Superman Returns: Your Thoughts?

[Hero-of-Time]

Well I went and seen this last night with a couple of my mates. One hated it, one thought it was meh and I loved it. When it started and the music hit I was like a big kid with a massive grin on my face. Although alot of the movie doesnt make sense it was still enjoyable, Pirates was better IMO.

[Cube]

From the trailers, it seems like another "Spideman-wanabee" in the latest generation of superhero films, but failing to reach anywhere near it.

[spirited away]

Didnt like Superman returns found it really boring IMO. Pirates of the Carribean was much better. Comedy, action, Romance, Drama the lot.

[Shorty]

I thought it was fantastic, beginning to end.

 

Don't go to this movie expecting a non-stop action flick. This movie is about Superman returning to a world that has decided it doesn't need him. Brandon Routh took Christopher Reeve's tights and made them his own. You have to remember that Superman is a character of completeness and heroism, not inner struggles or revenge or a dark side.

 

The film had some letdowns. For starters it was cut to ribbons. Even bits of the trailers didn't appear in the theatrical cut. Also Lois Lane was a fairly weak character, who you couldn't really understand Superman showing any interest in. But I thought the film was saved by Routh's portrayal as the man of steel, bold, yet with some heart and insight that we've not seen on the big screen before.

 

On top of that the CGI was amazing, I don't want to spoil anything but two of the "rescue" type of action scenes are perfect beginning to end.

 

You probably knew I would love it from my sig, but damn, I was nervous about a few things. Brandon's acting, the storyline, the lack of action. But I was glad to find myself immersed from the opening John Williams' score and able to let go of those fears.

 

Personally, I don't care who doesn't like it. Those people are probably the ones who were expecting non-stop action like the first Spider-man film - but that's never what Singer set out to make. To me this is the reverse of X-Men 3, which had a tonne of action, but failed in the story, was too short and didn't have enough depth.

[LazyBoy]

Those people are probably the ones who were expecting non-stop action like the first Spider-man film - but that's never what Singer set out to make. To me this is the reverse of X-Men 3, which had a tonne of action, but failed in the story, was too short and didn't have enough depth.

 

Thats what I wanted to hear. I frigging hated the Spiderman movies. X-men (1) and Batman Begins were the only comic book movies of this generation of films that I liked. I'll check this out I think.

 

Oh and pirates of the Caribbean 2 sucked ass. But then again I didn't like the first one.

[Haver]

We caught the 9.30 showing on Friday morning, so it was just us, a couple more Supes fans, token Old Anorak Guy and a Pepsi the size of my face. Which was nice, because there was no or very little rustling, or OH MY PHONE IS GOING OFF WAIT NO IT'S ON THE ADVERT GOT YOU.

 

The first half of the film sparkled, genuinely, and was funnier and smarter and better than any other film, comic book or not, I've seen for a long time. Everything was great. It cooled in the second half, once Lex Luthor's plans came into fruition and there were less jokes being tossed around, but still very, very fun and always breathtaking.

 

A couple things made me feel uneasy, though:

 

 

1) Lois was a total bitch. I think 70% bitch would have been optimum.

2) The kid, and Richard. Superman IS A HOMEWRECKER. This made me feel uncomfortable, and sort of spoiled the romance.

3) Lex's plans were exposed a little uncomfortably.

4) THROW A PUNCH ONCE IN A WHILE, SUPES.

 

 

 

But:

 

1) BULLET IN THE EYE

2) BASEBALL FAN SAVIN'

3) JIMMY

4) THE DAILY PLANET

5) LAND-MASS LIFTIN'

6) KEVIN MOTHERFUCKING SPACEY

7) FARM-HOPPIN'

8) BULLET IN THE EYE

 

 

 

9) BULLET IN THE EYE

 

9 Asteroid Storms Out of 10

[rokhed00]

Not too keen on it myself, it felt more like a re introduction of Superman, building up story for future movies than a stand alone movie. Too many Superman/Jesus parallels too.

[BlueStar]

I thought it was a chore to watch and I couldn't wait for it to end. I'll quote from the "Rate the film you last watched":

Superman Returns - 4/10

 

Needlessly long considering hardly anything happens, me and my girlfriend lost the will to live by the end of it. Could have been about an hour shorter if everytime something fell or flew we didn't get about 5 minutes of slow motion close-up footage of it, and if there wasn't a 20 second reaction shot after everything anyone said or did (Along with people standing around at the end of each scene like they left the camera rolling by accident) . Also, Superman came across as being a bit of a bellend.

 

The drawn-out, pointless meandering reminded me of The Hulk quite a bit. There were a few highlights, like how they work in the manditory "It's a bird! It's a plane!" line, and some of Kevin Spacy's moments (Like his Kenneth Williams style exclaimation of "Krrrryptonite!"), but overall, mediocre.

 

Just to clarify what I mean about Superman coming across as a dick, I don't think they mean him to come across like that - at least not in the way he does. I could be wrong, but it seemed like when they were trying to make him masculine he just seemed like a spoilt, arrogant womanizer and homewrecker, when he was supposed to be sensitive and caring he came across like a whiney self-pitying littlle girl and when he was supposed to be deep and meaningful he just sounded like a pretentious wazzock. And the different ways he seemed like a bellend from scene to scene didn't give the impression of many facets of a complex personality, but more like he was just a disjointed and badly fleshed out character.

