Back in 1978, comic book fans and movie goers were astounded when Richard Donner made well on his promise that "You will believe a man can fly." This of course was the tagline to the film Superman, starring Christopher Reeve; the first installment of the four film Superman franchise. The first two films were considered big, dramatic and just down-right awesome by critics and fans alike. The second half however were labeled many things related to stupid, nonsensical and unexciting. And that's without even bringing up the 1984 Supergirl spin-off.
But almost two decades later, director Bryan Singer decided it was time to bring the spirit of the old series to life. He dusted the material off and chose to make a distant sequel in the form of Superman Returns.
Five years since the events of Superman II, Superman (Brandon Routh) has vanished to the edge of outer space to find the remains of his home planet Krypton to find out whether he truly is the last of his kind. He returns to Earth to find out many things have changed, including former flame Lois Lane (Kate Bosworth) being engaged, a mother and an anti-Superman supporter. Speaking of the sort, criminal mastermind Lex Luthor (Kevin Spacey) has broken into Superman's Fortress of Solitude and stolen alien technology that he intends to use for his own sadistic goals. With the world once again at stake, Superman flies faster than a speeding bullet to get the job done.
The first thing to address with a sequel like this is the atmosphere. Singer delicately plays with the sets, costumes and styles of characters to give the film almost a timeless feel. With that said however, it also gives Superman Returns more of a darker tone than the films it's supposed to be carrying on. Even the Man of Steel himself wears a moody, blood-red cape that gives an almost rusty demeanor.
To that note, the cast must be appropriately examined. With the exception of Spacey's portrayal of a colder Luthor, most of the main cast brings only an adequate performance to the screen. Hollywood newcomer Routh bears much facial resemblance to Christopher Reeve, but feels a little too inexperienced to have earned the tights he wears. Bosworth is a lot more tone downed as the once bold Lois Lane that Margot Kidder was able to leave her mark with.
The visuals of the film may have been the main reason Singer decided it was time to breathe life back into the Superman franchise. Settings like the Fortress of Solitude are digitally constructed to become breathtaking landmarks that will leave viewers stunned. It also shows off the action in a more epic fashion, but there's not a lot there which the movie takes advantage of. Superman doesn't even throw a single punch.
Singer is able to mostly embody the spirit of the previous Superman films, but at the same time, brings little that's new to the table. The plot is structured to have little room for growth in the structure of its predecessors, making it more like a sense of nostalgia than a long-awaited Superman film. Other than the John Williams soundtrack, fans will be begging to see something, ANYTHING new.
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