Superman Returns not so super

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Well, just got back from an early viewing of Superman.

My thoughts on it, to put in a nutshell: Decent, but... meh.

It was sweet more than anything oddly enough. Literally, a couple of times I just wanted to go 'awwwwww!'. And the concept was fabulous... though they didn't do much with it. Hardly anything in fact. It had great potential, but kerflop.

Had a few humorous parts, an interesting scene or two, but it was just that. Decent. Nothing really wrong with it per se, but nothing that stands out either in my opinion. Good watch, might buy in the future for the very occassional viewing, but I wouldn't write home about it.


Oh, and one more thing... you'll never be able to see Lois Lane again after watching this movie without wanting to stand up and go 'Jerry! Jerry! Jerry! Jerry!' ::)

[Spuddly]

After seeing the previews, I'm not going to see Superman for Superman.

I'm going to go for Lex Luther!

[The J Pizzel]

Saw a midnight last night. I'll try my best to have no spoilers.

The graphics were pretty good. The acting was great. I was amazed at how much they made the new Clark act like the old Clark. The scene with the bullets (from the preview) bouncing off him was also very nice.

My one complaint, it wasn't quite as...i don't know....epic, as I would of liked.

Honestly though, now that i've seen it, I wish Bryan Singer would've stayed and did X-3.

Anyway, THERE'S A PREVIEW FOR SPIDER-MAN 3, ITS FRIGGIN INCREDIBLE.

I suggest going to see it for three reason, 1 - lex luther, 2 - spidey preview, 3 - c'mon....its superman.

Oh and they did a terrific job keeping to the history and original stories. If there's any questions i'll be happy to answer them....with no spoilers though.


j pizzel

[Ikkitosen]

Just to say, thanks for not including spoilers peeps. I'm going to go see it when it comes out in the UK in a few weeks. Mmmm...Superman :)

[Malachi, the Lich King]

After seeing the previews, I'm not going to see Superman for Superman.

I'm going to go for Lex Luther!

Same here. Kevin Spacey is the main reason to go see this flick IMO. He should be awesome as Luthor.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Oh, agreed, the acting was great and so was the graphics. The story just fell flat.


And yeah, the new Spiderman looks like its going to be great.

[Shhalahr Windrider]

Gee, I figured the only reason I'd want to go was for Kevin Spacey. Nice to see I'm not the only one.

Actually, I think I'd also enjoy Frank Langella's appearance. I've been a fan of his ever since he did Skeletor. ;D

[Xerillum]

i havn't seen it, but i am going for lex luthor.

[Midnight Son]

i havn't seen it, but i am going for lex luthor.Not me. I'm totally going for Jimmy Olsen.

[Valda, Adlav and Samiam: the Jacked-Up Trinity]

Same here. Kevin Spacey is the main reason to go see this flick IMO. He should be awesome as Luthor.

I dunno. I heard he's the worst Lex in history. The Smallville Lex is supposed to better better.

[Flabbicus]

Jimmy Olsen was amazing in that movie. See it for that reason alone, and for Lois's near invulnerability...

[Valda, Adlav and Samiam: the Jacked-Up Trinity]

Jimmy Olsen was amazing in that movie. See it for that reason alone, and for Lois's near invulnerability...

Wow. I just gotta see it now. I still have to see the new Pirates first though.

[Malachi, the Lich King]

I dunno. I heard he's the worst Lex in history. The Smallville Lex is supposed to better.

That sucks. >:(

[Valda, Adlav and Samiam: the Jacked-Up Trinity]

That sucks. >:(



Before you kill me, I didn't say that. I read it in a review.

[The J Pizzel]

I thought Spacey did a perfectly good job on Lex Luther.

[Beleriphon]

I enjoyed it immensely. I agree I don't think it was epic as I would have liked, but at the same time Zod? Mylar Superman crests defeating the bad guy? This is definately better than the first two, and way better than the last two, why a pretty wide margin.

