Superman Returns

Over the weekend we caught the new Superman Returns movie. Since I’m a big fan of blockbuster films and am a sucker for “good-vs.-evil-where-good-triumphs-in-the-end” flicks – this one should have been a winner for me. It was not. I mean, it was ok, actually it was good, but in my book, it was nowhere near as great as I expected it to be.

There were several things that bothered me while watching the movie. First, there were too many allusions to Superman being THE savior of the world (Savior of the world a.k.a. Jesus Christ). This was implied several times throughout the film. First when Jor-El (Superman’s dad) says, “Even though you've been raised as a human being you're not one of them. They can be a great people, Kal-El, if 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." And then the part when Superman confronts Lois Lane by saying “You wrote that the world doesn’t need a savior, but every day I hear people crying for one." And what about the time Superman is in space looking down at the earth while recharging his strength from the sun and he has his arms outstretched like Christ on the cross. Maybe I’m overanalyzing things but it was definitely unnerving in my opinion.

Second I am not so sure about Kate Bosworth playing the part of Lois Lane. I kept thinking she was too young for the part and was sadly lacking in portraying “maternal empathy” for her son. I kept seeing her as selfish and self-absorbed. Also, I really like James Marsden and think it’s unfair that he keeps getting cast in roles where he’s the great guy that the girl falls in love with but gets left in the end for another guy. We saw that happen in The Notebook where Rachel McAdams leaves him for Ryan Gosling. At least in that movie, he had a chance – but here, well, who can compete against Superman???

The movie did have its good points, of course. I thought the effects were great and really well done. As for the storyline, I think the writers, producers and directors deserve credit for continuing the tradition that is Superman. It really does pick up from where Superman 2 left off. But it held its own as it delved into the torment that Superman was feeling coming to grips with coming home only to discover the world has moved on without him. Brandon Routh did a great job as Clark Kent / Superman. For a relative newcomer, I thought he filled them role quite well considering Christopher Reeve was a tough act to follow. It definitely helped that he was so good looking (both as Kent and the man of Steel). The other supporting actors were good too. But my runaway favorite has to be Kevin Spacey’s portrayal of Lex Luthor. I am a big fan of Mr. Spacey and this movie really shows his prowess and his talent as a character actor.

I think that overall, inspite of some technicalties here and there, the movie, (all two hours and forty minutes of it) will continue to captivate its loyal fanbase as well as gain many new fans in the process. And I am certain that there will be several more sequels to this movie because, afterall, in these trying times, we all need someone like Superman.