Superman Returns Finally!

There are going to be spoilers in this thread, so if you haven't watched the movie, try not to read it first, if you can help it!

I was rather disappointed that Bryan Singer left X-Men hanging and crossed-over to do Superman Returns. I was hoping that he finished the X-Men before moving on. Anyhow, I was rather surprised that this movie didn't have all that dark undertones that his movies usually have.

Brandon Routh looks so good it hurts the eyes. My female friends who were watching the movie with me were swooning over him! He resembles Christopher Reeves right down to the curl in his hair on his forehead. I was amazed that we have "twins" out there in the world somewhere, acting, breathing, walking around, that look like us in one way or another. His mannerism as Superman and as Clark Kent jogged memories of what Christopher Reeves did in Superman 1 and 2 back in the 1980s, when I watched those 2 movies as a little boy. They were fond memories!

Kate Bosworth did an amazing job portraying this version of Lois Lane. I was taken with how she can actually act instead of just looking pretty in a swimsuit in the last movie I saw her in called Blue Crush. The other Lois Lane was Margot Kidder, who portrayed Lois as a rather nutty character. In fact, Kate did such a good job, I've been comparing her to Katie Holmes in Batman Begins and how badly Katie's acting was as compared to Kate's.

James Marsden aka Scott Summers aka Cyclops from X-Men was pulled into this project by Bryan Singer. He did a fairly good supporting character role in this movie, although there could have been more potential in his character.

Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor, gave a very impressive performance that shone throughout the movie. His ability to portray a temperamental Lex Luthor, the criminal mastermind was amazing. As compared to Smallville's Michael Rosenbaum version of Lex Luthor, this Lex has passed beyond being just friends with Clark Kent, he has actually gone over to the dark side (so to speak) and onto the path of being a criminal completely.

The plot of the movie needed a little more tinkering with, it was rather straight-forward. Lex Luthor again trying to conquer the world with his megalomaniac schemes of growing a continent out of crystal (from Superman's Fortress of Solitude) and sinking the USA in the process. He alone will have the technology from Krypton that will put him ahead of every nation on Earth. Enter Superman, who returns after a visit his dead home planet of Krypton to see if there was anything left. He's left Lois hanging and wondering why he left and expected to return to their on/off relationship.

The subplot in the movie, which doesn't directly show it, but hints at, was that the little boy Jason, who was introduced to us as Lois's son, was actually also the Man Of Steel's son too. You wouldn't realise this until he drops the piano (literally!) on one of the thugs to save his mom from harm. At the same time, there's also debate as to whether he was afraid of the kryptonite waved in his face by Lex Luthor or whether he was immuned to it, unlike his father. This makes for interesting debate, as Jason would be completely invincible if he's immune to the effects of kryptonite.

The luxury yacht was amazingly crafted with a helicopter landing pad and a glass bottom library that had a Steinway grand piano in it. A pity they had to destroy everything!

The special effects were also top-notch. Now, when Superman breaks the sound barrier you can actually see a faint arc in front of him, just before the sonic boom - an attention to detail that wasn't brought into the previous Superman movies.

This movie was good, but it needed something to spice it up a wee bit more. Perhaps in the next movie, they will do better and have more interesting villians. Superman/Clark Kent liking Lois Lane, it's very old romance, very boring already. Something new needs to be done. In the comics, they're married! Superman succumbing to kryptonite, it's very cliche as his only weakness, so something new would always be refreshing.

7.5 out of 10