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30/08/06
Superman Returns by Jenni  Overall rating: 93% In the general world of superheroes, what separates Superman from his various counterparts is quite simply his fame. Whilst Spider-Man can shoot webs, the Hulk can turn big and green and the X-Men have all manner of genetic anomalies, none of them quite touch the common man like Superman does. You don't have to be a geek to know all his powers and pretty much everyone knows him in some form or another, whether it be Christopher Reeve or Dean Cain (for those of us under the age of 30!). But is there still a place for the Man of Steel in today's world? Where truth and justice only just exist, and President Bush has cast a shadow over the American way. Well if this film is anything to go by then most definitely yes! From the moment the opening credits begin there seems to be some time warp that makes you feel 8 years old again. After a long absence to try and find his home planet, Superman (Brandon Routh) returns to Earth and attempts to integrate himself back into society. Alas, he finds the world is not quite as he left it and his sweetheart Lois Lane (Kate Bosworth) has moved on. He returns to his job at the Daily Planet newspaper under his alias Clark Kent, but it is not long before the dastardly deeds of a certain Lex Luthur (Kevin Spacey) mean he is forced back into his red and blue leotard. Superman Returns is a throwback to old fashioned blockbusters, where the plot is intelligent but not needlessly tangled and the character development makes the special effects seem justified. But what keeps it fresh is that it captures the loneliness and alienation that being different in modern society can bring. Some of the scenes between Lois and Superman are so touching and real as they know all too well the pain of loving someone unattainable. Brandon Routh does an excellent job channelling the Superman of old - hell he practically IS Christopher Reeve. He allows Superman a human edge but never lets us get in too far, even whilst he struggles to watch Lois's new found family-woman status. It is a little more difficult to accept Kate Bosworth as Lois Lane, she lacks the spark of previous incarnations of the character - but to be honest you get too sucked into Superman's world that by halfway through it really doesn't matter. Kevin Spacey steals many a scene as the megalomaniac Lex Luther, but then we all expected him to didn't we? He has just enough screen time to make Lex interesting but not too much so as that you ever root for him. The perfect pantomime villain. The special effects are, as you would expect them to be, pretty damn incredible. But if anyone understands the need for a good script over flashy CGI it's Bryan Singer - his absence from X-Men 3 was really felt. Superman has a depth that keeps you on the edge of your seat as he faces mortal peril. In Summary: Everything a summer blockbuster should be: big, bold and wearing it's underpants on the outside! |