MOVIEmeter
Top 5000
Down 43 this week

Superman Returns (2006)

6.2
Your rating:
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 -/10 X  
Ratings: 6.2/10 from 174,027 users   Metascore: 72/100
Reviews: 2,343 user | 414 critic | 40 from Metacritic.com

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

Director:

Writers:

(screenplay), (screenplay), 5 more credits »
Watch Trailer
0Check in
0Share...

User Lists

Related lists from IMDb users

a list of 41 titles created 6 months ago
 
a list of 156 titles created 2 months ago
 
a list of 10000 titles created 2 months ago
 
a list of 88 images created 5 months ago
 
a list of 287 titles created 09 Apr 2012
 

Connect with IMDb


Share this Rating

Title: Superman Returns (2006)

Superman Returns (2006) on IMDb 6.2/10

Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below.

Take The Quiz!

Test your knowledge of Superman Returns.
Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 10 wins & 22 nominations. See more awards »

Videos

Photos

Learn more

People who liked this also liked... 

Spider-Man (2002)
Action | Fantasy
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.3/10 X  

When bitten by a genetically modified spider, a nerdy, shy, and awkward high school student gains spider-like abilities that he eventually must use to fight evil as a superhero after tragedy befalls his family.

Director: Sam Raimi
Stars: Tobey Maguire, Willem Dafoe, Kirsten Dunst
Fantastic Four I (2005)
Action | Adventure | Fantasy
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 5.7/10 X  

A group of astronauts gain superpowers after a cosmic radiation exposure and must use them to oppose the plans of their enemy, Doctor Victor Von Doom

Director: Tim Story
Stars: Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans
Action | Adventure | Fantasy
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.7/10 X  

After three years of fighting in the Clone Wars, Anakin Skywalker falls prey to the Sith Lord's lies and makes an enemy of the Jedi and those he loves, concluding his journey to the Dark Side.

Director: George Lucas
Stars: Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Hayden Christensen
Avatar (2009)
Action | Adventure | Fantasy
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 8/10 X  

A paraplegic Marine dispatched to the moon Pandora on a unique mission becomes torn between following his orders and protecting the world he feels is his home.

Director: James Cameron
Stars: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver
Action | Adventure | Fantasy
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 8.4/10 X  

After rescuing Han Solo from the palace of Jabba the Hutt, the Rebels attempt to destroy the Second Death Star, while Luke Skywalker tries to bring his father back to the Light Side of the Force.

Director: Richard Marquand
Stars: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher
Action | Adventure | Fantasy
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.7/10 X  

Ten years later, Anakin Skywalker shares a forbidden romance with Padmé, while Obi-Wan investigates an assassination attempt on the Princess and discovers a secret clone army crafted for the Jedi.

Director: George Lucas
Stars: Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Hayden Christensen
John Carter (2012)
Action | Adventure | Fantasy
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.6/10 X  

Transplanted to Mars, a Civil War vet discovers a lush planet inhabited by 12-foot tall barbarians. Finding himself a prisoner of these creatures, he escapes, only to encounter a princess who is in desperate need of a savior.

Director: Andrew Stanton
Stars: Taylor Kitsch, Lynn Collins, Samantha Morton
Stargate (1994)
Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.9/10 X  

An interstellar teleportation device, found in Egypt, leads to a planet with humans resembling ancient Egyptians who worship the god Ra.

Director: Roland Emmerich
Stars: Kurt Russell, James Spader, Alexis Cruz
Iron Man 3 (2013)
Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.7/10 X  

When Tony Stark's world is torn apart by a formidable terrorist called the Mandarin, he starts an odyssey of rebuilding and retribution.

Director: Shane Black
Stars: Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle
Timeline (2003)
Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 5.4/10 X  

A group of archaeological students become trapped in the past when they go there to retrieve their professor. The group must survive in 14th century France long enough to be rescued.

Director: Richard Donner
Stars: Paul Walker, Frances O'Connor, Gerard Butler
Action | Fantasy | Sci-Fi
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 5.6/10 X  

The Fantastic Four learn that they aren't the only super-powered beings in the universe when they square off against the powerful Silver Surfer and the planet-eating Galactus.

Director: Tim Story
Stars: Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans
Action | Adventure | Fantasy
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 8.8/10 X  

Luke Skywalker, a spirited farm boy, joins rebel forces to save Princess Leia from the evil Darth Vader, and the galaxy from the Empire's planet-destroying Death Star.

Director: George Lucas
Stars: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher
Edit

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
Jor-El (archive footage)
...
...
...
...
Vincent Stone ...
...
Edit

Storyline

After eliminating General Zod & the other Kryptonian arch-villains, Ursa & Non, Superman leaves Earth to try to find his former home world of Krypton after astronomers have supposedly found it. When he finds nothing but remnants, he returns home to Earth - to find out that Lois Lane is engaged to a relative of his boss, and that Lex Luthor is at it again - after swindling an elderly, terminally ill woman. The psychopathic Luthor, whose plans to destroy California failed because of Superman's heroics, vows vengeance against the Man of Steel and contrives a new sinister plot - using the crystals of Krypton to build a continent that will wipe out most of North America! Embedded in the continent's structure is Kryptonite - the lethal substance that is Superman's only weakness. Upon learning of Luthor's sinister scheme, Superman must again race against time to stop the psychopathic Luthor before millions - possibly billions - are killed. Written by Derek O'Cain

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis


Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some intense action violence | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
Edit

Details

Official Sites:

| |  »

Country:

Language:

| |

Release Date:

28 June 2006 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Superman Reborn  »

Box Office

Budget:

$209,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£4,337,637 (UK) (14 July 2006)

Gross:

$200,069,408 (USA) (27 October 2006)
 »

Company Credits

Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

| | | (IMAX version)

Color:

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1
See  »
Edit

Did You Know?

