The UnPopular Opinion: Superman Returns
Nov. 21, 2012
THE UNPOPULAR OPINION is an ongoing column featuring different takes on films that either the writer HATED, but that the majority of film fans LOVED, or that the writer LOVED, but that most others LOATHED. We're hoping this column will promote constructive and geek fueled discussion. Enjoy!
**** SOME SPOILERS ENSUE****
Yes, the same guy who hated THE AVENGERS loved SUPERMAN RETURNS. Begin the onslaught of derision and spite! I will never apologize for my opinions, especially when it comes to movies. But, read on and if you disagree with me, you are welcome to point it out in the talkbacks below.
SUPERMAN RETURNS was not just the culmination of a long road to creating a new Superman movie, but the end to a journey of 19 years without fans being able to see one of the greatest comic book heroes on the big screen. Multiple filmmakers from McG to Tim Burton to Kevin Smith and JJ Abrams had tried to write or direct a new Superman movie to no avail. It was not until Bryan Singer finished working on the first two X-MEN movies that it became a reality.
Most of the superhero series that have made their way to the big screen have not had a level of visual consistency as directors left and new filmmakers came on board. Until the Marvel Cinematic Universe at Disney, when a new person came in, the entire vision of the hero switched. Think Joel Schumacher versus Tim Burton or Sam Raimi versus Mark Webb. Back in the Richard Donner days, when Richard Lester took over, he worked with what Donner had already created on SUPERMAN II before veering off into ridiculousness with SUPERMAN III. Don't even get me started on SUPERMAN IV. Bryan Singer decided to keep his Superman as close to the classic Donner version as possible, both as homage and reintroduction.
Man, Superman gets really shitty reception up here in the North Pole.
Superman is an icon and many feel his place in modern society is no longer what it was back in the 1940s. Back then, like Captain America, Superman represented the American Way. As times grew more cynical and dark, heroes like Batman and Punisher became what the fans wanted. No matter how many times they tried to change him, Superman has always represented pure good. Singer's film retains that throwback to the 40s feel that Donner's film had. So, when you watch SUPERMAN RETURNS, it feels like you are seeing Richard Donner's SUPERMAN III, right down to the inclusion of John Williams iconic score. It is a direct continuation that doesn't feel like it had a twenty-six year gap in between. He even was able to bring Marlon Brando back from the dead for one final role! Now that is Hollywood power!
Brandon Routh feels like the reincarnation of Christopher Reeve. You see him on screen and you almost feel like it is the same hero from your childhood. Everything from the mannerisms as Clark Kent to the clothing and glasses feels like it was saved from the first movie. Routh, at first, feels like he is doing an imitation of Reeve, but as you continue into the movie, you know he is respecting the uniform he fills while also giving his own spin on the part. Routh has not exactly had a stellar post-SUPERMAN RETURNS career, but he also has not allowed the part to typecast him. Routh brought a strength to the role that should have launched him to a bigger career than he has had.
What is the opposite of Christopher Reeve? Christopher Walken! Get it?
Many people had issues with Kate Bosworth as Lois Lane. Sure, she was a little bit shrill for the part and her voice was grating and annoying. Plus she looked kind of dowdy. Oh, wait, I am thinking of Margot Kidder! What was so bad about Bosworth? She may not have looked like the traditional Lois, but she carried herself as the stronger, more modern version of the part that fits with today's world.
Adding in their son, Jason Kent, is my biggest issue with the movie. I liked the James Marsden character since Superman has not really had any competition for Lois on the big screen, but the kid felt a little forced. I was dreading the moment he would display the same powers as his father, but when it finally happened, I was okay with it. It is a lot like Joseph Gordon-Levitt's John Blake being revealed to be Robin. Sure, I could have done without it, but it does not ruin the movie for me.
Go on, tell me again who played a better villain than me. Hackman? WROOOOOOOONG!
