Click to read the article
Superman Returns (2006)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
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.
Get This Movie
Reviews for Superman Returns
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
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.
Solid and emotionally direct but not the concussive powerhouse many will be hoping for.
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.
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.
Resembling Reeve both physically and vocally, Routh certainly has large red boots to fill. And he fills them admirably
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.
Emphasizes the reasons I don't find Superman all that interesting.
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
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.
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.

