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To summarise the films story briefly, is that Superman returns to earth some 5 years after leaving to go and find his old home Krypton. Whilst he was away, Lois Lane married and had a child, Lex Luthor got angry and was released from Prison, and the world just went to pot. Lex Luthor hatches a plan to take over the world, leaving Superman to save the day.
The story itself is pretty basic, and moves along at a gentle pace. Superman played by Brandon Routh is a wise choice, although he lacks some of the Charisma of the late Christopher Reeve... they don't 'arf look alike! And he plays the Man of Steel really well. Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor is superb, although not as good as the Gene Hackman version... he's still great! Kate Bosworth pulls out a good performance as Lois, but she didnt completely win me over. Parker Posey as Lex's sidekick was fantastic... she always fun to watch.
This adapation of the Superman character is far darker than any of the others, and it plays alot with Superman's vulnerable side. Which is really good to see and makes for some great storytelling. It also lets us see some quite dark set pieces, which at times are quite violent. But its the vulnerability story that had me going... with some decent tugs on my heart strings.
Technically this film is pretty darn good... its filled with some of the best Special FX you've seen so far this year, an amazing score by John Ottman (still keeping John Williams original Theme), some good production design and some fantastic Cinematography.
What does let the film down a bit is the pacing, which is pretty good on the whole, but there are some scenes that seem to drag and this is really evident in some major sequences... especially the end. I actually heard myself telling the film to get a move on. This is a small gripe over what is a really good film.
This story in the Superman saga is most definately one of the better ones, alot more serious than previous attempts, and alot more emotional. This isn't a 'non-stop action thrill ride' either, instead its more of a story piece... setting the scene for more to come. Everyone thought Bryan Singer did an ok job with 'X-Men', and then blew the critics away with 'X-Men 2'... if that is his style, then the next Superman film will be just too good to be true.
8/10
Click the link to view the trailer
Superman Returns - A Review
Film ReviewsBy Fraught
I've had a soft spot for the Superman movies... loved the first two, I even liked the third one! Although i haven't actualy seen the fourth movie, and from what i've heard... thats not such a bad thing! Well... Bryan Singer, the man who gave us 'The Usual Suspects' and 'X-Men' is now presenting us with his rebirth of Superman in Superman Returns.
To summarise the films story briefly, is that Superman returns to earth some 5 years after leaving to go and find his old home Krypton. Whilst he was away, Lois Lane married and had a child, Lex Luthor got angry and was released from Prison, and the world just went to pot. Lex Luthor hatches a plan to take over the world, leaving Superman to save the day.
The story itself is pretty basic, and moves along at a gentle pace. Superman played by Brandon Routh is a wise choice, although he lacks some of the Charisma of the late Christopher Reeve... they don't 'arf look alike! And he plays the Man of Steel really well. Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor is superb, although not as good as the Gene Hackman version... he's still great! Kate Bosworth pulls out a good performance as Lois, but she didnt completely win me over. Parker Posey as Lex's sidekick was fantastic... she always fun to watch.
This adapation of the Superman character is far darker than any of the others, and it plays alot with Superman's vulnerable side. Which is really good to see and makes for some great storytelling. It also lets us see some quite dark set pieces, which at times are quite violent. But its the vulnerability story that had me going... with some decent tugs on my heart strings.
Technically this film is pretty darn good... its filled with some of the best Special FX you've seen so far this year, an amazing score by John Ottman (still keeping John Williams original Theme), some good production design and some fantastic Cinematography.
What does let the film down a bit is the pacing, which is pretty good on the whole, but there are some scenes that seem to drag and this is really evident in some major sequences... especially the end. I actually heard myself telling the film to get a move on. This is a small gripe over what is a really good film.
This story in the Superman saga is most definately one of the better ones, alot more serious than previous attempts, and alot more emotional. This isn't a 'non-stop action thrill ride' either, instead its more of a story piece... setting the scene for more to come. Everyone thought Bryan Singer did an ok job with 'X-Men', and then blew the critics away with 'X-Men 2'... if that is his style, then the next Superman film will be just too good to be true.
8/10
Click the link to view the trailer