 

I'm not the kind of person who automatically slates new hyped films, but it just didn't do much for me and dragged on. I certainly didn't want it to be all action, those kind of films rarely do anything for me. But if somethings trying to explore characters and relationships it has to do it well. A few corny and pretentious "meaningful" lines might fool your average sixth-form wanabee poet that it's "deep" but in reality, I thought this film was more shallow than most of the brainless all-action comicbook blockbusters.

 

For what it's worth I thought the CGI was awful as well to be honest, just looked like... well, like over-done CGI. Maybe if the editing wasn't so terrible (I've seen better paced productions by people at my uni in their first Avid project) it wouldn't have been so meh.

[Shorty]

In response to a couple of criticisms, I didn't see Superman as a "Homewrecker". Firstly

the kid is his.

Secondly, Jimmy pointed out that Lois and Richard have been engaged forever but it's not going anywhere and "If you ask me, she's still in love with you-know-who." If it hadn't been for these two factors, Superman probably wouldn't have done anything.

 

A few corny and pretentious "meaningful" lines might fool your average sixth-form wanabee poet that it's "deep" but in reality

I'm guessing you didn't notice that Supes was quoting his father in the opening message he gave to him. This kind of line is bound to be deep and heavily sentimental since it was the last message he gave to his son who he would never see grow up, as billions of people died on a planet the boy would never get to see. You'd hardly expect the message to be "yo, kid, grow up like your dad. I was well wicked. Krypton roxed, be true to yourself."

[BlueStar]

In response to a couple of criticisms, firstly, I didn't see Superman as a "Homewrecker". Firstly

the kid is his.

 

 

Superman doesn't know that at the start though, does he?

Secondly, Jimmy pointed out that Lois and Richard have been engaged forever but it's not going anywhere and "If you ask me, she's still in love with you-know-who." If it hadn't been for these two factors, Superman probably wouldn't have done anything.

 

I don't see why that matters - Richard is cast as an all right sort of guy, Superman is moving in on his fiancee and pretty much just expecting to walk back after x years on his jolly and back into her knickers (God knows why, Lois is a total cow anyway - maybe it's because she's got about 10 years younger while he's been away, I dunno).

 

I was hoping Richard would ram a lump of kryptonite up Supe's jacksy by the end of it.

I'm guessing you didn't notice that he was quoting his father in the opening message he gave to him.

I did, but so what? And that wasn't the only time it desended into utter cheese fest.

These kind of line is bound to be deep and heavily sentimental since it was the last message he gave to his son who he would never see grow up, as billions of people died on a planet the boy would never get to see. You'd hardly expect the message to be "yo, kid, grow up like your dad. I was well wicked. Krypton roxed, be true to yourself."

 

I think the problem is it tried to be deep and heavily sentimental and failed miserably.

[Haver]

We didn't know that for a good chunk of the movie, and, even if the kid is Superman's, a home will be wrecked. It wasn't a harmless relationship, it was downright dodgy.

[Hero-of-Time]

Persoanlly I liked that little twist in the film. Also 2 favourtie scenes of mine were...

 

 

Where he flys up into the sunlight and clenches his fist then bursts through the clouds...FREAKING AWESOME!

Secondly where the whole of the city is shaking and he flys through it then turns around and flys backwards to shoot all the rubble with his laser eyes!

 

 

[Shorty]

I think the problem is it tried to be deep and heavily sentimental and failed miserably.

 

The thing is these lines were written for delivery by Marlon Brando 30 years ago. The lines are taken from the first two movies, including otherwise cut lines, none of it is new, even the opening "the son becomes the father, and the father: the son". That coupled with the explosion of Krypton in the opening hit home for me. Perhaps I am just a more easily affected person who buys into "cheesiness", probably because I like Superman so much, but I never felt the lines were too deep to be taken seriously.

[Guest Jordan]

Best super hero movie i've ever seen.

 

'nuff said.

[The Bard]

It was a great movie, especially after you've had a couple of beers, but it wasn't a patch on any of the Spiderman movies, or Batman Begins. Twas good though, and

supermans kid

was adorable.

[Hero-of-Time]

Did anyone else get a tingly feeling when the Superman theme music kicked in not just at the start but all the way through the film or was it just me?

[Oli1983uk]

watched this film twice now and I think its good, best super hero film i have seen in a while and i think it still continues from the other superman films. thou did anyone notice the screens in the daily planet building are showing the ITV london tonight weather!

[BlueStar]

Sadly, the cringe-inducing shark-jumping twist also leaves the way open for a potentially more awful follow up.

[Hero-of-Time]

watched this film twice now and I think its good, best super hero film i have seen in a while and i think it still continues from the other superman films. thou did anyone notice the screens in the daily planet building are showing the ITV london tonight weather!

 

 

Superman Returns is continued after Superman 2, you have to just disregard Superman 3 and 4. It kind of makes sense as what happened in number 2 explains where the twist came from in this one.

[dabookerman]

I thought superman 3 was awesome, i mean, it had Lana Lang in it, and that woman turned into a robot...

[Hero-of-Time]

I thought superman 3 was awesome, i mean, it had Lana Lang in it, and that woman turned into a robot...

 

Not to mention Richard Pryor

[Shorty]

I thought superman 3 was awesome, i mean, it had Lana Lang in it, and that woman turned into a robot...

 

The problems with SIII were thus:

 

1. Not enough Superman

2. The traffic lights fight with each other

3. No explanation of why the fortress doesn't appear because the Donner cut of SII never made it to theatres

4. Stupid plot

5. The traffic lights fight with each other