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Movies / On DVD / Superman Returns
Superman Returns

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Superman Returns (2006)

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Reviews Counted: 249

Fresh: 191

Rotten:58

Average Rating: 7.1/10

Consensus: Singer's reverent and visually decadent adaptation gives the Man of Steel welcome emotional complexity. The result: a satisfying stick-to-your-ribs adaptation.

Rated: PG-13 [See Full Rating] for some intense action violence

Runtime: 2 hrs 34 mins

Genre: Action/Adventure

Theatrical Release: Jun 28, 2006 Wide

Box Office: $200,006,305

Synopsis: For five years, Superman (Brandon Routh) has been away from Earth, coaxed into space by a belief that Krypton may still exist. Finding nothing, he comes back to a changed world--not only has terrorism become rampant, but Lois Lane (Kate... For five years, Superman (Brandon Routh) has been away from Earth, coaxed into space by a belief that Krypton may still exist. Finding nothing, he comes back to a changed world--not only has terrorism become rampant, but Lois Lane (Kate Bosworth) has married, started a family, and won the Pulitzer for her piece "Why the World Doesn't Need Superman." After a stop in Smallville to see his adopted mother (Eva Marie Saint), Superman is back in Metropolis, and Clark Kent has his old job back at the Daily Planet, with everyone still incredibly oblivious to his alter ego. But where there's Superman, there's Lex Luthor (Kevin Spacey), and he is likely to be planning something dastardly--in this case, using a piece of pilfered kryptonite to grow an entirely new continent that he will control. Bryan Singer (X-MEN 1 and 2), armed with a script by Dan Harris and Michael Dougherty, approaches the red cape with reverence for the lore of the character, and respect for Richard Donner's SUPERMAN (1980) and Richard Lester's 1980 sequel, films that ushered in the era of the modern superhero film. Singer's SUPERMAN is filled with melancholy, and not so subtly suggests the notion of Superman as a Christ figure, sacrificing himself to save mankind. But there are still laughs, mostly courtesy of Spacey (clearly having a blast) and Parker Posey as his moll, Kitty Kowalski, as well as plenty of gasp-inducing set pieces, including a spectacular and terrifying almost-plane crash and a sinking boat. While modern visual effects have allowed Superman to go to entirely new realms, Singer keeps them from becoming the film's raison d'être, thus keeping the Man of Steel's gigantic heart intact--heavy though it may be. [More]

Starring: Brandon Routh, Kate Bosworth, Kevin Spacey, James Marsden

Starring: Brandon Routh, Kate Bosworth, Kevin Spacey, James Marsden, Parker Posey, Marlon Brando, Frank Langella, Eva Marie Saint, Kal Penn

Director: Bryan Singer

Director: Bryan Singer
Screenwriter: Daniel Harris, Michael Dougherty
Story: Daniel Harris, Michael Dougherty, Bryan Singer
Producer: Gilbert Adler, Jon Peters, William Fay, Chris Lee, Bryan Singer
Composer: John Ottman, John Williams
Studio: Warner Bros.

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  • Teaser Trailer
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    Bryan Singer Interview
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    Trailer #1
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    Trailer #2
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  • "Were You In Love With Him?"
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    "Lois, Will You Come With Me?"
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    "Unidentified Bogey"
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    "Airplane Rescue"
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  • "I Love That He Can See Through Anything"
    >
    "Do You Know The Story Of Prometheus?"
    >
    "Where Did You Go?"
    >
    "This Just Cane Through The Fax"
    >
  • "I Thought I Would Never See You Again"
    >
    "Superman Returns"
    >
    "Lois Lane Is A Mommy"
    >
    Bryan Singer
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  • Kevin Spacey
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    Parker Posey
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    Kate Bosworth
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    Brandon Routh
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  • Rotten Tomatoes Red Carpet Coverage
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1 - 4 of 21

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Release:

Aug 19, 2008

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Reviews for Superman Returns

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1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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Ratings Image

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Sacramento News & Review | comment Comment
08/07/08
Jonathan Kiefer
Sacramento News & Review
Ratings Image

Superman Returns feels eager to please, and it frequently succeeds, but despite its best intentions, it seldom soars to the height of 1978's Superman: The Movie

Full Review Source: ESplatter | comment Comment
07/07/08
Steve Biodrowski
ESplatter
Ratings Image

Superman Returns is a bombastic, rousing, explosive burst of summer fun and fantasy, enriched by its predecessors and rejuvenated by the new blood and slavish religious devotion of director Bryan Singer.

