Superman Returns (12A)

Dir. Bryan Singer, 2006, US, 154 mins

Cast: Brandon Routh, Kate Bosworth, Kevin Spacey, Eva Marie Saint, James Marsden, Frank Langella, Parker Posey, Kal Penn, Sam Huntington and Marlon Brando

Review by Hemanth Kissoon

“Your name is Kal-El. You are the only survivor of the planet Krypton. Even though you've been raised as a human, you are not one of them. You have great powers, only some of which you have as yet discovered…. Live as one of them, Kal-El, to discover where your strength and your power are needed. Always hold in your heart the pride of your special heritage. They can be a great people, Kal-El, they wish to be. They only lack the light to show the way. For this reason above all, their capacity for good, I have sent them you...my only son.” Jor-El (Brando), Superman (1978).

Up there with Mickey Mouse as a genuine enduring pop cultural phenomenon, Superman is nearly 70 years old. From the golden age of comics, to the George Reeves TV show, to the seminal Richard Donner film, to Lois and Clark, to Smallville and now to Bryan Singer’s re-tooling, his place has been cemented as probably the most beloved super-hero ever. What is the secret of his perennial appeal? Is it because he was the first super-hero to spark the imagination? Because he’s a romantic untouchable or a pseudo-religious figurehead? Is it due to the benchmark he sets for goodness? Or to our He-Man fantasies or lust for pure escapism? Whatever the reasons, he has remained in the public consciousness for coming up to three-quarters of a century.

Five years ago, Superman disappeared (it is unclear whether this version is meant to be after Superman II or Superman IV: The Quest for Peace – but I guess it is the first sequel) when astronomers discovered the remains of Krypton. On his return to Earth, he presumptuously believes all will be as it was. To be fair, it is. Almost. People still need saving and criminal mastermind Lex Luthor is on a dastardly, avaricious mission. However, the love of his life Lois Lane – intrepid No. 1 reporter at The Daily Planet, the place of employment of Superman’s alter ego Clark Kent – has moved on. Big time. Our heroine is not only engaged but has a son.

This reviewer has been looking forward to this film for almost ten years, ever since Tim Burton was announced as a director with Nicolas Cage in the lead. However, Warner Bros reportedly sank at least $30 million into pre-production and then scuttled the project after the estimated budget went sky-high. Since then, the studio has been determined to raise their franchise with various directors mooted, e.g. Michael Bay, Brett Ratner and McG. Thank the movie gods that the current powers-that-be at the studio are film literate enough to hire both Singer here and Christopher Nolan to resuscitate Batman. (Contrast whoever was in charge when Batman Forever and Batman and Robin were green-lit.) Not only that, Warners’ slate is looking pretty amazing for the rest of the year: Darren Aronofsky’s The Fountain, M. Night Shyamalan’s Lady in the Water and Andrew Domink’s The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. Twentieth Century Fox could do with learning from their counterparts after the dire X-Men 3 (Brett Ratner in the director’s chair), Alien vs. Predator (Paul W.S. Anderson) and The Fantastic Four (Tim Story).

The pedigree of director Singer is impressive; he made one of the great thrillers of all time, The Usual Suspects, and one of the greatest comic-book films, X-Men 2. With an alleged budget of $250 million and no reported studio interference, Superman Returns should have been knocked out of the park for a home run and a lap of honour.

Singer clearly loves Richard Donner’s 1978 film. And rightly so. Fantastically plotted, written, directed, scored, cast and acted. It was a no-expense-spared production, too, except all the high notes were hit. Did I mention the cast? Brando, Gene Hackman, Terence Stamp, Susannah York, Jackie Cooper, Glenn Ford, Ned Beatty, Margot Kidder and Christopher Reeve. Technology, too, was invented to get the flying sequences right. Superman and Superman II were shot back to back, but Donner was let go from the second one. Singer has opted to keep some of the motifs and ideas from Donner’s work, but instead of merely referencing at best, or homaging at worst, he seems to have rehashed the plot. Having Lex Luthor repeat a similar plan is pedestrian. Admittedly this film aims to re-establish the franchise, but why not be more ambitious with the plot and characters?