Don't get me wrong I love Chris Reeves as Superman, he was great, and so was the acting in general but looking back at the story line now, and how hocky they are, Superman Returns is definately my choice. I'll go ahead and second Spacey as Luther. He brings the right level of menace and megalomania needed to the role. Definately better than Hackman's joke, and Michael Rosenbaum's Luther just hasn't become the world dominating villain yet.

I'm really sold on Kate Bosworth as Lois though. She totally nailed the roled, just terrific. Brandon Routh as Superman is eerie though, he looks so much like Chris Reeves in the suit its almost creepy.

[Krade]

I watched it last night, and, trying to ignore the fact that it's Superman and Superman is awesome no matter what, I will have to second the motion of "meh" for all the reasons above. Except for Kevin Spacey as Lex, he made the whole movie better in the same way Ryan Reynolds made Blade Trinity better. He was almost comic relief, but what made it awesome was how he was almost never phased by anything that happens around him.

[noweezernoworld]

You're all (in the words of Lex Luthor) WRONG! Luthor was awesome!

That like makes it worth seeing the movie, especially if you're a YTMND fan.

[Orson_McNichol]

It's just too bad that Superman is the least entertaining super hero of all time. Movies about him are hard to make interesting.

[LazyJoe]

As soon as I heard Kevin Spacey was in for the role of Lex Luthor, my face was a twisted distortion of bewilderment and disappointment. Sure, he stole the show in The Usual Suspects, but playing a comic book villain?

Despite my reservations, I went to see it for the mere fact it wasn't a cheap re-doing of the first Superman film, way back in Christopher Reeves' day. As far as I was concerned as I left the cinema, Kevin Spacey was the best thing about it. Forget the amazing Boeing crash sequence or the humour of Lois's son hyperventilate as he realises the truth about Clark, watching Lex hatch his evil plans was worth the ticket price alone. True, the film didn't go anywhere and the Superman-Lois bits were too drawn-out with emotional angst, but that's not why you go to see films of this genre. I went to see X-Men 3 just to see Vinnie Jones' Juggernaut vs. Hugh Jackman's Wolverine. The point is, if you want a well thought-out story and philosophical depth, don't watch a superhero movie. If you want to see a guy in blue tights whizzing around laying the smackdown on various bad guys, do.

[Caillach]

I dunno. I heard he's the worst Lex in history. The Smallville Lex is supposed to better better.

Who said that? They are very very very WRONG. (I loved that part of the movie to)
Smallville Lex is great, but even though I'm a bit of a Smallville Lex fan, Spacey was absolutely perfect. Perfect. Friggen Flawless. It was amazing.

But don't just go for Lex. One really great thing I thought the movie had going for it was the acting.
Brandon Routh was also great. His Clark Kent was trully a work of art, and I do regret not seeing more Clark in the movie. He also had a really excellent Superman look. I really liked him and I wish to see more of his work on the screen. I think he deserves more credit than many people gave him.

Lois was very well done. And I did like Jimmy Olsen (with his little bowtie! awww)

Great visuals too. (exspecially the I-max 3d parts. Wow! I would recomend spending a little more for the I-Max, because it really added to the cool factor.)

[LadyGlutter]

It was a good Superman movie. Nice and entertaining, for what it was. I agree with LazyJoe, you gotta go in looking for the right things from your super heroes. ;) If you want deepseated emotional problems and real interesting good guys? Try Spidey or Batman. Supes is interesting because of Lex. That's why I went.

I totally agree that Kevin Spacey WAS Lex... he was awesome. The writing for Lex was great too, except for three minutes which just had me horrified. I know there's no spoilers in this thread, but for thirty seconds I was screaming in my brain, "BUT LEX WOULD NEVER DO THAT!" Am I the only one? Before that point, and after those 3 minutes were over, I was totally in love with the writing of that role, and Kevin Spacey in it.

[WampaX]

Great visuals too. (exspecially the I-max 3d parts. Wow! I would recomend spending a little more for the I-Max, because it really added to the cool factor.)

They didn't 3D the ONE part of the movie that screamed for them to 3D it. The opening credits would have been an awesome ride in 3D. I was surprised they didn't do it.