Now, let us talk about the absolute best casting in the entire movie: Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor. From the moment I saw SEVEN, I knew Kevin Spacey was destined to be Lex. The diabolical eyes, the undercurrent of insanity, and a great yelling voice. Not to mention phenomenal acting chops. Spacey combines the best elements of Luthor from the comic books and from Gene Hackman's performances. He is funny and evil at the same time to the point I want him back whenever the villain is introduced in the Zack Snyder series.
That being said, my only problem with SUPERMAN RETURNS is that the plan Lex concocts is not worthy of the movie. Bryan Singer created this Metropolis with enough realism that I felt we had the best Superman ever visually displayed but we are left with him using that ultimate power to create Kryptonite based real estate? Well, I guess that is very Luthor-esque, I was just waiting for a giant robot to battle Superman to round it out.
While Lex's plot may not be the most solid part of the movie, it is a minor quibble compared to what Singer does accomplish. The re-introduxtion of Superman via the space shuttle rescue is brilliant and showcases how breathtaking Superman looks when flying using modern special effects. Even when Supes battles criminals, namely in the rooftop shootout, we finally see what we all imagined Superman to be like. Bullets don't phase him, or even make him blink! Each utilization of his superpowers looks realistic and amazing on the big screen.
Absolute cinematic perfection.
If I were to pick one Superman movie to watch, I would grab the original 1978 movie. If I were to follow it up, I would go for SUPERMAN RETURNS. As much as I love the battle with General Zod from SUPERMAN II, that movie feels muddled. SUPERMAN RETURNS is a complete movie. It has action, humor, and especially heart. For an alien hero, Superman is one of the most human characters in all of literature and the filmmakers behind SUPERMAN RETURNS truly understood that. I would have been all for a Singer directed sequel, but alas we get MAN OF STEEL instead. I will hold out hope that it will be a fitting continuation of the Superman movies I have come to love, even if it doesn't share the same visual style.
Oh, and if you have any suggestions for The UnPopular Opinion I’m always happy to hear them. You can send along an email to alexmaidy@joblo.com, spell it out below, slap it up on my wall in Movie Fan Central, or send me a private message via Movie Fan Central. Provide me with as many movie suggestions as you like, with any reasoning you'd care to share, and if I agree then you may one day see it featured in this very column!| Source: | JoBlo.com |
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Ok folks, rant coming up.
This movie takes so frickin' long to get started. The producers / directors of this movie need to understand that the audience already knows the Superman story by now, so they really should have opened with Superman, not making the audience wait sooo long to actually see the man in tights. (Opening useless black-suited non-cape-wearing stumbling Superman notwithstanding.) And when he finally does make an appearance, he actually causes so much collateral damage that it makes him seem irretrevably stupid. Taking so long to disengage Richard Branson's Cameo Vehicle from the jet liner, then sitting in the air watching it go when shock! horror! oh wait, I forgot about the 747. Then speeding after it (kind of) and trying to stop it spinning by grabbing the end of one of the wings? Of course the wing's going to break off, you big blue doofus. I'm sure Kal-El is a caring dude but he obviously doesn't know anything about physics. Except wait, he should have, cause he learned all that stuff that Marlon Brando taught him in his spiky space pod thing when he was a baby, right? Hmm. So then he flies through the broken wing, exploding its fuel tanks and scattering deadly falling debris directly over suburban Metropolis, which I noticed nobody bothers to explain or clean up or anything. He then crashes the airliner in the middle of a sports stadium, not because it was part of any kind of grand design on his part, but because that's just where it happened to be headed. It could have crashed down in the middle of a city street and Superman still would have had to lay it down and probably killed hundreds of innocent commuters in the process. But having said all that, this scene is considered the "action" highlight of the movie. And the worst part... it actually is.
