Zachary FenellSuperman Returns
February 3rd 2009 19:03
Superman Returns, 2006
Again with the apprehension about remakes and sequels to classics, Superman Returns managed to turn the entire process on its ear. Where the original two movies in 1978 and 1980 headed by Richard Donner were in places almost painful to watch (yes, we prefer the Donner version of Superman II to the theatrical release with Richard Lester's name), Bryan Singer took the most perfect essence from these stories and brought it to a whole new level of incredible.
Employing near-unknown Brandon Routh as a dead ringer for Christopher Reeves, Singer took the story back to the end of Superman II, ignoring III and IV as "not canon". In this installment, Singer accomplished what Donner wanted to: the portrayal of an alien hero in an accurate and emotionally relevant way.
Sometime after the end of the Superman II story, Superman leaves earth and returns to where his home planet might have been. Taking the same intergalactic super-highway, he makes his way there and back in only a few short years. Of course, they don't have cell service in the Krypton area, so no one knew when or if Superman was going to be returning. Surprise, surprise when he shows up back home in Kansas. "Hi, Mom."
Now, if you've ever gone through Superdickery, you see many examples of the comic book Superman being an arrogant jerk. In those days, he was expressed in purely human terms. This movie illustrates the fact that he is, despite all appearances, an alien, and that his connection and devotion to humankind is more a matter of positive upbringing - but in his heart, he knows that he is stronger, faster, and smarter than literally anyone else on the planet. It's a lonely place to be, and we finally get the message that he feels like an alien, like an eleven-year-old forced to be surrounded exclusively by three-year-olds non-stop forever. He wants to relate to them, but they just won't get it.
There are flaws, of course, such as the plot holes that are, in my experience, almost necessary for anything Superman, and the pacing at the end was... well, let's just say it could have been better. Still, it was a beautiful shot of awesome in the Superman franchise, and for that, I am grateful. 4.5 Stars.
4.5 Stars
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