Superman Returns

When it was first announced that “Superman Returns” was going to be filmed, fans up and down the country grew wild, and the pressure was on for those filmmakers. They had the hopes of ten million Super-fans riding on their shoulders, and they were actually able to produce a decent movie. By no means is this film anywhere near the excellence of the original, but it has finally given Supes a chance to hold his head up. I applaud it for its nostalgic familiarity to the first film, and its decision to be a sequel that blatantly ignores the last two sequels, but its mediocre story and bland cast members somewhat disenchanted me. It’s nothing too special, but this film is definitely a step in the right direction for Supes.

When I first went to the theater to see this film, I was beside myself with excitement, I admit it. My excitement and happiness was greatly increased when the classic opening credits and familiar John Williams theme song from the first film began to play. And all throughout the film, I kept privately squeaking with joy every time a reference to the original film was dropped, such as the iconic night flight with Lois or the incredible return of Marlon Brando as Jor-el, for a brief time. I quickly realized that the film was intending to be a direct sequel to the second film in the franchise, and was choosing to ignore the existence of the last two sequels. This tidbit of information made me happier than ever, as “Superman III” and “IV” were utter garbage. This choice allowed the film to relax a bit, and create a good, unhampered story that could really work well.

The only problem was, they missed their opportunity. The storyline, I’m afraid, was very dull and completely unwanted. After this many years, a large subplot about Superman’s son and Lois Lane getting married to some stiff was not at all what audiences needed from the Man of Steel. Also, the large gap between movies could have allowed for a new, fresh villain from the comic books, but instead they threw Lex Luthor at us yet again, in another desperate bid for land, just like always. I also took issue with the utter blandness of the actors in this film. The worst of the lot was Kate Bosworth as Lois Lane, who acted terribly and was not even close to the level of the great Margot Kidder. Also Kevin Spacey as Luthor was fairly lackluster and uninspired. The most important cast member, Superman himself, sure looked the part, but he was not exactly captivating in his acting.

For the most part, “Superman Returns” did alright. It stayed true to the original and was quite entrancing to watch, but suffered from a poor story and insipid acting. This film earns a fresh seven out of ten stars; I only wish it had come sooner and earned more.