Reel Talk: Superman Returns
By Audrey Rock
Transcript Bulletin Movie Critic


Brandon Routh, the new Superman, bears a strong resemblance to his predecessor Christopher Reeve. In fact, "Superman Returns" bears a strong resemblance to all the earlier Reeve Superman movies%u2014especially in terms of the visual and musical elements.
And that's a good thing. A sense of continuity can be nice, especially when you're talking about a loyally loved institution like Superman.

Routh, as strikingly similar in physique and facial features as he is to Reeve, does bring his own spin to the character. The new Clark Kent has a dimension of dorkiness never achieved by the dashing Reeve; which adds critical comic elements to balance out a heartrending plot. And yes, Routh does the role justice.

Under the direction of Bryan Singer, the whole franchise is elevated to a new level, and superhero movies take yet another step forward in quality. Singer left "X3: The Last Stand" in order to helm "Superman Returns". Good news for Superman. Bad news for the X-Men.

I'm still bemoaning the fact that Singer couldn't have done both movies. But my disappointment in X3 in no way detracted from my enjoyment of the explosively entertaining and richly emotional Superman Returns.

Young Kal-El was born on a planet doomed to destruction. Sent to earth by his birth parents, Kal-El was re-named Clark Kent and raised by loving adoptive parents on a humble farm.

He has inhuman powers of astonishing strength and speed, which he discovered as a young boy. As he grows, he attempts to live a double life. Day-to-day, he is the shy, bespectacled Clark Kent. When crisis hits, he is the Man of Steel, saving average citizens from death and destruction.

When Clark hears that his home planet may have survived it's fabled destruction, he leaves earth%u2014and his lover, the beautiful and intelligent journalist Lois Lane%u2014to see for himself whether there might be others like him still alive. For five long years, the planet suffers without the help of Superman.

The movie begins with the return of Clark Kent to his life on earth, and his job at the Daily Planet newspaper. He's frustrated to learn that Lois (Kate Bosworth) has moved on with her life. She has a son and a fiancé, and is just about to receive a Pulitzer Prize for an article detailing why the world doesn't need Superman. Confused and distraught, Clark hits the daily grind, transforming into Superman when he's needed.

Lex Luthor (Kevin Spacey) has been released from prison, so Superman is needed a lot. Luthor has set a diabolical plan for global domination in motion that will kill billions of innocent people. His sidekick, Kitty (Parker Posey) regards the whole plan with amused detachment, but eventually becomes uncomfortable with the reality of it all.

So it comes down to the fact that Luthor has figured out Superman's weaknesses, and is exploiting every one of them. And Superman is completely alone in his attempts to save the world from a madman.

I was surprised, but not at all put off, by the amount of Christian symbolism presented here. Superman is painted a savior for an entire planet of people who beg to be saved. Dialogue is sometimes written to sound biblical, and in one scene, Superman hovers above the earth, arms outstretched, in an unmistakable parallel to Christian depictions of the crucifixion of Christ. It's fascinating%u2014and it's the thing that makes Superman seem bigger, and more globally significant, than other superheroes.

I've never been a big fan of Kevin Spacey, but I loved him in the role of Lex Luthor. Parker Posey digs deep into her repertoire of eccentricities for the demented role of Kitty, which she plays perfectly.

Bosworth and Routh, around which the picture revolves, have great chemistry. With a bittersweet script to propel their sad romance, the two melt effortlessly into their legendary roles.

Effects are expensive and big, with the occasionally botched human cg-animation%u2014a flaw that also annoyed me in the Spider-man movies. The score, which harkens unabashedly back to those other Superman movies, is stirring and ripe with energy. And there is so little profanity, it almost seemed odd. It was a pleasant surprise. It also makes for a more comfortable family viewing experience.

I adored this rapturously engaging return to Superman, which potently conveys the exhilaration and isolation of life as an outsider. It could not possibly have been any more fun to watch.

Grade: A