Superman Returns

[Prashant]

 

I had gone for the morning show of this movie. First day First show....

 

I will make sure there are not too many spoilers. Wherever there is a spoiler, I will mention it is a spoiler and colour the text white. But I will be outlining the basic story here.

 

If you dont want to know even the basic story here, then please dont read further.

 

CAST

 

Director : Bryan Singer (of X-Men and X2: X-Men United fame)

 

Brandon Routh .... Clark Kent/Superman

Kate Bosworth .... Lois Lane

Kevin Spacey .... Lex Luthor

James Marsden .... Richard White

Parker Posey .... Kitty Kowalski

Frank Langella .... Perry White

Sam Huntington .... Jimmy Olsen

Eva Marie Saint .... Martha Kent

Marlon Brando .... Jor-El (archive footage)

 

Background

 

The first 4 Superman movies were made in the late 1970s and 1980s. All of them starred Christopher Reeve as Superman.

 

It was this series of movies which made Reeve a household name.

 

Superman is a Kryptonian. He was born on the planet Krypton which was destroyed when he was a baby. His father Jor-El was a brilliant scientist on the planet Krypton and predicted the planet's destruction. He was not allowed to leave the planet but he made a special spacecraft for Kal-El and sent him on his way to planet Earth where he was found by Martha Kent and Jonathan Kent, a farming family in Smallville, Kansas.

 

Kal-El's body is very dense and in the presence of the yellow sun of the solar system, he gains powers and capabilities far beyond normal earthlings.

 

Clark Kent is brought up on the farm and then goes on to join the Daily Planet as a reporter where he meets the love of his life Lois Lane.

 

 

The Movie

 

The basic storyline

 

The story of this latest Superman movie is that Superman has been away from Earth for five years. He had gone to the remains of the planet Krypton to see if anyone else survived.

 

Lois Lane has moved on. She even has a son and is engaged to Richard White (the nephew of Perry White, the Editor-in-Chief of the Daily Planet ). She has also won a Pulitzer Prize for her article "Why the world does not need Superman".

 

And Lex Luthor has been released from jail because Superman missed his date in court to testify against Lex.

 

 

My Thoughts

 

 

Cinematography and Special Effects

 

In one word - Brilliant!! The whole movie has been shot superbly. The locales for the Fortress of Solitude is very very well made. And all the action sequences have been made very well.

 

And the special effects are mindblowing. Superman flying is way more realistic than the previous movies(where he looked more like he was swimming ).

 

The very first action scene in the movie is by far the best. Where he saves an aircraft (with Lois Lane on board, obviously ) from crashing.

 

The action sequences are bound to keep you on the edge of your seat. You will be able to predict the end of the scene, but still, it is to the credit of the special effects team that they manage to keep you on tenterhooks throughout the movie.

 

The Story

 

The writers sure had a challenge on their hands. Making a sequel to one of the all time great super hero movies is not an easy task by any means, but they have pulled it off!!

 

I obviously cant reveal too much of the story, but it is splendid.

 

 

 

Screenplay

 

The screenplay is truly amazing. There is not a single dull moment. Even when there is not much action happening on screen, you dont feel bored((except the parts where Superman takes Lois flying which actually drags on for a bit too much and you are already hoping and praying for the movie to get back to the main story).

 

 

Sound and Music

 

The sound is good. On par with a movie with such a huge budget. But the music, they havent changed it much. It is still the traditional SUPERMAN music. I personally dont like it much. But one of my friends loves that Superman music. So, I guess it depends on your taste.

 

 

Characters and Acting

 

This is the easiest to write about . Each and every one of the actors have done their job superbly. Brandon Routh is amazing as the new Superman. In some ways, I find him to be a better Superman than Reeve. His expressions and his wisecracks are amazing. His expressions when Perry White is briefing the whole Daily Planet staff abt the return of Superman and ordering them to find as many details as possible (like girlfriends, ealth, whether he has put on weight, etc) are amazing!!

 

And in the action sequences too, he is amazing!!

 

And abt the other characters, one of the main characters is a new one. Richard White, the fiance of Lois Lane. Initially, he seemed just about OK. But as the movie progressed to the climax he really came into his own. Another superb performance from him(better known to X-Men fans as Cyclops).

 

Kate Bosworth as Lois Lane is amazing. She does not really have any chemistry with Clark Kent but that is to be expected as she had felt betrayed when he ran away for 5 whole years without so much as a goodbye.

 

Lois Lane's son played by Tristan Lake Leabu is also really nice. As a kid, there isnt much scope for him to show his acting prowess but he plays his part as a cute kid perfectly.

 

And of course, Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor. He is amazing!!! Simply superb!! He plays Lex way better than Gene Hackman in the original. And his scheme is so diabolical that Superman really has to find something extra special to defeat him this time.

 

Jimmy Olsen is also there played by Sam Huntington. But his role is quite small. Martha Kent's role is also minimal played by Eva Marie Saint.

 

 

Comparison with Smallville

 

This is a category I felt was inevitable. Many of us here have been watching the TV show Smallville which basically revolves around Clark Kent's teenage life. And in the last few seasons, his life at college.

 

Before going for the movie, I had already made Smallville as the benchmark as I hated the original movie made in 1978. So, I wanted Kevin Spacey to protray Lex Luthor just as Michael Rosenbaum does in Smallville. I wanted Lois Lane to be just like Erica Durance.

 

Of course, that did not happen. But happily, I am not disappointed. after watching the movie, you feel that you just cannot compare the 2. Smallville is so different from Superman Returns.

 

Kevin Spacey's Lex Luthor is more like the Lex Luthor of the 1978 movie. But much much better. He has quite a few witty lines and there is quite a bit of humour with him. But he isnt stupidly funny(as I found Gene Hackman).

 

The protrayal of Lex Luthor in the movie is of a complete megalomaniac. Simply brilliant!!

 

And of course, Kate Bosworth cant really portray Lois Lane like how Erica Durance does mainly because there is quite a bit of chasm between Clark and Lois and Superman and Lois. She still has feelings for Superman, but whether it is enough to make her leave her fiance is another matter.

 

 

Conclusion

 

This is a breathtaking movie. A splendid tribute to Christopher Reeve(they do mention that in the credits that this is a tribute to Christopher Reeve and Dana Reeve). Bryan Singer keeps his reputation intact. Another splendid movie after the double whammy with the first two X-men movies.

 

If you have not planned on seeing this movie, then trust me and go and watch the movie.

 

PS: Dont expect the laws of physics to hold good in this movie. My friends and I were having a discussion over lunch as to how many basic laws of Physics were broken.

[nilayz]

You sure this movie is worth the big bucks at Inox? The superman looks gay

[majazac]

i thought that Clark Kent in the movie was going to be played by the same actor that plays him in Smalville

[Prashant]

You sure this movie is worth the big bucks at Inox? The superman looks gay

 

Yupp!! I saw it and I just loved it. I think you can watch it at Inox or PVR or any other luxurious Cinema Hall or Multiplex.

 

BTW his Indian version Krrish is also hitting high on box office stats.

[tuwawah]

Absolutely GREAT film! IMO this TOTALLY kicked Xmen 3's A$$! The storyline was good, the actors were great, and the overall movie was FANTASTIC!

 

Just a good, wholesome, entertaining film! It's a shame it didn't do well here in the U.S. but somehow people liked Xmen 3 more!?!? IDIOTS!

[roote]

is the movie really worth the price?