Full Review Source: BrandonFibbs.com | comment Comment
02/28/08
Brandon Fibbs
BrandonFibbs.com
Ratings Image

Solid and emotionally direct but not the concussive powerhouse many will be hoping for.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
09/23/07
Rob Gonsalves
eFilmCritic.com
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the tragedy of 9/11 and Lois' super sex with the 'man of steel' are two major selling points of the film, but they remain as sublimated as Clark Kent's secret identity.

Full Review Source: Eye for Film | comment Comment
08/06/07
Anton Bitel
Eye for Film
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Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Big Picture Big Sound | comment Comment
07/14/07
Joe Lozito
Big Picture Big Sound
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The smartest studio film in a long time.

Full Review Source: Pretentious Musings | comment Comment
06/28/07
Kevin Koehler
Pretentious Musings
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The Man of Steel as a morally-compromised and ethically-challenged figure has the potential to be quite compelling, but if and only if he is portrayed as confronting his demons in a more meaningful way.

Full Review Source: Cape May Beachcomber | comment Comment
06/16/07
Kam Williams
Cape May Beachcomber
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better than 3 and 4

Full Review Source: sbs.is | comment Comment
05/27/07
Stefan Birgir Stefansson
sbs.is
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May be the most reverent superhero film ever made.

Full Review Source: UGO | comment Comment
03/24/07
Brian Tallerico
UGO
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Singer has crafted a generally exciting and dazzling entertainment.

Full Review Source: Film Journal International | comment Comment
02/22/07
Kevin Lally
Film Journal International
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It's too long, but then so-called 'event movies' always have been.

Full Review Source: Observer [UK] | comment Comment
01/20/07
Philip French
Observer [UK]
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Resembling Reeve both physically and vocally, Routh certainly has large red boots to fill. And he fills them admirably

Full Review Source: Nolan's Pop Culture Review | comment Comment
12/13/06
Michael A. Smith
Nolan's Pop Culture Review
Ratings Image

Yes, the new Superman Returns movie flies. It just doesn't soar.

Full Review Source: DVDTown.com | comment 1 Comment
11/14/06
John J. Puccio
DVDTown.com
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After nearly 20 years in hiding, one would expect Superman's return to be special. Alas, the most noteworthy thing about director Bryan Singer's new movie is the hype surrounding it.

Full Review Source: Reno Gazette-Journal | comment Comment
10/09/06
Forrest Hartman
Reno Gazette-Journal
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click to read full review [Greek]

Full Review Source: Movies for the Masses | comment Comment
10/03/06
Joseph Proimakis
Movies for the Masses
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Emphasizes the reasons I don't find Superman all that interesting.

Full Review Source: Goatdog's Movies | comment 4 Comments
09/27/06
Michael W. Phillips, Jr.
Goatdog's Movies
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It's been 5 years since Superman (Brandon Routh) left Earth to search for the remains of his home planet Krypton. Upon his return, the Man of Steel discovers a world in turmoil and a changed Lois Lane (Kate Bosworth) - engaged to be married and the mothe

Full Review Source: Cinemaclips.com | comment Comment
09/06/06
Roger Tennis
Cinemaclips.com
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The film's weaknesses aside, there is no denying that Singer has pulled out all the stops in his bid to make the biggest, loudest summer blockbuster possible.

Full Review Source: Christianity Today | comment Comment
08/31/06
Peter T. Chattaway
Christianity Today
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The film has a parallel universe that extends beyond the losses the characters suffer to the ones the audience has, based on who we are and what has happened to us.

Full Review Source: Norman Transcript | comment Comment
08/30/06
Jim Chastain