Singer seems to have started the plot five years after Superman II, and co-opted a similarly extraordinary cast. Unfortunately, neither the plot nor the script nor the acting can compare to the original. If you love Donner’s film, Superman Returns will seem an anti-climax. If you do not, then this will probably give you the summer thrills and spills that you seek. The flaws in the handling of the romance are highlighted when compared to other super-hero love stories such as Peter Parker/Spider-Man and Mary-Jane. MJ is in love with Spidey but Spider-Man is a mask for Peter Parker – which is a problem for true love. However, Lois is in love with Supes, who is his real self – which is great. Clark Kent is mostly just an act – so why is he so anxious? Surely the only problems are: when to reveal his true identity and whether she has really moved on?

Routh and Bosworth may look the part but their performances are just too wooden. Unfortunately, they cannot handle the spectrum of emotions. Compare Christopher Reeve in Superman II, when, at Niagara Falls, Clark Kent decides to reveal himself to Lois Lane; just through a shift in body movement and facial expressions, he seemingly morphs into Superman – now that is acting. All action movies rely heavily on the bad guy. If he is poorly sketched, then the hero seems less impressive when taking him/her on. That is where the Spider-Man films have been let down; the rent-a-mad-scientist baddie is so generic as to be boring. Here the always valuable Spacey turns in a respectably sociopathic/hammy performance as Lex Luthor that holds its own against Hackman’s. But the key relationships between lovers, friends and nemeses do not come across satisfactorily - all the leads just seem to be acquaintances.

One of the major themes of the film, the bond between father and son, is insufficiently explored. We never get to see Superman on Krypton struggling to come to terms with the death of two fathers. There should have been the tragedy of finding the remains of his parents’ final resting place, the loneliness of being the last of a great species, and the heartbreak of two good men trying to win the love of one woman. All of that is not delivered in the script or the acting.

Like Tim Burton’s Batman and Spider-Man, there isn’t actually that much action, the film opting instead for plot and character, which is admirable. But when there is, it is spectacular, from the opening shot of Krypton to an incredible jet plane rescue. The only bum note is Singer opting to edit so fast in places that the action is difficult to take in. An odd decision, especially after the exciting ferocity of X-Men 2, as that technique seems to be the preserve of directors who do not understand the nature of action sequences. Also, the sets, effects and lighting have a beauty and detail rarely seen in a blockbuster. The Kent farm and Metropolis are extraordinary.

If you are contemplating seeing the IMAX version, I would normally recommend the experience. Seeing Batman Begins, The Polar Express and Poseidon on that size of screen provides a level of spectacle that is unparalleled. Superman Returns looks grand in IMAX. But when you don the glasses for the four 3D sequences (which last 20 minutes in total), the 3D looks clumsily realised and the fast editing adds to the confusion. A real shame.

Superman Returns is definitely entertaining and stunning to look at, but overall it’s a disappointment. Technology and SFX are getting exponentially more sophisticated, but why aren’t the scripts or the acting?

Warner Home Video have announced the UK Region 2 DVD release of Superman Returns for 4th December 2006.

There will be a Single-Disc (£17.99) movie-only edition and Two-Disc Special Edition (£24.99) available. The latter offers a multi-part, nearly 3-hour documentary "Requiem for Krypton: Making Superman Returns" which takes you on an in-depth, behind the scenes journey of the making of this film with director Bryan Singer and crew...

”Requiem for Krypton: Making Superman Returns" multi-part documentary

• Secret Origins and First Issues: Crystallizing Superman
• The Crystal Method: Designing Superman
• An Affinity for Beachfront Property: Shooting Superman – Superman on the Farm
• An Affinity for Beachfront Property: Shooting Superman – Superman in the City
• An Affinity for Beachfront Property: Shooting Superman – Superman In Peril
• The Joy of Lex: Menacing Superman
• He’s Always Around: Wrapping Superman

• 3D rendering of Marlon Brando’s face for the Fortress of Solitude scene