As per the film itself, I liked it both times I saw it . . . but in a "that was nice" kinda way. I had just watched the last Vol of the Superman Animated Series before I saw it the first time, so I was primed for something great. But it was kind of a let down from that. I know they couldn't just introduce new villains and new characters right out of the box (this was a "new begining" and all), but I guess I was expecting more and got less, instead.

It was good. It wasn't near the best non-comic Superman media . . . but "it was nice."

[Alarra]

Wasn't a huge fan personally. I mean, it wasn't horrible, but I really regretted going to this instead of Pirates II.

But then, I've never really been a Superman fan in general so....

[Joosbawx]

Caution -- Spoilers!

As I begin to write this, I already know it'll be a bit scattered and probably a little lengthy, so please bear with me, or just skip on to th enext reply.

I enjoyed the move quite a bit, but not becasue of what I went there expecting. In a word, as many of you have put it, it was not as epic as it could have been; however, in the end I was much happier for it.

First, let's address 'epic'. Consider Superman's abilities...go ahead, I'll wait...yeah...exactly...the man has one physical weakness which we all know. The man can pretty much do anything we can imagine, save anyone we can pretty much imagine. He's Superman...his own name has become the definition of what is powerful and just. That's all a given.

Considering all that...what the heck is this guy doing hanging around Metropolis (in the movies) all the time? There is so very much more that this man could do for the world if he so chose...then why doesn't he choose to do it? Apart from the United States alone, think about all the wars and violence and atrocities being committed elsewhere. This man is all powerful...and in the movie we see him traveling around the world almost instantaneously...to rescue kittens and people from burning buildings. Okay, that seems like a bit of a waste of power, don't you think?

By saying all that, I get to my main point. This movie was not about 'look what we can make Superman do' as much as it was getting inside the head of Superman an dgiving you a new perspective on the man and what he thinks. I apprciated that as much as I did the redirection of the Batman movies from the awful Tim Burton et al campy garbage that we've been subjected to before now.

The story was, appreciably, not about how much special effects they could stick into an already bloated budget of a fim, but how they could tell the Superman story. What is his perspective. Especially about why he left, and him finally doing something strictly for himself, even though he left those he loved and cared for behind. Also, he had a chance to gain new perspective on what he's actually doing on Earth after he returned and saw the changes and how the world felt about him in his absence.

Especially poignant was the scene where Superman lay dying in the hospital for all anyone knew, and outside there were those that gathered to give their support in the vigil. As the camera pans through the crowd, it finally comes to stop on the face of Clark's mother, and you cannot help but think of how she must feel not knowing how her son is doing and her helplessness of not being able to know or mourn him as a mother really should.

The film humanized Superman,and I feel, showed us a perspective that has been ignored by most of the DC comics. marvel has picked up more on these aspects in the past, but that doesn't necessarily mean they're present in the movies. I liked the route this film took, and even though it wasn't what I expected, I felt that it was a far better story in the end.

[/soapbox]

[Caillach]

Yeah that part was good, but You might want to put a spoiler tag above that post.

SPOILER-ish Don't read if ya don't want to Know.....


A part I thought was even more poignantwas when Superman was trully getting his butt kicked on the Island. It was just so terrible and brutal and sad to see such a powerfull "pillar of good and justice" (or whatever you want to call it) being stomped into the dirt by such scum.

Another great part was Lois going up in the elevator while Clark uses his X-ray vision. How it made her look like she was flying all on her own...very well thought out.

[Joosbawx]

Those were both excellent examples of drawing out the humanity of the character of Superman...showing us what is really going on inside his head.

Don't get me wrong, I love Christopher Reeves as Superman, but the dialogue and the perspective of this film is just more...tangible, human, and real...at least from my "humble" opinion.

I think that its unrealistic that anyone could be so selfless, at least down to their core. And even if he isn't acting on it all the time, its nice to see that Superman/Clark is thinking like a human being. How can you expect anyone to lay down their life for something if you can't relate to it? This movie sowed us that Clark/Superman relates to the human race.

