Entertainment: Superman Returns

***1/2 - After disappearing for five years (more like nineteen years in real life) Superman returns to the big screen in this sometimes clunky, often poorly thought out, yet nonetheless effective as a whole film from director Bryan Singer.

As a whole I enjoyed this picture, so I’ll start with the things that didn’t work first so I can end with what I liked. The details of the story often don’t work or are just plain stupid. There’s an opening scene where we see how Lex Luther, played by Kevin Spacey, made his initial fortune, basically through an inheritance, which has nothing whatsoever to do with the rest of the plot. It’s not even an interesting or original approach to obtaining money so it’s not necessary. We then see Superman’s return to Earth and find that his reason for the abscence makes no sense. He left to find Krypton which we know to have been destroyed, because astronamers thought they had located it. Again, this doesn’t add anything to the overall plot and does nothing for the movie other than add another ten minutes.

Then there's Luthor's diabolical plot... err... on second thought, just Luthor's plot, there's nothing really diabolical about it. Luthor reasons that the only thing that's ever truly been worth money is land, and since all habitibal land is now habitated, he sets out to make new land made of Kryptonite, basically by pushing the existing United States out of the way. Why he wouldn't just take the pre-existing land by some genious plot is a mystery. Especially once we see the Kryptonite island (remember, we've always seen it as a crystal), it's hard to imagine that kind of land having any real-estate value at all. It's hideous.

Then there are a couple of creepy or wierd aspects to this Superman. He's not quite the alter boy he was in previous films. He spies into Louis' house on one occasion, listening in on her conversations. He's also apparently fathered an illegitamite son with her, as we learn towards the latter half of the film, though you can figure it out pretty quickly. I know I've given something away, but that's because it really doesn't matter to the plot, and that was my problem with that plot point and Superman's blatent violations of peoples right to privacy. Had they served a greater purpose to the story I could accept them, but they don't.

Kate Bosworth's portrayal of Louis Lane is forgettable. To be honest I never really liked the Louis Lane character, but Bosworth made it even worse for me. Louis was always a driven, independant, woman, but in this portrayal she is just completely unlikable. She's not independant with charm, she's femenine elitist, icy cold, and it's hard to imagine what Superman would possible see in her, she's so uninviting. Not to mention Bosworth is too young for the role, it doesn't sync with the earlier movies.

Brandon Routh, on the other hand, is perfect as Superman. He doesn't bring anything new to the character, but his Christopher Reeve impersonation is spot on, sometimes eerily so. Having said that, the one thing Routh does lack is the chops to pull off Clark Kent's goofiness half as well as Reeve had done with the role. But Routh looks and acts the part, and it's easy to accept him as Superman.

What I did like about Superman Returns is that it did one thing done of it's four predecessors did, which was make me care about Superman, as a person. As a kid I wanted to be Superman, but I never cared about him as a character. This newfound appreciation is thanks in large part to the analogy of Superman as a Christ figure which comes up several times. Superman was sent, after all, and as we are reminded by several clips of his father speaking to him from the original Superman (Marlon Brando's voice), by his father to save mankind. I had really missed this point of view in my earlier viewings of Superman. I never really understood what Superman's motivation was before, I guess I just thought of him as being a swell guy, which is kind of boring, but Superman Returns hammers home the point the Superman is here on a mission. It also never lets us forget, thankfully, that he is not one of us. There is a scene in which Superman, frustrated with his relationship with Louis, flys high above the Earth and begins listening to the millions of voices below, looking for those who need his help, and you get the real sense of who Superman is, a father looking over his children.

This caring for humanity is displayed in one other fascit that caught my attention. At no point in this film, that I can recall, does Superman ever do an aggressive thing. In other films Superman has always been tempered, but particularly after he had lost his powers and then regained them in one of the movies, I can't recall which one now, there was a sense of revenge in his tone as he settled a few scores, mainly for comedic effect. None of that here. Superman doesn't even hurt people to stop them from whatever evil it is that they're doing. Mostly he only uses his powers to undo or prevent the evil workings of man. Even when battling Luthor, Superman mainly focuses on reversing what Luthor has done. There is a scene in which Superman is shot in the eye, and after watching the bullet fall harmlessly to the ground we might expect Superman to clobber the guy, or incompasitate him in some, but he merely smiles at the criminal, and the scene ends. This is effective. It highlights Superman's mission, to protect mankind and show them a better way. It also makes him appear to be tougher and stronger that even the special effects can make him look. This is a man so powerful he doesn't need to be violent.

At the end of the film I thought they took the Christ analogy a little too far, though, as Superman nearly sacrifices his life to save humanity. The part I thought was over the top was a shot of Superman falling back to Earth, unconsious, with his arms spread to each side like Christ on the cross. I don't mind analogies, I don't need to be hit over the head with them either. Even so, the shots of his lifeless body falling from outer space all the way down to the ground of Metropolis, to the people he has saved, is well done and effective. I realized Superman's love for mankind is paternal, he is willing to sacrifice himself for people, many of whom will never appreciate it, because knows there is good in them waiting to be saved.