1978's Superman was for me, the most amazing movie a child can embrace. I outwore two copies of my VHS when I was five years old shows how much I love it. 1981's Superman II continued on with that tradition of leaving me in amazement and wonder. It wasn't as epic as the original, but it certainly had much of the same charm and imagination that made the original so special to me.
The next two entries weren't up to par, and that's putting it nicely. While Superman III and IV both hold a place in my heart from a child's perspective, I can't help but shake my head during most of Superman III and burst out laughing at the poor production of Superman IV when I watch it now.
Finally, it took a long time, but it got here. Superman Returns is essentially the real Superman III. Bryan Singer pays infinite (perhaps too much) respect to Richard Donner's vision of the character on the big screen. Brandon Routh steps into the role of the world's greatest superhero, and much like Christopher Reeve, he owns the role. Routh is powerful as Superman, and his Clark Kent is still the same bumbling, lovable mild-mannered reporter.
Kate Bosworth is more beautiful than Margot Kidder, and for a 23-year old actress, she plays the role of Pulitzer Prize winning, working mom quite well. She is obviously heartbroken from when Superman left to find Krypton for all those years and it shows with her hesitance to have anything to do with him at first. But when she does meet with him on the roof of the Daily Planet, she realizes she can't avoid him or her feelings.
The supporting cast in the Daily Planet all fill out their roles well also. Frank Langella smartly does not try and ruin Perry White by turning him into J. Jonah Jameson and instead plays him as a calm, father-figure to all his reporters who cares about his paper as well as his reporters. Sam Huntington's Jimmy Olsen is the best I've seen in a live-action adaptation. He is played mostly for comic relief, but compared to Marc McClure, Huntington gets a lot more screen time and you definitely remember him more than McClure. James Marsden's Richard White stayed away from being the jealous boyfriend and instead was essentially the embodiment of what Superman would be if he were just a man. Even when it looks like at the end of the movie that he realizes he'll never be her soul mate, he still does the right thing and lets her deal with her emotional attachment to Superman.
Kevin Spacey was remarkable as Lex Luthor. Spacey's Luthor has similar traits to Gene Hackman's used car-salesman approach to the villain, such as the use of ridiculous wigs at times and campy sidekick. (Parker Posey also did a nice job as Kitty, serving as some good comic relief at times). But Spacey is also a much more sinister, cold and vengeful Luthor than Hackman's could ever dream of being. The massacre on New Krypton makes the audience despise the character and take him more seriously than Luthor had appeared in any of the previous films.
Of course, the main plot twist comes when Lois' son Jason, believed to be the son of Richard, is in fact Superman's. The boy has health problems, he's asthmatic and allergic to everything, but he is able to use his powers at one crucial moment. And Superman's speech to the boy at the end of the movie lets everyone know that while Superman might not have Lois anymore, he'll finally never be alone.
The film gives some closure to what happened in the original two movies, but also serves as a bridge to a new trilogy. Singer is able to maintain the verisimilitude that Donner achieved in the original, and keeping the classic theme and credits gives it a sense of tradition and familiarity that makes you feel like a kid again. Superman is back for good, and we'll see him around for more, all we need to do is look up on the screen.
The next two entries weren't up to par, and that's putting it nicely. While Superman III and IV both hold a place in my heart from a child's perspective, I can't help but shake my head during most of Superman III and burst out laughing at the poor production of Superman IV when I watch it now.
Finally, it took a long time, but it got here. Superman Returns is essentially the real Superman III. Bryan Singer pays infinite (perhaps too much) respect to Richard Donner's vision of the character on the big screen. Brandon Routh steps into the role of the world's greatest superhero, and much like Christopher Reeve, he owns the role. Routh is powerful as Superman, and his Clark Kent is still the same bumbling, lovable mild-mannered reporter.
Kate Bosworth is more beautiful than Margot Kidder, and for a 23-year old actress, she plays the role of Pulitzer Prize winning, working mom quite well. She is obviously heartbroken from when Superman left to find Krypton for all those years and it shows with her hesitance to have anything to do with him at first. But when she does meet with him on the roof of the Daily Planet, she realizes she can't avoid him or her feelings.
The supporting cast in the Daily Planet all fill out their roles well also. Frank Langella smartly does not try and ruin Perry White by turning him into J. Jonah Jameson and instead plays him as a calm, father-figure to all his reporters who cares about his paper as well as his reporters. Sam Huntington's Jimmy Olsen is the best I've seen in a live-action adaptation. He is played mostly for comic relief, but compared to Marc McClure, Huntington gets a lot more screen time and you definitely remember him more than McClure. James Marsden's Richard White stayed away from being the jealous boyfriend and instead was essentially the embodiment of what Superman would be if he were just a man. Even when it looks like at the end of the movie that he realizes he'll never be her soul mate, he still does the right thing and lets her deal with her emotional attachment to Superman.
Kevin Spacey was remarkable as Lex Luthor. Spacey's Luthor has similar traits to Gene Hackman's used car-salesman approach to the villain, such as the use of ridiculous wigs at times and campy sidekick. (Parker Posey also did a nice job as Kitty, serving as some good comic relief at times). But Spacey is also a much more sinister, cold and vengeful Luthor than Hackman's could ever dream of being. The massacre on New Krypton makes the audience despise the character and take him more seriously than Luthor had appeared in any of the previous films.
Of course, the main plot twist comes when Lois' son Jason, believed to be the son of Richard, is in fact Superman's. The boy has health problems, he's asthmatic and allergic to everything, but he is able to use his powers at one crucial moment. And Superman's speech to the boy at the end of the movie lets everyone know that while Superman might not have Lois anymore, he'll finally never be alone.
The film gives some closure to what happened in the original two movies, but also serves as a bridge to a new trilogy. Singer is able to maintain the verisimilitude that Donner achieved in the original, and keeping the classic theme and credits gives it a sense of tradition and familiarity that makes you feel like a kid again. Superman is back for good, and we'll see him around for more, all we need to do is look up on the screen.