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Superman
Returns 
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Does the world need Superman Returns?
After all, it's been five years since Superman set foot on Planet Earth (he's been off on a soul-searching, fact-finding mission to Planet Krypton) according to this plot, and 19 years if you look at his absence from the big screen. We live in an era when comic-based superhero movies now are a dime a dozen and we barely have enough airspace left to cope with all their derring-do. But then, given the current super-appetite for superheroism, when would be a better time to relaunch the career of the Big Daddy of them all? Those scorchmarks in the cornfield can mean only one thing, Ma: the Man of Steel is back and he's ready to show all the other upstarts how to REALLY do "truth, justice and all that other stuff".
But if Supe (Brandon Routh) thinks he can just slot back in to the nerdy glasses and oversize shoes of Clark Kent, he's got another think coming. A lot has happened in the past five years. Old flame Lois Lane (Kate Bosworth) has moved on, got herself a fiancé (James Marsden) and young son (Tristan Lake Leabu) and earned herself a Pulitzer Prize into the bargain, for an op-ed piece entitled "Why The World Doesn't Need Superman", no less. Some homecoming, huh Clark? Also, there's the small matter of Superman's archnemesis Lex Luthor (played with gleeful relish by Kevin Spacey), who earned himself a premature release from jail because Superman failed to show up for his parole hearing. Oops...
Luthor has wasted no time planning his revenge and comeback. He's tracked down Superman's Fortress of Solitude in the Arctic and discovered the secrets of Krypton crystal technology, hatching a diabolical plan that will change the definition of "getting rich from real estate" forever. Can Superman defeat the bad guys and save the entire planet? Hmph. Is kryptonite green and glowy?
One can't help feeling that part of the reason that studios like to revisit these old franchises (apart from the cha-CHING! factor of course) is to have a chance to do them again with new technology. Somebody obviously had a blast with the special effects as evidenced by the movie's first heart-stopper sequence - Superman's dramatic dual rescue of a space shuttle and a crashing jumbo jet, conveniently carrying his beloved Lois - not to mention Luthor's epic creation and its effects on the city of Metropolis. It's unfortunate that Superman's own closeup flying sequences aren't quite so believable, particularly when he's taking Lois out for a spin - they still look like they're lying on a table.
The cast contains some standout characters, starting with Brandon Routh, a genuine, downhome Midwestern boy who is an engaging and earnest successor to the late Christopher Reeve's red mantle. His Clark is all shy and wide-eyed bumbling innocence and his Superman is lantern-jawed with just the right amount of twinkle in his eye. Kevin Spacey plays Luthor like he can't believe his luck - he's equal parts withering disdain and barking mad psycho. Luthor's token gal-pal is Kitty Kowalski and Parker Posey plays her with a nice mix of social ambition and then anxious guilt as she realizes the deviousness of Luthor's plans. Between them, they get some of the juiciest lines and wittiest moments in the movie. (Lex: What was it my old dad used to say to me? Kitty: "You're losing your hair?" Lex: No... Kitty: "Get out?" Lex: NO!!!) Of the central characters, poor old Lois probably comes off the worst. Kate Bosworth tries hard but the responsibilities of a conscientious investigative reporter and working mom obviously sit heavily on Lois' shoulders and she doesn't get much chance to sparkle.
There is a lot of messianic imagery that can be a bit hard to stomach - from Supe's dad Jor-El (Marlon Brando) announcing that he's sending his only son to Earth to help humans realize their true greatness to shots of Superman hovering over the earth like an archangel high in the heavens, hearing all of the world's problems before picking one to dash off to and solve - all as if perhaps to emphasize a point about where Superman sits in the pantheon of superheroes, or even to suggest that what we're really asking here is not whether or not we need Superman but God instead. One of the great mysteries of all time - why the heck no one ever manages to put two and two together about Clark and Superman - is perpetuated here, although at least this time, they have the decency to acknowledge it and do a double take first. And I have to admit that I found the whole concept of the cute kid vaguely annoying (sorry, Tristan Leabu, nothing personal). Please, Hollywood, can you come up with a new idea about how to demonstrate juvenile vulnerability that doesn't involve an asthma inhaler??
On the plus side, the sets are gloriously expansive and the movie has a charming retro-modern look to it, a curious amalgam of forties styling and millennial technology, including pictures from a cellphone that lead to a nice riff on the old "It's a bird, it's a plane" theme. Those familiar with the older movies and TV series will be happy to note various winks, nods and references to the same and cameos by some of the original actors and there is a nice tribute to the late Christopher and Dana Reeve in the closing credits. The filmmakers have brought their boy home, and made him relevant again in a world that's had years to move on, in a way that's smart and touching and doesn't take itself too seriously.
By the end of the movie, Lois is forced to revisit her Pulitzer opus and ponder why the world does need Superman after all. As for the movie-going public, we don't have to think so hard - we thrive on such quirky humor, nefarious villains, noble and heroic sacrifices, deserved comeuppances and lots of slam-bang FX in our summer blockbusters.
Yes, of course we need Superman Returns. It's the perfect accompaniment to that Vat-O-Popcorn you're holding.
© 2003 All Rights Reserved, ACED Magazine