Most of the time Superman is on-screen he's a self-centered jerk. He breaks a photo of his ex-girlfriend and her new family. He's a peeping tom. His so-called best friend Jimmy Olsen barely tolerates him in the one scene they share (? perhaps more? I tuned out because he was such a boring character). I'm so happy they employed Frank Langella as Perry White instead of Hugh Laurie because that would have ruined watching House MD for me forever. Lois Lane was insipid, weak and boring and apart from wanting to protect her child had nothing to do in this film. And don't get me started on Parker Posey. I cannot watch another movie with her in it, period. Just watch her when she scream/cries at Lex Luthor "You said you were.. only.. going to.. cut them!" and you can hear the sound of me losing interest in the rest of her career. She was already skating on thin ice after Blade Trinity and after this movie she makes me more sickeningly ill than having to listen to Andie McDowell's accent on loop. I'm not even going to go into her pseudo Miss Tessmacher lite character at all because I fear I will actually vomit.
There are some things I like about this movie. Kevin Spacey is always great, and did as good a job as could have been expected given the script he had to work with. His Lex Luthor was appropriately menacing, conniving and creepy (in a good way) but his motivations were misguided on the part of the scriptwriters. James Marsden was great and in his own way is actually much more of a hero than Superman was. Brandon Routh did a good job of being a Christopher Reeve proxy and it's a shame that he hasn't done much of note since.
I know I'm not alone in thinking the son-of-Superman thing was irretrievably stupid. And it's NOT the same thing as JGL being "Robin" in TDKR. That was merely a "nod" to fans and if it wasn't there wouldn't really have made much difference to the movie thematically. In Superman Returns' case, the son-of-Superman plot device is actually so integral to the plot of the movie that removing it would make the movie completely fall apart thematically. He only awakes from his coma after Lois' revelation of Superman's parentage, and then comes to realise that he's now a father and gets to be responsible in perhaps the way his own father wasn't able to be (y'know, cause the planet blew up n stuff). AND THEN HE FLIES AWAY ANYWAY. Making him a jerk.
Singer so greatly misinterpreted the character of Superman in this movie that it's not even funny. Mind you I would still prefer to watch Superman Returns over either of the 1978 or 1980 versions (because spinning the earth backwards is a stupid way to time travel, and at least in this movie he doesn't have random super chest logo throwing powers) and attempt to put my suspension of disbelief filter over the story and just enjoy the special effects work.
Like my 5-year-olds, I will just fast forward through the boring talking bits.
And Singer and Co. rushed a weak script for WB's deadlines.
And the Christopher Walken joke was good.
And the Christopher Walken joke was good.
This is a tough one...
Plot
Also, when roughly 55% of the movie dialog and plot is taken from a 30 year old movie that it's trying so hard to be a sequel to, it automatically fails.
Also, when roughly 55% of the movie dialog and plot is taken from a 30 year old movie that it's trying so hard to be a sequel to, it automatically fails.
Plot
Completely agree
Glad you wrote this
It's an entertaining flick but...
Lex's Island
Couldn't agree more.
And bails1004 - the Dark Knight Rises has been out for half a year man. If you haven't seen it already - you have no one but yourself to blame. If you insist on waiting till it's out on disc - stop visiting movie sites if you don't want to risk having it spoiled. Moron.
And bails1004 - the Dark Knight Rises has been out for half a year man. If you haven't seen it already - you have no one but yourself to blame. If you insist on waiting till it's out on disc - stop visiting movie sites if you don't want to risk having it spoiled. Moron.
Completely disagree
Thank you.
Spoilers! Next time write spoilers of dark knight rises so ppl know
Joblo fire this clown please!!! Been reading this site forever and now well I'll find a site I can trust not to have a spoiler of a new movie in an article about a years old movie
Joblo fire this clown please!!! Been reading this site forever and now well I'll find a site I can trust not to have a spoiler of a new movie in an article about a years old movie
Worst superman movie EVER!