[Starla]

I liked the movie so much I wanted to see the originals. I found superman 2 and my husband told me that 3 other criminals from Krypton show up and I thought "oh that must be good how can he defeat them?" But instead I thought they made the story pretty lame. The intense scene where Lois finally figures out that Superman shows up when Clark dissappears and then she pretends to need help. And the bomb that blows up space but a few minutes later: "Oh by the way Son if a bomb goes off in space it might destroy the container we sent the criminals off in." I was thinking "you could have been a little less obvious!" That thing looks like it could have be broken by a meteor! Then when he faces the bad guys in Superman form (and just how did he get out of his ice palace with Lois and how did he get back again, plus I got the impression that the change was irreversible not like, "oh I will just turn in my powers every time I want to go to bed with Lois")
anyway when he faces them back in Superman mode the fight was dissappointing. I expected a little more struggle, maybe a little more thought on "how can I defeat these guys." Obviously it was smart of him to use the machine on them, and I did like Lois pushing the woman off of her, but I just wish it hadn't been so obvious with the plot sequence. I felt almost no suspence except for the plot description that my husband gave me.

My friend who loves Spiderman hates Superman. She says he is a wuss because he doesn't have to struggle with anything but Kryptonite. He has it too easy.

[Joosbawx]

I agree with your friend, to an extent. Superman really has no easily exploitable weaknesses...which is why I was glad to see the tack this last film took.

Marvel has, in my opinion, always done a much better job of tellign the stories of their heroes, across the board. DC still houses my favoite heroes; however, Marvel seems to do a better job at storytelling.

[WampaX]

My friend who loves Spiderman hates Superman. She says he is a wuss because he doesn't have to struggle with anything but Kryptonite. He has it too easy.

Show your friend Superman the Animated series and see Superman struggle against his other weaknesses (code vs killing, red sunlight, dealing with just how powerful he is). Some really good stories are there, especially the episodes revolving around Darkseid and/or Apokolips.

Not all of Superman's conflicts are settled by his powers, but they do make alot of the mundane conflicts easier.

Spiderman is there to remind us that with great power comes great responsibility and sometimes doing the right thing isn't what you want to do. Superman is a few steps above that and struggles with the whole absolute power and its corrupting influence. The characters are at two very different power levels and two very different avenues of storytelling are required. Its understandable why someone who likes Spiderman or Batman can't wrap their head around the different framework that is required for a good Superman story.

[GeeVee]

SPOILERS

I thought this movie was boring, to say the least. I've never even come close to falling asleep in a cinema before. The acting was bland except for Kevin Spacey, who was the only strong point of the movie. Brandon Routh, however, did a good job at looking starry-eyed and generally uninterested. The whole "Superman is Jesus" thing didn't really click either.
Suspension of disbelief is no problem for me, but this movie wasn't consistent within its own rules of physics. For example, Superman can only barely stop a plane when it comes down at high speed, but later on, he can lift a large island into space! Not to mention that that particular island is partly made of kryptonite! Also, how could Superman be so greatly weakened by kryptonite that Les Luthor could bring him down with a single punch, but ten minutes later be able to lift the whole damn island into space? And how can he drown near the island, but not suffocate when carrying it into space? It's this lack of consistency that absolutely ruined the suspension of disbelief for me.
I found the action sequences to be horribly dull, since every problem in this movie is solved with Superman's super-strength and invulnerability. Every single one. I mean come on, how can you not be bored by a superhero like that?
Although I may be biased, as I don't like Superman to begin with. Spiderman and Batman make for so much better movies.

This places as my second least favorite movie of all time. Only Deuce Bigalow 2 did I enjoy less.

[TheTick]

I enjoyed the movie quite a bit, even though I think the 'weaker' superheroes are a bit more compelling. I hope the new movie franchise doesn't get bogged down in the 'how do we make Supes weak enough to make people believe he can die?' train of thought. Perhaps an evil Kryptonian followed him back on his little intersteller sojourn.

I honestly thought that Richard White was more 'heroic' than Superman...flying back to rescue the superpowered guy his girlfriend/fiancee/whatever had the hots for.

