Superman Returns: Review By T.Clark

Brian Singer, although he had to leave X3 for Returns, is the perfect choice to take over the Superman franchise. I can't think of anyone else who could have reinvigorated life back into the Man of Steel. His vision stays true to the past Superman films, while also giving it a new feeling.

With that said, Returns lacks what should have made it a blockbuster, epic masterpiece.

The plot is much like the old Superman movies, wherein Supes is up against Luthor-yet again-but with a few modern tweaks. Superman returns from searching for remnants of Krypton in deep space to find Lois Lane with a...kid?! I wasn't expecting that, and I sure as hell wish I didn't witness it. Anyways, it's discovered that Luthor has been released from prison after Superman failed to show up to testify against the villain, and he is still up to his usual shenanigans, with swindeling rich old ladies out thier fortune, only this time, Luthor has a much bigger plan-forming his own super-continent.

Clark and Lois's relationship takes centerstage in the movie, and while that's very important to the Superman mythos, I wanted to see a bit more action in a Superman movie, and bit less romance and drama.

However, there's plenty of action scattered throughout the film. For example, Superman's airplane rescue and Metropolis suffering earthquakes while Supes tries frantically to save his city offers moments of awe. Brandon Routhe protrays Superman well, and even looks much like his predecessor, the late Christopher Reeve, but the highlight of the film is not Routh's portrayal, but Kevin Spacey's portrayal of Lex Luthor. Spacey is perfect for the villain, and his acting is top-notch, as it always is, and reveals a more sinister Lex than Gene Hackman's portrayal of the character, which was more comedic. However, while Spacey did great justice to the character, I would've liked to see Supes go up against a villain other than Luthor for the hundredth time. Hopefully, we'll see Supes go up against a more formidable opponent in a sequel.

However, while Routh and Spacey might have been the right choices for thier respective roles, Kate Bosworth as Lois was not. She was THE worst casting choice for a character since I don't know when. Her Lois is boring and not lively at all like Lois Lane should be. She seems more like the damsel in destress than the take charge and sarcastc Lois we've all come to know and love.

Overall, Superman Returns is a good continuization of the Superman franchise, but it should have been a whole lot more than a superhero soap-opera, which it feels like most of the time.

AR's score: 4.0 stars(8/10)