Superman Returns

Yeah, I liked it actually. I thought the plot was better than the last two Superman movies, although Christopher Reeve will always be Superman for me.

I think the length killed it. a lot of people are just waiting for the DVD Special edition.

K-Mark said:

I think Reeve was better, too, but this guy was a close second. In some scenes he almost looked like Reeve.

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Yeah, scary, huh? He came a VERY close second.
Better than Dean Cain.

Brandon Routh -- that's the guy's name.

I agree: in some scenes, he almost looks like Reeve. (But I still prefer the Reeve version of Superman.)

IMO, the length was... not too bad. Let's just say my writing isn't far from my thoughts, never mind where I happen to be. Heh.

Snitchcat said:

(But I still prefer the Reeve version of Superman.)

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I think Reeve will always be Superman - in more ways than one.

The special effects were good. The story was weak and the pacing should have been snappier. Superman was pretty. I loved Kevin Spacey and Parker Posey's performances.

I went to see it at Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood. GORGEOUS theater! That was the best part. My Mom and I were on vacation in LA and wanted to see the theater, otherwise I would have waited for video.

I enjoyed it. I thought Kate Bosworth seemed a bit lacking as Lois but overall, I thought the movie thankfully disavowed any knowledge of Superman III and IV. In my book, its Superman, Superman II, then Superman Returns.

And Spacey did a fantastic turn as Luthor. I loved the combat boots.

I think Bryan Singer plans on making the next one more thrill-packed. At least that's what he seemed to imply at Comic-Con.

BTW, did anyone pick up the graphic novel version of Superman
Returns? There are some differences from the novel and the movie, I won't go into them and spoil it for those of you who want to get it, but it is different.

I heard there was a sequence where Supes goes to Krypton that was shot but removed from the final cut of the film. Is that in the graphic novel?

Yes, the trip to Krypton opens the novel.

there's also a sequence with Martha Kent and her boyfriend (!?)
And some dialog with Lex Luthor when he traps Superman at the end that is markedly different from the final film version.

Overall I liked SR quite a bit, though there were certainly disappointing bits. But I also felt that way about Spidey and Batman Begins, which are both quite good but could have been better. Oh, and X-men ... but always tend to forget about X-men the movies, so they must be lacking something as well. Hmmm, maybe Singer just can't hit a homerun for my tastes? But the next Singer Supes movie better be a lot more action and real engaging drama.

I think Mel Gibson should take notes for his next Christ themed movie...

After all, this was one was really the modern telling of the Christ story with special effects.

Unfortunately, the very first scene of the movie (the opening text) lost me and then the rest of the gaping plot holes were frequent enough to make sure I couldn't get recaptured into the movie.

Of course the completely illogical, plot gored ending made sure that I would never enjoy the film.

Rabe...

I grew up watching Reeves as Superman and he will always be Superman for me. But Brandon Routh *squeals* is just gorgeous! He can never be Reeves, but I agree he comes SUPER close!
As for the movie, the Special Effects were SUPER but the story has something missing. More action and perhaps more dangerous enemies and less sap. Kevin Spacey delivers a stellar performance and I enjoy his image as a funny villain!

K-Mark said:

I noticed a lot of similarities to the story of Christ, too. Last son, superhuman, three days of death, body missing from hospital/tomb, the stab in the ribs, the falling down, etc.

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Yeah, the period of 'missing', the 'did he or did he not have a family', blah blah blah.

The interesting thing, I had a conversation about two weeks with one of the friends I saw the movie with how the Superman story was basically the retelling of the Christ legend (and, in a similar vein, Moses as the creators were Jewish). He argued against it even though his knowledge of Superman comes only from the movies and the general knowledge that everyone knows.

Halfway through "Returns" he turns to me in the theatre and says "I give up."

There was even the classic 'crucifixation' pose towards the end.

Kind of interesting, though, that a gay jewish man would direct a modern day sci-fi telling of the New Testament.

Rabe...

Superman Returns (redux)

Shadow_Ferret said:

Popularity of the first? I thought that thing crashed and burned. Every review I heard was negative.

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Oh. Well, I thought it was brilliant, and I tend to ignore everyone else.

In any case, looks like this was just a scare. Whew.

Shadow_Ferret said:

Popularity of the first? I thought that thing crashed and burned. Every review I heard was negative.

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Superman Returns made a substantial profit. Most of the negative reviews fell into two camps--

Fanboys bitching that Superman didn't punch anybody and self-styled pundits of haute culture who sneered at any film based on comics.

Personally, I loved Superman Returns and I think Brandon Routh turned in an excellent and nuanced performance.

With the possible exception of Batman Begins and Hellboy, I think it's the best super-hero film made up until this point.

I don't know why people post utter bulls**t about movies on fan-forums and why others accept the lies unquestioningly.

Are they pathological liars or compelled to just fabricate stuff in the hopes of either coming off as an expert or hoping to have a hand in diminishing a film's overall performance?

Last spring, an anonymous somebody claiming to be a studio insider posted an almost completely false advance review of FF2: The Rise of the Silver Surfer.

Nobody knows who posted it, nobody knows why, but people actually took it seriously for several weeks until a studio person with an actual name stepped forward and refuted the review, point by point.

Here's the criteria...if somebody posts an item, like the aforementioned nonsense about Brandon Routh by a person who (a) doesn't have a last name or a real name and (b) the item can't be verified, then it's probably been fabricated with an agenda.

Superman Returns was the greatest cinematic travesty in years. There's a hundred and six ways to demonstrate this, but Brandon Routh is a perfect example of how frigging far they missed they point.

The Superman costume is arguably the dumbest wardrobe ensemble ever. Blue tights with red undies worn on the outside? And kneehigh boots?! The reason Salkind's 1978 Superman was (for all it offered) nearly a flawless film, was that it knew when to laugh at itself and that Christopher Reeve was so charming, to the last mitochondria, that you never even saw the suit.

For the charismatically anemic Routh, they tried to change the costume: un-Crayola the colors, make the cape from oxblood leather. They just didn't get it.

Personally, I hope the whole project goes up in flames and the cinders get ground into paste by a rare Los Angeles rain.

Perks said:

Superman Returns was the greatest cinematic travesty in years.

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Really? I thought it could've been better, but uh... you should maybe watch more movies....

Jcomp said:

Really? I thought it could've been better, but uh... you should maybe watch more movies....

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If there's a lot worse out there, then I think perhaps not.

It wasn't in its technical execution, which was okay. It was in its spirit and its palid homage to a movie that didn't need a follow up. Classic Hollywood shortsightedness.

Besides, we're all allowed our pet peeves, aren't we?

Perks said:

Besides, we're all allowed our pet peeves, aren't we?

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As long as they're based on real information and not fueled by a sense of self-righteous superiority as yours seem to be.

Lol! It's not my superiority. I didn't make the good one. Touchy, touchy.

Perks said:

Touchy, touchy.

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Er...Maybe you should scroll back up.

I'm not the one ranting about an actor in a Superman suit.

Perhaps I do not belong in a serious discussion about comic books and cartoons. Pardon.