How entertaining?     ★★☆☆☆
Thought provoking? ★☆☆☆☆

9 July 2006

This article is a review of SUPERMAN RETURNS.

By Hemanth Kissoon

“Your name is Kal-El. You are the only survivor of the planet Krypton. Even though you've been raised as a human, you are not one of them. You have great powers, only some of which you have as yet discovered…. Live as one of them, Kal-El, to discover where your strength and your power are needed. Always hold in your heart the pride of your special heritage. They can be a great people, Kal-El, they wish to be. They only lack the light to show the way. For this reason above all, their capacity for good, I have sent them you...my only son.” Jor-El (Brando), SUPERMAN (1978).

Up there with Mickey Mouse as a genuine enduring pop cultural phenomenon, Superman is nearly 70 years old. From the golden age of comics, to the George Reeves TV show, to the seminal Richard Donner film, to Lois and Clark, to SMALLVILLE and now to Bryan Singer’s re-tooling, his place has been cemented as probably the most beloved super-hero ever. What is his perennial appeal? Is it being the first super-hero to spark the imagination? A romantic untouchable? His benchmark of goodness? He-Man fantasies? Pseudo-religious figurehead? Pure escapism? Whatever the reasons he has remained in the public consciousness for coming up to three-quarters of a century.

Five years ago Superman disappeared (it is unclear whether it is meant to be after SUPERMAN II or SUPERMAN IV: THE QUEST FOR PEACE – but I guess it is the first sequel) when astronomers discovered the remains of Krypton. On his return to Earth he presumptuously believes all will be as it was. To be fair it is. Almost. People still need saving and criminal mastermind Lex Luthor is on a dastardly mission of avarice. However, the love of his life Lois Lane – intrepid No. 1 reporter at The Daily Planet, the place of employment of Superman’s alter ego Clark Kent – has moved on. Big time. Our heroine is not only engaged but has a son.

This reviewer has been looking forward to this film for almost ten years, ever since Tim Burton was announced as a director with Nicolas Cage in the lead. However, the project was supposedly scuttled after the estimated budget went sky-high. Since then the studio has been determined to raise their franchise with various directors mooted e.g. Michael Bay, Brett Ratner and McG. Thank the movie gods that the current powers-that-be at the studio are now seemingly film literate by hiring both Singer here and Christopher Nolan to resuscitate Batman. (Contrast whoever was in charge when Batman Forever and Batman and Robin were green-lit.) Not only that Warners’ slate is looking pretty amazing for the rest of the year: Darren Aronofsky’s THE FOUNTAIN, M. Night Shyamalan’s LADY IN THE WATER and Andrew Domink’s THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD. Twentieth Century Fox could do with learning from their counterparts after the dire X-MEN 3 (Brett Ratner in the director’s chair), ALIEN VS. PREDATOR (Paul W.S. Anderson) and THE FANTASTIC FOUR (Tim Story).

The pedigree of director Singer is impressive, he made one of the great thrillers of all time, THE USUAL SUSPECTS, and one of the greatest comic-book films, X-MEN 2. With an alleged budget of $250 million and no reported studio interference, SUPERMAN RETURNS should have been knocked out of the park for a home run and a lap of honour.

Singer clearly loves Richard Donner’s 1978 film. And rightly so. Fantastically plotted, written, directed, scored, cast and acted. It was a no expense spared production too except all the high notes are hit. Did I mention the cast? Brando, Gene Hackman, Terence Stamp, Susannah York, Jackie Cooper, Glenn Ford, Ned Beatty, Margot Kidder and Christopher Reeve.  Technology too was invented to get the flying sequences right. Superman and Superman II were shot back to back but Donner was let go from the second one. Singer has opted to keep some of the motifs and ideas from Donner’s work, but instead of merely referencing at best or homaging at worst, he seems to have rehashed the plot. Having Lex Luthor repeat a similar plan is pedestrian. Admittedly this is a re-set-up film but why not be more ambitious with the plot and characters?

Singer seems to have started the plot five years after SUPERMAN II, and attempted a similarly extraordinary cast. Unfortunately neither the plot nor the script nor the acting can compare to the original. If you love Donner’s film SUPERMAN RETURNS will seem an anti-climax, if you do not then this will probably give you the summer thrills and spills that you seek. The flaws in the handling of the romance are highlighted when compared to other super-hero love stories such as Peter Parker/Spider-Man and Mary-Jane. MJ is in love with Spidey but Spider-Man is a mask for Peter Parker – which is a problem for true love. However, Lois is in love with Supes, who is his real self – which is great. Clark Kent is mostly just an act – so why is he so anxious? Surely the only problems are: when to reveal his true identity and has she really moved on?

Routh and Bosworth may look the part but their performances are just too wooden. They unfortunately cannot handle the spectrum of emotions. Compare Christopher Reeve in SUPERMAN II, when at Niagara Falls Clark Kent decides to reveal himself to Lois Lane; just through a shift in body movement and facial expressions he seemingly morphs into Superman – now that is acting. All action movies rely heavily on the bad guy. If he is poorly sketched then the hero seems less impressive when taking him/her on. That is where the SPIDER-MAN films have been let down, the rent-a-mad-scientist baddie is so generic to be boring. Here the always valuable Spacey turns in a respectably sociopathic/hammy performance as Lex Luthor that holds its own against Hackman’s. Though, the key relationships of lovers, friendships and nemeses do not satisfactorily come across, all the leads just seem to be acquaintances.

When the great revelation is unveiled in this film it highlights even further the lack of passion or intensity of the performances, and questions the actions of the characters. If there was this great love – why did he leave without a word to her and why did such an independent woman get engaged to someone else? What should have been an angst-ridden love triangle is never fully emoted.

The other theme is the bond between father and son, which is insufficiently explored. Why we never got to see Superman on Krypton having the death of two beloved fathers on him and the weight of that hit is a creative omission which is highly debatable. Back on Earth it is buried under the plot until the end which is too late. There should have been the tragedy of finding the remains of his parents’ final resting place, the loneliness of being the last of a great species, and the heart-break of two good men trying to win the love of one woman. All of that is not delivered in the script or the acting.

Like Tim Burton’s BATMAN and SPIDER-MAN there isn’t actually that much action, opting instead for plot and character, which is admirable. But when there is, it is spectacular. From an opening shot of Krypton, to a jet plane-shuttle rescue, to Superman asking a man if he has hold of his son and fiancée (including a but-who-has-them reference for the fanboys). The only bum note being Singer opting to edit so fast in places that the action is difficult to take in. An odd decision to do that, especially after the exciting ferocity of X-MEN 2, as that technique seems to be the preserve of directors who do not understand the nature of action sequences. Also, the sets, effects and lighting have a beauty and detail rarely seen in a blockbuster. The Kent farm and Metropolis are extraordinary.

If you are contemplating the IMAX experience I would normally recommend it. Seeing BATMAN BEGINS, THE POLAR EXPRESS and POSEIDON on that size a screen provides a level of spectacle that is unparalleled. The whole film looks grand bar the donning of glasses for the four 3D sequences that total 20 minutes. The 3D looks clumsily realized and the fast editing adds to the confusion. A real shame.

SUPERMAN RETURNS is definitely entertaining and stunning to look at but overall is a disappointment. As technology and SFX are getting exponentially more sophisticated why are not the scripts or the acting?