Superman Returns

I'm just going to flat out say it: I went to Superman Returns by myself, the 9:45 showing, and sat with only six other people in the theater. I waited a good long time to see this film, and in the end, I was quite glad I'd made the decision to go, even if I didn't have anyone to share my nasty popcorn with.

Director Brian Singer, a man who's brought us such comic adaptations as X-Men, decided not to finish his trilogy series, and signed on with D.C. Comics to direct the summer hit Superman Returns. In the opening moments of the film, there was no doubt in my mind that this was going to be trademark Singer. It's opening sequence and credits mirrored his previous work, and sent chills through those that enjoyed the original films.

When considering the film as a whole, it stands pretty strongly. Moments in the film were lacking, due to a somewhat solid script. At times, it felt as if the characters were trying to draw more compassion from the audience than we actually felt, though I might just be saying that since I was never really a huge Superman fan. Lois Lane went on to live her life without Superman, and won a Pulitzer for her news story "Why the World Doesn't Need Superman." When reunited with her past infatuation, she must cope with her anger and love for Superman. But something felt tacky about the way it all happened. Night flights into the stars, cold turns, and what appeared to be some sort of anti-smoking campaign seeded in the film.

What appeared to be a climax of the film within the first 30 minutes, Superman makes his world return when he saves a plane from falling out of the sky, merely to save the life of Lois Lane. By far, this is the highest tense, action packed moment in the film. The plan is saved, and set down in the middle of a ballpark. Of course, the crowd goes wild, as Superman announces his return.

The problem with the film is that this appears to be the best part, and it was only 30 minutes in. Though the danger seems to rise, as Kevin Spacey's portrayal of Lex Luthan inches closer to insanity, it never really feels as if there's something at stake. Superman's Fortress of Solitude is raided, and he must return the crystals of his home planet, but that seems to be the only thing at stake: history. Of course, Lois Lane gets caught up in it all being the reporter that she is, but I never felt as if any of the characters were in any real danger.

Most of the film, or should I say, most of the sequences of this film were CG, so it's somewhat hard to talk about the camera techniques. One of the things I liked about Brian Singer is this: when he wanted a character to blow up a car, he actually blew up the car. But here, it seems the majority of the harm done was created in a studio on a computer. It gives the film a somewhat dream-like feeling, which can be a good thing: it pulls us into their world, the world of Metropolis, with Clark Kent, and Lois Lane. The problem is that it has the tendency to come off somewhat cartoon-esque.

The acting, though somewhat campy, made me feel as if I were reading the actual comic. The lines, delivered with some strength, seemed story-boarded, and image-esque (if that makes one bit of sense.) It seemed to me that they were going to the true feel of a comic book, and I feel that Brian Singer did his job in recreating the character very well.

Overall, it was a good action flick that kept the summer going. It wasn't huge, nor was it knock-my-socks-off powerful. One thing to keep in mind is that this is a PG-13 film, meant for younger audiences, so it seems somewhat toned down. But overall, it was solid, and enjoyable. I do wish that Brian Singer would have completed the series of X-Men, instead of signing on here. Though this came off as a Singer film, it didn't really impress me beyond belief.

When it comes out, I'd suggest the rent. Just be sure to turn up the stereo when the plane sequence starts, as it is by far the most enjoyable portion of this action sequel.

7 of 10