Superman blasts into BLC for weekend of thrills

By Oliver Joszt



Being Superman is tough. Your life is a lie, you have to save people 24 hours a day and there are numerous villains trying to kill you — all while you are trying to hand in an article before the deadline.

Superman Returns is amazingly shot and edited; however, the writing and chemistry between characters are not strong enough.

Superman Returns takes place after Superman II directed by Richard Lester in 1980. Superman/Clark Kent (Brandon Routh) is searching for his home, Krypton, after astronomers have supposedly found it. His departure leads Lois Lane (Kate Bosworth) who has a child and fiancé (James Marsden) to write a prize-winning piece entitled “Why the World Doesn’t Need Superman.” After Superman comes back from his search, Lex Luthor (Kevin Spacey) is hatching another villainous scheme in order to manufacture a continent and annihilate most of North America. Superman has to stop Luthor’s plot while simultaneously dealing with his feelings for Lois Lane.

Newcomer Routh does an excellent job taking over where Christopher Reeve (Superman I and II) left off. He does bring alive the clumsy and timid Clark Kent, who with nervous anxiety bows his head as he pushes his glasses up with his index finger, a signature move that audiences have grown to love over the years. Routh’s transformation into Superman is just as prevailing. Routh pulls off an impressive and powerful performance as Superman, which is explicitly shown when his character tries to stop a massive airplane from crashing into Metropolis.

On the other hand, Bosworth does not have the excitement and attitude that Lois Lane had in Superman I and II. Bosworth is more timid than sassy and aggressive. The original Lois Lane, played by Margot Kidder, would have fought with all her might to escape a villain; whereas Bosworth just calls on others for help.

The special effects really stand out in the movie. There is one scene in which Superman must stop a man with a Gatling gun shooting at the police. Each bullet is shown in slow motion as it bounces off his chest and even in one amazing scene where the bullet bounces off his eye. Everything that Superman does — flying, speeding past bullets and stopping a massive airplane — is believable.

Fans of the original Superman will be delighted. Superman Returns goes back to the original Superman I and II with the laser blue X-ray credits which pop-out at you, Marlon Brando’s voice as Superman’s father, Jor-El, and even John Williams’ original theme music. However, fans may not enjoy the screenplay because it is nothing like its predecessors. Kent barely speaks besides his few one-liners, and the chemistry between him and Lois Lane is not there. All they have are longing looks and awkward small talk.

The movie’s running time at two hours and 34 minutes feels a little bit too long. There are moments where the movie seemed like it was going to end, but it just continued. The movie could have been smoother and shorter if a few scenes were edited out.

I recommend Superman Returns to all fans who have grown to love and admire Superman in their lifetime. The film responds to Lois Lane’s article: the world may need Superman after all. The movie lets all Superman fans see the amazing powers of the man of steel through amazing special effects. However, if you are not already a fan of Superman it is better to skip it and see a better superhero movie such as Batman Begins or Spiderman.