I saw Superman Returns today. I have been eagerly anticipating this movie since I saw the first trailers last fall. I was unable to get to the theatre until today.
Here is my review:
What I liked about It: As I have read in numerous other reviews,
Brandon Routh does a great job of becoming what we remember as Superman. He looks and at times sounds just like Christopher Reeves. Brandon's Clark Kent was almost identical to Reeves portrayal. I also felt like I was back in my childhood watching Superman II once again.
I felt that
Kate Bosworth was a really good Lois Lane. She had the drive of Lois from the comics. I loved her arguments with Perry "Chief" White about what story she should be covering. She made me believe she was Lois.
Kevin Spacey was the best Lex Luthor I have ever seen. After getting out on parole, he hooks up with an elderly rich woman and takes full advantage. He then develops a well thought out scheme with Superman's crystals in the Fortress of Solitude. He has some great lines.
I also really liked the rest of the cast. Everyone from Ma Kent to Perry White to Jimmy Olson was well done and believable. I can not complain about the casting of this film at all.
The plot was pretty good. I could buy into Superman being gone for 5 years while he explored the possibility of finding what is left of Krypton. This causing a lot of the plot issues on the screen between Superman and Lois. I felt that it overall played well on the screen.
What I did not Like: (Spoilers- Beware) I hated the plot issue of Lois' son and how it played out. Is it or is it not Superman's son did not play well for me. They gave it away too easily and did not make you really think about it or be surprised with it. It would have been better if they did not tell us but rather left us wandering. I am also more of a purest. In the comics, Superman did not have a child with Lois. They still have not had any children after getting married. Yet, this movie is going to introduce us to Superman's son. It left a nasty taste in my mouth. To me, it was much worse than making Spiderman's webbing actually come from his arm and not his web shooters.
My Grade: B+. I would have been higher without the child issue.
Other Reviews:
Rotten Tomatoes 75% approval/ 7.1 out of 10
Coming Soon: Both 8/10 and 9/10 Reviews
Entertain Me: B
Roger Ebert: 2 Stars
Memorable Quotes:
Lois Lane: But millions will die!
Lex Luthor: Billions! Once again, the press underestimates me.
Lex Luthor: Come on, let me hear you say it, just once.
Lois Lane: You're insane.
Lex Luthor: No! No, not that the other thing. Come on, I know it's on the tip of your tongue.
Lois Lane: Superman will never...
Lex Luthor: WRONG!
Lois Lane: I've done Superman. [Jimmy and Clark snicker]
Lois Lane: I've covered him! You know what I mean!
Kitty Kowalski: Wow, that's really something, Lex.
Lex Luthor: Wait for it.
Kitty Kowalski: Wow, that's really something, Lex.
Lex Luthor: Wait for it.
Kitty Kowalski: Lex, you're not a God.
Lex Luthor: Gods are selfish beings who fly around in little red capes and don't share their power with mankind.
Perry White: Winning a Pulitzer Prize is like winning an academy award, nobody remembers what you won it for, they just know that you won it.
Kitty Kowalski: [looking at a dog chewing on a bone] Weren't there two of those?
Lex Luthor: I would give thirty thousand coconuts and every ounce of your blood for a quart of gasoline!
Lex Luthor: [after receiving a will the widow signed leaving him all the money and handing his wig to a little girl] You can have that. The rest is mine.
Superman: I read the article, Lois.
Lois Lane: Yeah, so did a lot of people. Tomorrow night, they're giving me the Pulitzer ...
Superman: Why did you write it?
Lois Lane: How could you leave us like that? I moved on. So did the rest of us. That's why I wrote it. The world doesn't need a savior. And neither do I.
Superman: Listen...
Lois Lane: I don't hear anything.
Superman: I do. I hear everything. You wrote that the world doesn't need a savior, but every day I hear people crying for one.
Superman: [after saving Lois Lane and other members of the media from a plane crash] I hope this hasn't put you off of flying. Statistically speaking, it's still the safest way to travel.
Clark Kent: How did Lex Luthor get out of prison?
Jimmy Olsen: When his appeals came up, they called Superman as a witness, and he never showed. How much do you think that pisses off Superman?
Clark Kent: ...A lot.