After the dismal failure of Superman IV: The Quest For Peace upon it’s release in 1987, the franchise went on hiatus, and the cinematic future of the most iconic superhero of all time looked uncertain. However, Warner Bros. (owners of DC Comics) didn’t want to give up on it. Over the years, many directors tried to develop a new film. Tim Burton wanted to do something based on The Death Of Superman comic series. McG wanted to do Superman Flyby, a fun zippy adventure.  JJ Abrams envisioned a complete revamp of the character, and wrote a script that angered many fans. Wolfgang Petersen wanted to make a Batman Vs. Superman epic. Yet nothing came of any of these attempts. Nothing was happening. Yet it was obvious that cinema audiences still wanted superhero movies. With the Marvel Superhero family now taking multiplexes by storm, Warner knew they needed to strike whilst the iron was hot. After director Brett Ratner left the project they turned to Bryan Singer, director of the highly successful X-Men movies. Singer was enthusiastic, a big fan of director Richard Donner’s 1978 Superman: The Movie and had a vision for the project. So enamoured with the idea, he turned down the third X-Men movie (which ironically, ended up being directed by Brett Ratner) to bring Superman to life once more. And the result was 2006’s Superman Returns.

Singer didn’t want to do a reboot for the character, simply because he thought the origin story was so well known and had been done so many times. So he came up with a rather unique approach, fashioning a story that was in a way both a sequel AND an homage to Richard Donner’s 1978 masterpiece (and to some extent, the second movie aswell – but wisely avoided the events of the pathetic third and fourth movies).

The adventure begins as we are greeted with a title card, explaining that Superman (Brandon Routh) has been missing from the city of Metropolis for about 5 years. An observatory picked up sub-space signals that could’ve been from Superman’s home planet of Krypton. Superman, hopeful of finding survivors goes to investigate – finding nothing. Dejected, defeated, and crushingly lonely – he begins the long journey back to Earth… the only home he has ever known. After a thrilling and rousing opening sequence using John Williams peerless title theme – he arrives back on Earth – ready to start his life again.

Re-assuming his old guise of Clark Kent, he gets his old job back at the Daily Planet newspaper. He explains that he’s been backpacking around the world. He re-establishes his friendship with Jimmy Olsen (Sam Huntington). He is also somewhat dismayed to find that Lois Lane (Kate Bosworth) has moved on in his absence. She is now engaged to Richard White (James Marsden) nephew of Perry White (Frank Langella) and has a young son called Jason.

He also finds out that his arch enemy Lex Luthor (Kevin Spacey) is still up to his old tricks, and is trying to manipulate Kryptonian technology to create a new continent. When one of Luthor’s experiments goes awry, it interferes with a planned experimental shuttle launch. Lois Lane is reporting on this event from a plane – which Luthor’s machinations severely damage. With the plane plummeting towards the Earth, meaning certain death for Lois and the rest of the passenger and crew – Clark Kent transforms into Superman, saving the life of everyone on board – and announcing his return to a shocked world.

And so begins an adventure in which Superman will have to stop Lex Luthor’s nefarious plan for world domination, nurse his broken heart after Lois Lane moves on, come to terms with his loneliness and once again keep the world safe from evil. But why the hell is Lois’ son uncomfortable around Kryptonite? And how the hell did he lift up that piano?

Despite it’s huge budget and spectacular action and effects, this is in some ways director Bryan Singer’s most personal movie.  Singer’s films deal with loneliness and are about people who for some reason or other, feel that they don’t fit in. This comes from Singer’s upbringing. He was adopted, gay, and the only Jewish kid living in a largely Catholic neighbourhood. He always in one way or another, explores loneliness and feelings of isolation in his movies, and Superman Returns is certainly no exception.

Singer interprets the character as a lonely, haunted soul. A light that the superhero has never been seen in before. In the old Christopher Reeve movies this pays tribute to, and in the comics and countless TV incarnations – Superman does what he does because he can. He uses his considerable abilities because he feels he has a duty to his adopted planet. Truth, Justice, and the American way.
Superman Returns however, offers a different spin. It hints, that maybe he helps out mankind out of a simple need to feel wanted. To feel loved. Upon his return to Earth in this movie, an angry Lois tells him that neither she, nor the world needs him anymore. We then see him fly away, as tears of anger and frustration – and hurt well up in his eyes. For a character who is an alien, this is remarkably human – and makes him more sympathetic than he’s ever been.

When Richard Donner made Superman: The Movie in 1978, he was convinced that the only way he could cast the character in a convincing manner was to use a talented unknown in the lead, and filling up the supporting roles with big name stars. The approach worked absolutely gangbusters, and the late Christopher Reeve is arguably the greatest ever on-screen Superman.

Singer used that approach again here, and out of thousands of hopefuls, he picked Brandon Routh who had before only done a few guest spots on TV. Routh in a superficial way, rather resembles Reeve and is in fact a talented actor. He has the right looks, the right physique, and his soulful, sad eyes are just right for the direction that Singer wanted to take the character in. He is a believable action hero, and also hits just the right note as Clark Kent. Despite this having a sequel storyline, he in fact doesn’t try to imitate Reeve in any way and puts his own spin on the role, which is ultimately satisfying.

James Marsden puts in a good performance as Richard White, and Tristan Lake LaBeau is surprisingly not annoying as Lois’ son Jason. Frank Langella offers an interesting new spin on the Perry White character, playing him as quiet and thoughtful – when before he’s been brash, bombastic as larger than life. And Sam Huntington is a joy as Jimmy Olsen, stealing a lot of the scenes he’s in.

However, Kate Bosworth is woefully miscast as Lois Lane. Far too young, wooden, devoid of charisma and with a wig that makes her look severely unattractive – it’s hard to see why Supes would be so heartbroken over her. Plus, the completely dismissive way she treats Clark Kent makes her quite unlikeable.

Kevin Spacey is a big disappointment as Lex Luthor. This could’ve been one of the greatest interpretations of the character ever seen on screen. However, he has none of the charisma of Gene Hackman, bought to the part in ’78,  nor the sense of danger Michael Rosenbaum bought to the character in Smallville. It’s a complete waste – even sadder when you think of how great an actor Spacey really is.

Also, whilst the film is entertaining – it moves a pace that’s leisurely. That’s fine for a grown up audience with a fondness for the originals, but for a young audience it’s a bit galling. Especially when they’re watching the movie for some kick-ass action.

Singer’s vision for the film is very admirable. But in hindsight, making it such an homage to Donner’s original probably wasn’t such a good idea. I wouldn’t say it feels like a remake, but it just ticks too many of the same boxes. Donner’s movie is fantastic, but why watch another movie that’s no more than a love letter to it, when we can just stick in the DVD of the original, you know?

This film, whilst taking in a healthy box office return, wasn’t quite as successful as Warner. Bros wanted it to be. Plans to make a direct sequel have been abandoned – and the next time we see the Man Of Steel on screen, it will be a new adventure with yet another brand new cast.
Bryan Singer is not involved. Instead, Warner Bros, have turned the assignment over to the Nolan brothers and David Goyer, the creative team behind the wildly successful Batman Begins and The Dark Knight.

In closing I’ll say this. Superman Returns is a perfectly fine movie. However, the audience it was made for have now grown up and moved on. I’m glad it was made and I’m happy to own the DVD.
But if this superhero is to have any future, the filmmakers can’t afford to look into the past.

If you’re of a certain age, it’s best to think of this movie as a goodbye to the movies you grew up with.

The franchise now needs a big spectacular reboot. It’s the only way it can really become relevant again.

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