down to the whooshing blue credits in the opening crawl. It even includes some archives of Marlon Brando (Superman's father Jor-El) and pictures of Glenn Ford (Pa Kent) on the mantle of Clark's boyhood home. Perry White (Frank Langella - Good Night And Good Luck, Dave) is portrayed by him as a subdued character, but, one would expect that from a former Dracula. There are a few references to other versions of the character (Noel Neill and Jack Larson, who played Lois and Jimmy to George Reeves' Superman of the 1950s, both have cameos here), but for the most part, Superman Returns pays homage to the 1978 version.

There are times when Singer's vision is totally submerged beneath Donner's, and when enthusiastic homage slides into easy parroting. The length, also, proves concerning, as the drawn-out climax and 150-minute running time begins to exasperate. Still, it seems that all the scenes tie together and I wouldn’t want too miss a moment of the footage. There's no section that you can readily say should be dropped, or that doesn't bring some wonderful piece of fun to the proceedings. The strength of Superman Returns doesn’t derive solely from its reverence to the earlier films, but from developing their concepts in innovative and remarkable ways (something that Superman III and IV could never manage).

The comic-book action is handled with plenty of pizazz, as Singer uses improved special-effects technology to put a new twist on some of Superman's old routines. The piece de resistance is a scene involving a plummeting 777 (with Lois aboard, of course!) takes you on a little adrenaline roller coaster ride, while adding some little touches that retain a human soul amid all the CGI. Spacey gives a remarkable performance, keeping Luthor's charm and comedic aspects intact while adding a touch of genuinely frightening psychosis. For her part, Bosworth makes a properly assertive Lois, though her youth becomes distracting at times, and Singer's steady hand delivers the expected Superman tropes (faster than a speeding bullet and whatnot) with just enough of a wisp to keep them afloat.

All of it would be par for the course, but occasionally, Superman Returns goes back to that notion of responsibility and what it must be like to be the protector of Mankind. The film's most memorable moment comes not with a rush of speed or a display of strength, or even with the well-played romantic tension between Lois and Clark, but a quiet scene in which Superman floats above the planet he now calls home. With his powerful hearing, he listens to every sound and noise on Earth - every voice, every utterance, every breath and heartbeat - and then slowly filters out the desperate cries for help amid all the sounds. So many people need him, so many problems need solving...and he can't ignore a single one of them. Singer develops that concept beautifully, while retaining the character's essential hope and optimism.

Grade: B+