Superman Returns
Directed by: Bryan Singer

Premise: After being absent for five years, Superman (Brandon Routh) returns to find that the people of planet earth have gotten along without him and Lois Lane (Kate Bosworth) has a son, while Lex Luthor (Kevin Spacey) plans another terrible scheme.

What Works: The film plays as a sequel to Richard Donner’s Superman: The Movie from 1978 and Richard Lester’s Superman II from 1980. Superman Returns captures the tone and style of those films and reintroduces Superman in ways that are relevant to the contemporary age. Superman is a challenging character to dramatize because he is invincible and morally incorruptible. This version adds more layers of humanity to the character as he deals with the change in his relationship with Lois Lane and attempts to reintegrate himself into the contemporary world. Brandon Routh is a good casting pick as Superman; he shares a great resemblance to Christopher Reeve and he takes the role seriously. Kevin Spacey is terrific as Lex Luthor. He brings a much more sinister element to the character but he also adds a psychological complexity that other incarnations of this villain have not seen. 

What Doesn’t: Although Superman Returns plays as a sequel to the first two movies, it actually borrows too much. The basic storyline is lifted right out of the first movie, except that in this film not very much happens. Superman Returns is, oddly, much too light on the action sequences. The film lacks the super-feats that define Superman’s heroism and instead focuses on the drama. While the interpersonal storyline adds texture, this is a Superman movie and it needs to build up Superman’s credibility as a hero. Unfortunately, he spends a lot of the film sulking around with a broken heart. The film misses the opportunity to link his personal crisis with the threats to humanity and the film does not allow Superman to redefine his role in the world. In terms of pacing, the film takes awhile to get going and in the middle it picks up, but then drags in the third act. The ending is really problematic. There is an enormous plot hole in the climax involving Superman’s crystals that is just staggering. The love relationship and Superman’s attempts to revise his sense of self, the crux of the story for two hours, is not really resolved.

Bottom Line: Despite wonderful visuals, Superman Returns is a disappointment. It is nice to see the return of the Man of Steel and it is admirable the way that Singer has integrated this film with the first two, but Superman Returns is missing some of the essential elements of the character and makes too many narrative blunders.