And does he ever!
I drove nine hours to see Superman Returns. More honestly, I drove nine hours to a south-east beach town for a week, to relax and vacation. But, the beach has a huge multi-plex cinema just a few blocks from where I'm staying. So, I knew well in advance that this week will be catch-up time for movies with stadium-seating, hot, buttered popcorn and over-sized and over-priced sodas.
Oh! And Goobers! My favorite movie snack. But, I digress.
Superman Returns has almost everything I hoped it would have: A promising young star who seems to have connected with the Superman and Kent characters well, and who will be able to carry the franchise in future sequels; special effects so incredible that they make it seem almost normal to watch a guy fly unaided into space, lift airplanes and have bullets bounce off his chest; and a Metropolis that is darker, more brooding than in previous Superman titles. Singer does a wonderful job making Supes more human...an early scene where Clark has a beer with Jimmy Olsen is priceless. Seeing the Big Boy Scout hoist a Bud to his lips as he ponders his future was one of my favorite shots.
Despite producers saying there is no parallel to a Christ-figure in the movie, it seemed to me there clearly is. There is much talk in the flick about Supes being sent to save mankind by example and serve as our leader, and lots of Christian imagery. Supes hears the individual cries of thousands as he hovers in space above the earth, and a scene where he is beaten by his enemies seemed eerily similar to one or two scenes in The Passion Of The Christ. And finally, when Supes saves the planet while taking what might be his final breath, his arms extend into a crucifixion-style pose. I loved the imagery, and thought it added greatly to the mythology.
The acting is above par, save for Kate Bosworth. She seemed way too young to be as accomplished a person and journalist as Lois is supposed to be. Overall, though, Superman Returns in a big, big way! See it in the theater. ***1/2
6 comments:
Sounds like Superman is a big hit! I look forward to going myself to see the movie. Like so many others it is often hard to find the time to go and actually sit down and watch a movie. Life just does not allow some people the luxury. Enjoy your vacation!
Personally, I think Louis Lane has always been superman’s beard. I just can’t come up with any other conclusion on why they never get together.
Filmgeek...
Good review on Superman movie.
It must be nice to have the best of two worlds...Hope you are enjoying a much needed vacation , I'm sure.
Filmgeek...
Good review on Superman movie.
It must be nice to have the best of two worlds...Hope you are enjoying a much needed vacation , I'm sure.
That's what I'm talking about. Good to have another Superman fan in bloggerland!
Hey Film Geek. Hope your vacation is going well. I saw Supreman on the 4th and while I liked it I had some problems with the how the movie was contrived for the ending. I can't be more specific than that or I'll spoil it for others. I would like to talk about it with a big Superman fan like you or Offroute 75 (when he sees it).
I thought that Spacy was great as Luthor and don't know why he's getting dogged for his acting. The dude playing Superman was so much like Chris Reeve that it was creepy. I agree with you on Kate Bosworth...she was way too young. I loved how they put Brando in as Jor-El and I liked how they used so much of the music from the original movie...that is something you don't usually see, particularly when the composer isn't the same. I'd say it was an enjoyable movie, but it could have been a little better on those plot problems that I referenced.
Maybe when you get back you can start a Superman post that is designed for spoilers so we can talk about it.
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