The kryptonite island...yeah. He did tunnel down under it, but I have no idea if there is any comic book canon for range of kryptonite affect. For the drowning/suffocating, I always imagined that kryptonite removed many of the effects of being Kryptonian...so, Superman under the influence of Kryptonite can drown/suffocate, but normally he did not.

[Caillach]

SPOILERS

I thought this movie was boring, to say the least. I've never even come close to falling asleep in a cinema before. The acting was bland except for Kevin Spacey, who was the only strong point of the movie. Brandon Routh, however, did a good job at looking starry-eyed and generally uninterested. The whole "Superman is Jesus" thing didn't really click either.
Suspension of disbelief is no problem for me, but this movie wasn't consistent within its own rules of physics. For example, Superman can only barely stop a plane when it comes down at high speed, but later on, he can lift a large island into space! Not to mention that that particular island is partly made of kryptonite! Also, how could Superman be so greatly weakened by kryptonite that Les Luthor could bring him down with a single punch, but ten minutes later be able to lift the whole damn island into space? And how can he drown near the island, but not suffocate when carrying it into space? It's this lack of consistency that absolutely ruined the suspension of disbelief for me.
I found the action sequences to be horribly dull, since every problem in this movie is solved with Superman's super-strength and invulnerability. Every single one. I mean come on, how can you not be bored by a superhero like that?
Although I may be biased, as I don't like Superman to begin with. Spiderman and Batman make for so much better movies.

This places as my second least favorite movie of all time. Only Deuce Bigalow 2 did I enjoy less.

I have a few things to say:
a) my goodness, you are an angry person. Seek help now.

b) Why in gods name, would you go to a superman movie, if you don't like superman to begin with? You really are just setting yourself up for dissapointment.

c) In regards to your comment about acting...Did we see the same movie? Routh did a superb job! He totally mastered the well meaning bumbling Clark Kent, and he made a great Superman. I don't know what more you want from him. He did a great job at portraying his characters.

d)I may have missed an interview or something so please let me know...did the movie makers ever say anything about them trying to portray Superman as Jesus? Mabye the reason it didn't "work" for you was because it wasn't actually there.

e) The kryptonite stuff. Seeing as you don't like Superman, not getting some of the stuff is pretty understandable. When Superman was drowning it was because Lex shoved a Kryptonite shard into him. Kyptonite reamove the solar radiation that gives Supe his his powers from Supes cells. Depending on how close in conntact with Kryptonite, and the solar radiation collected before hand, Supes powers will fade accordingly. A big 'ol shard stuck into him like that would make him mortal/less than mortal.
Now after he gets rescued by Lane, you may have missed the part where he goes above the clouds and into the sunlight. In this way superman is say...powering up (like Peter Parker when someone threatens his girlfriend) and is able to get the Island up and away, before being totally sapped. Also when he gets the Island above the clouds, he could be slowly regenterateing in the sun, just not quite as fast as the Kryptonite saps. This can explain his extra endurance.

f) Your problems with the action sequences...I just don't know what to say. In Superhero movies, aren't all the problems eventually solved by the superhero useing their powers? Seriously, what did you expect?

Was Superman, the best movie ever made? No. But it is nowhere as bad as you make it out to be. The only way I could see this movie ranked with Duce Bigalow, was if the person judgeing wanted it to be as bad.

All in all my advice to you is, Don't go see a movie you know you're not going to like. Really it's just a waste of your money.

[GeeVee]

To begin with, I take offense to that first comment. That was rude and uncalled for.
I admit, I was in a bad mood when I wrote that post. Nevertheless, I stand by my comments, except maybe that least favorite movie part, that was too harsh. Most bad movies I see are just too forgettable for me to actively hate them. Still, I disliked the movie. Sure, many of my peeves with it have little to do with the movie and more to do with the actual Superman character. It doesn't make a difference in my mind.

I'll partially take back my comment about Brandon Routh. He was really good as Clark Kent. But I felt that he didn't show any determination as his Superman persona.