DVD Reviews

Superman Returns

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• Starring: Brandon Routh
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Having left Earth for five long years to visit the remains of Planet Krypton, Superman (Routh) returns to find that Planet Earth, and Lois Lane (Bosworth) has struggled on without him, with Lois even dropping a sprog on the way. Meanwhile Lex Luther (Spacey) is planning another Superman extermination scheme, leading to a general world domination/demise-type scenario. Bryan Singer is a brave man, having jumped ship from the ultra lucrative X-Men franchise in order to fulfill a life-long ambition and bring Superman back to the big screen - despite countless years in development hell. What he's done is craft a remarkable film. Both emotionally astute and beautifully directed, Returns embraces the Christopher Reeve incarnation of Superman, delivers a sequel of sorts to Superman 2, and brings about a perfect extension to a much-loved character. By all accounts, this is an excellent film, managing to pay tribute to the Donner version whilst nudging it towards the new century with a subtle but steady hand. Action-wise, what's here is pretty much flawless; Singer has always had a well-paced fluidity about his direction and the material here suits that perfectly - even if said action sequences do feel slightly sporadic. But these are minor quibbles; any more action would have come at the expense of character development, which is where Returns really shines. Carrying the weight of a $200 million dollar franchise - as well as the sizeable shadow of Christopher Reeve on his broad shoulders - seems to matter little to Routh, as he fills the tights superbly, bearing an overtly striking resemblance to Reeve, while his Clark Kent hints at the hidden depths so desperately needed to really do this ultimate Superhero justice. Spacey, too, looks like he's having a blast, playing Lex Luther as a ticking time-bomb obsessed with revenge. Bosworth, though hardly bad, feels slightly miscast, not really having the suitable gonads to inhabit a ballsy broad like Lane. There are obvious religious sub-texts here, with one scene in particular seeing Superman hover above the Earth in a Christ-like fashion, listening out for folk in need standing out as both gorgeous cinematic eye candy and exceptionally apt, in terms of the pressure that such a hero must sustain. The ending leaves an almost indescribable wanting for more; thankfully, it's on the way.

Review by Mike Sheridan