Trivia

Actors including Eric Christian Olsen, Topher Grace, and Shawn Ashmore were being considered for the role of Jimmy Olson before Sam Huntington was cast. Shawn's brother, Aaron Ashmore, later portrayed Olsen in Smallville. See more »

Goofs

The knot on Lex Luthor's necktie changes throughout his conversation with Lois on the boat. See more »

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.
See more »

Crazy Credits

The opening credits are seen in a trip through space, from Krypton to Earth, in a manner reminiscent of the Superman opening credits sequence. See more »


Soundtracks

"Habanera"
from Carmen
Written by Georges Bizet
Performed by Slovak Royal Symphony Orchestra;
Alexander Rahbari, Conductor
Courtesy of Naxos
By Arrangement with Source/Q
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

See more (Spoiler Alert!) »

User Reviews

 
Why the world needs Superman...
30 June 2006 | by (Canada) – See all my reviews

The basic premise of Superman Returns is that Superman has returned from an unexplained 5-year absence to find a world that seems to be getting along fine without him, that the woman he loves has moved on and has a family, and that he is- at least in terms of any beings similar to him- completely alone. The amazing thing is, this is the least angst-filled, least melodramatic superhero film in the past 5 years or so. I think the recent trend has been to try to get audiences to empathize with their heroes more by making them more human and actually taking them seriously. Peter Parker battles some very serious demons and is in constant struggle with being Spider-man, the X-Men films are very serious and political and the latest instalment, "The Last Stand," featured some startling and emotionally wrenching revelations, and Batman, well, need I go on?

So, here we have Superman in the first new film in almost 20 years. He has his issues, but unlike all the other Super heroes around, he seems to be very solemn about it all. After all, he is Superman, not Clark Kent; Clark Kent is his mask. Obviously a huge nitpick people will have is that Clark comes back the very, very same day as Superman and not one single idiot in the city of Metropolis seems to notice, right? Well, yes, that bugged me too, at first. But then, the more you think about it, that's just how Clark Kent is designed: completely forgettable (except by Jimmy), always in the background, and always overshadowed by the bigger story, which is Superman. David Carradine has a very great speech about Superman at the end of Kill Bill Volume 2 that justifies everything quite nicely to me, so I suggest seeing that if you haven't already. What this movie does a great job of doing is just showing this classic, iconic super hero doing what he does best: saving the day. There's something so refreshing about finally getting that clear view of Superman for the first time after he saves a planeload of passengers from certain doom, and saying with a smile: "Don't let this turn you off to flying, folks. Statistically it's still the safest mode of transportation."

But that brings us to the actual plot. It goes for simple, safe, repetitive— tedious, even? And, honestly, it's the kind of plot that just doesn't justify the runtime. Lex Luthor comes up with a ridiculous plan that even in the world of comic books is pretty hard to swallow. He compares himself to Prometheus, how he is so generous with the "mortals" by sharing his wonderful discovery, though planning on killing billions in the process. Lex obviously forgot the last half of that story, where Prometheus is punished and confined to terrible pain for all of eternity. But maybe that's the point. I mean, we all know from the very beginning Lex won't win, he's doomed to lose, that's just how it's meant to be: Superman wins and Lex loses. Written in the scriptures: is, was, ever shall be, in comic strips, TV shows, feature films, living in an ageless universe, for all eternity.

Bryan Singer is obviously aware of this. Singer also directed X-Men 1&2, and I think his biggest problem as a director is that he lacks a sense of completion in his works. X-Men is not the kind of movie that you watch, and then once it's over, you want to watch it over again. It's the kind of movie that you watch, and then once it's over, you want to see the next one. The X-Men films were each done with the presumption that there would be a next instalment, and that's fine I guess if you like always being on the edge of your seat waiting for the next one, but when his Superman movie does the same thing and drags past the 2-and-a-half hour mark, there's a problem. If nothing else, the movie establishes that Superman is indeed back, and we should expect to see more of him in the future.

Superman Returns is definitely a grand film. It's big, it's loud, it's expensive. I usually don't think to myself, 'hey that looks expensive,' when watching a movie, but I did in this case. It doesn't try for anything new or bold, it doesn't want to, and it's nice to see a super hero movie where the hero is the generic do-gooder, and helps mankind because he really wants to. That's why I think Superman garners more universal appeal than any others. But, honestly, the angsty heroes can be much more interesting. Certainly so with last year's Batman Begins, which I thought was a great, perfect movie, while I though Superman Returns was really good, but probably could have been better.

My rating: 7.5/10


65 of 100 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you?

Message Boards

Recent Posts
Laughable opening scene chivers677
Man of Steel jesse-weber
Good reviews but everyone else hates it SVeverett
SUPIE'S UNIFORM rrjustron
Routh was great as Superman, Bosworth was a terrible Lois Lane ssimon55
Biggest plot hole Brent54
Discuss Superman Returns (2006) on the IMDb message boards »

Contribute to This Page