Review

Superman returns courtesy of acclaimed filmmaker Bryan Singer (The Usual Suspects, X-Men) in a film that carries on the proud tradition of its predecessors. Set chronologically five years after the events of 1980’s Superman II (yet specifically dated 2005), the Man of Steel returns to Earth after a long journey to the remains of his birth planet Krypton. During his absence, perennial love interest Lois Lane found herself a boyfriend with whom she has a young son. Lex Luthor is fresh out of prison with an eye on Supes’s abandoned Fortress of Solitude, which may contain the means to finally defeat his invincible foe. The plot is easily summarized as “Luthor hatches another diabolical scheme to defeat Superman and rule the world,” thus it's truly up to Singer to make this film a memorable one.

As is to be expected, the action sequences are, for the most part, slick and enjoyable, although they don’t seem to convey the same excitement as those in the director’s X-Films. Singer provides a few moments just for the comic fans, but surely loses the bulk of their favor after liberties are taken in the Superman mythology. Singer relies on mainstream audience knowledge of this same mythology, a risky move considering the fact that the previous Superman film was released 19 years prior. The director’s primary achievement is the creation of an atmosphere that perfectly complements the subject matter. Audiences will never question the belief that a man can fly, as Superman gracefully floats aboveground in a reality like their own with just a hint of dreamlike fantasy. Instead of taking the trendy route of relying on current events as inspiration for the film’s themes, Singer’s stylish, poignant journey of rediscovery deals with archetypes commonly found in comic books. The result isn’t the epic adventure story that audiences are expecting, but a much more personal journey that roots itself in realistic human emotions as much as a film about a heroic alien can.

Newcomer Brandon Routh makes a fantastic Superman and an adequate Clark Kent, although he never gets the chance to fully explore the alter-ego’s clumsy antics. The fast-talking pluckiness of reporter Lois Lane has been abandoned in favor of a harried career-soccer-mom by the screenwriters, but Kate Bosworth does as fine a job as she’s allowed. Kevin Spacey approaches Luthor in a menacingly effective manner. He maintains a level of diabolical calm throughout, allowing his fantastically straight countenance to do the evil talking for him. And unlike Gene Hackman’s Luthor, Spacey’s fits of frustrated rage come across more threatening than they do humorous. Frank Langella gives a standout performance as Daily Planet head Perry White, delivering the character’s classic “Great Caesar’s Ghost!” line perfectly. Also of note is Parker Posey as Luthor’s prissy right hand henchwoman.

Note: 20 minutes of the film can be experienced in 3-D on select IMAX screens. It’s a great gimmick that may indeed feature the best 3-D work yet, but the action scenes have obviously been engineered with the 2-D crowd in mind, with the format not nearly explored to its potential.

 -- Eric Bresler