Superman Returns (2006)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Bryan Singer

Writers (WGA):

Michael Dougherty (screenplay) &
Dan Harris (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

28 June 2006 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

Plot:

After a long visit to the lost remains of the planet Krypton, the Man of Steel returns to earth to become the peoples savior once again and reclaim the love of Lois Lane.

Plot Keywords:

Superman | Return To Earth | Christian Parable | Kryptonite | Hope

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 9 wins & 21 nominations

Cast

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)
Kal Penn	...	Stanford
Tristan Lake Leabu	...	Jason White
David Fabrizio	...	Brutus
Ian Roberts	...	Riley
Vincent Stone	...	Grant
Jack Larson	...	Bo the Bartender

Also Known As:

Red Sun (USA) (fake working title)
Superman Reborn (USA) (working title)
Superman Returns: An IMAX 3D Experience (USA) (IMAX version)
Superman V (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some intense action violence.

Runtime:

154 min

Country:

Australia | USA

Language:

English | German | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | Sonics-DDP (IMAX version)

Certification:

Malaysia:U | Hungary:14 | Australia:M | Singapore:PG | UK:12A | Ireland:12A | Finland:K-11 | USA:PG-13 (certificate #42582) | Germany:12 | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Norway:11 | Argentina:13 | Chile:TE | Brazil:10 | USA:PG-13 | Philippines:G (MTRCB) | Iceland:10 | Portugal:M/12 | Sweden:11 | Hong Kong:IIA | South Korea:12 (DVD rating) | South Korea:All | New Zealand:M | South Africa:10V

Filming Locations:

Art Gallery Of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

All previous scripts revolved, in one way or another, around the death and subsequent return of Superman. Jonathan Lemkin wrote a draft in which Superman impregnates Lois before he dies, she gives birth soon thereafter (also dying in the process), and a fully-grown new Superman emerges to save the world. Lemkin's work was quickly discarded.

Goofs:

Factual errors: During the news reports, the German banner "Fensterputzer halten an ihrem Lebemfest" (Window cleaners hold on for their lives) is wrong. It should be "Fensterputzer halten an ihrem Leben fest."

Quotes:

[first lines]
Jor-El: You will travel far my little Kal-El. But we will never leave you. Even in the face of our deaths. You will make my strength your own. You will see my life through your eyes as your life will be seen through mine. The son becomes the father, and the father, the - The son.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in An Evening with Kevin Smith (2002) (V)

Soundtrack:

(Viens, Mallika, les liane en fleurs...) Dôme épais le jasmin

The world does need Superman!

Like many other people, the character of Superman has always been a firm favourite of mine dating back to my childhood. Christopher Reeve's Superman made me believe a man could fly with the light-hearted 'Lois and Clark' series seeing me through the Nineties. I was sceptical as the next Supes fan when I heard they were to bring back the character, recast and revitalised for a twenty-first century audience. But having seen 'Superman Returns', those fears were instantly pushed back as I now eagerly await a sequel.

'Superman Returns' is set five years after Christopher Reeve's 'Superman II' (thankfully ignoring the events in the lacklustre 'Superman III and IV'). Superman, after five years of searching for the remains of his homeplanet Krypton, has returned to Earth to resume his life as Clark Kent only to find things moved on without him. Lois Lane is now mother to five-year-old son Jason and engaged to Perry White's nephew Richard. She is also thoroughly disenchanted with Superman although it soon becomes clear there is much unresolved feelings between the two. But between juggling his conflicting emotions for Lois and his duties to protecting the population, Superman has to face his arch-enemy Lex Luthor, who has stolen the crystals from the Fortress of Solitude and is intent on using them to rule the world.

It was never going to be easy Brandon Routh to step into Christopher Reeve's shoes but he takes it in his stride, managing to capture the bumbling but kindly nature of Clark and the strong, reserved demeanour of a Superman who strives to find a balance between his alien heritage and the life he has made for himself on Earth. He both makes the role his own yet does well in succeeding where Reeve left off. Kate Bosworth was also another surprise. I was very disappointed in her casting initially but seeing her perform in the film left me realising that she was perfect for the job as she portrays the cocky and determined yet vulnerable Lois to a tee. Kevin Spacey was great as the obsessive, slightly unhinged Luthor who possesses a real hatred for our hero while Parker Posey gave us a nicely-portrayed 'shades of grey' character in Kitty, a villain with a heart. Even the little moppet who played Jason gave a decent performance without being wooden or grating.

What I loved most about the film is that it delivered an interesting storyline that didn't reject the first two 'Superman' films, which are classics in the heart of any Superman fan and had already done a good job in covering the origins story. But at the same time, it didn't shirk in giving us deeper insights into the character of Superman, the solitary hero and the man who just wants to fit in. What was a pleasant surprise was that the film also refused to dumb down to small children in the audience, which is a growing problem with many Hollywood films that over-dose on infantile humour to appeal to kids resulting in boredom for anyone over fourteen. There was humour, some on a level to make children laugh, but overall there was a nice mix of action, romance and darkness aimed more at an older audience. They even avoid the clichéd pitfall of portraying Lois' love interest to be a sanctimonious twit and instead he came across as a genuinely nice guy who shows that it's understandable why she has problems choosing between him and Superman

In fact, my only real problem was that there wasn't enough interaction between Lois and Clark, which would have been nice as Clark's jealousy towards his alter-ego and the attention Lois lavishes on him is a large part of the story yet in the film, you felt as if Clark and Superman really were two different people with Clark just being some rather random guy. However, it can be over-looked by the fact that Clark was so happy to just have Lois' attention that he didn't care whether it was projected onto himself in his real personality or on Superman.

For anyone who has yet to see the film, I do recommend it and don't allow yourself to be put off by nitpickers complaining about the actors' being too young (better they be a shade on the younger side than going the 'Smallville' route where you have adults in their late twenties and thirties prancing around pretending to be teens and just looking ridiculous for it) or that the film is too long (even the eight-year-olds in the audience sat quietly, glued to the screen, for the entire film) or that it's bland (no more so than 'Spiderman'). I, for one, thoroughly enjoyed it and am looking forward to a sequel. After a rather dull summer at the cinema, this film renewed my faith in the summer blockbuster!