That Is all that is needed to make this the worst superman movie ever. Singer has no idea wat superman stands for. Superman doesn't kill. Much less promote killing in fact it makes him sick. Add the fact that superman doesnt throw 1PUNCH AND GETS BEAT UP BY KUMAR How can unmake a movie and have supermans son kill a person
WORST SUPERMAN EVER EVEN WORSE THAN 3 and 4 cause it goes against the one thing that revults superman: killing
Not surprised Alex likes this movie, he's
That Is all that is needed to make this the worst superman movie ever. Singer has no idea wat superman stands for. Superman doesn't kill. Much less promote killing in fact it makes him sick. Add the fact that superman doesnt throw 1PUNCH AND GETS BEAT UP BY KUMAR How can unmake a movie and have supermans son kill a person
WORST SUPERMAN EVER EVEN WORSE THAN 3 and 4 cause it goes against the one thing that revults superman: killing
Not surprised Alex likes this movie, he's the I go against wat everyone in the world likes just to troll joblo writer. Anyone who says they like SR and dislikes avengers is a INTERNET TROLL.
In fact I didn't read one thing that could change my opinion which means someone is pulling our legs on this opinion
U would think someone who like SR more than the avengers would have some good points
It sounds like u are more woo d by te special effects than the character( it should have been called elseworld:superman returns) cause it wasn't the superman we know
Many things I hate about this movie...
2. Kate Bosworth was an awful Lois Lane and the script didn't help much either. I love that despite Superman saving her life earlier on the plane, she has the balls to be pissed at him and asking him "Why did you come back?". Nice, you'd be a sizzling pancake inside an aircraft wreckage if it wasn't for him.
3. I'm sorry but the kid having superpowers made no sense. Superman had sex with Lois while he was completely mortal
2. Kate Bosworth was an awful Lois Lane and the script didn't help much either. I love that despite Superman saving her life earlier on the plane, she has the balls to be pissed at him and asking him "Why did you come back?". Nice, you'd be a sizzling pancake inside an aircraft wreckage if it wasn't for him.
3. I'm sorry but the kid having superpowers made no sense. Superman had sex with Lois while he was completely mortal with no powers of any kind. You would assume that his sperm would follow suit.
4. "The Big Plan" of Lex is completely retarded. Okay so he grows an island, what the fuck will he do then? Does he seriously believe that people will buy property on that thing? But the biggest question, does he really think no military force in the world will do something about it? The first thing they do is sit around, play cards and anything else boring. What were they waiting for? What was the plan from there? Made no sense at all and the writers really should have re-thought that in the script.
5. CGI wasn't that impressive, I'll be honest.
I could go on and on. The only saving graces of that movie are Kevin Spacey playing a great Lex and Parker Posey. And some of the action scenes were pretty cool. It can be entertaining quite often but the logic just went out the window.
SuperBOY Returns
So did Supes rape Lois?
Bosworth sucked as Lane but i still liked the movie
Unpopular backlash
I buy many films, but only films that I feel are worth owning, and I own Superman Returns.
THANK GOD
Not that bad, but not every good either.
In my opinion there are THREE biggest problems the movie had: First and foremost, Kate Bosworth as Lois Lane, because yes, she was simply AWFUL in that role. We expected a spunky tough reporter who was full of life, instead all we got is a bitchy and morose Lois. Compared to her, Kidder (from I & ii) was much, much better, and even Erica Durance's Lane from Smallville, whose characterization can sometimes become really irritating, is much more exceptable. Second, the whole "Superman's Son" plot just didn't work AT ALL. Third, as you said, the ultimate plot of Luthor was very underwhelming. It was a complete rehash of his diabolical plan from Superman I.....Are you telling me as big a criminal genious as Lex Luthor is, all he's EVER interested is Real Estate?? Plus that big chunk of rock absolutely didn't look livable. All of these problems just made the movie unable to reach the expectations.
Still, purely because of the charishmatic lead and devilishly fun Spacey, even today I can easily kill 2 hours rewatching it on TV if I have nothing better to do. Its just not on the same league as Batman Begins or Superman I & II as everyone thought it would be.
The direction
But as much as I enjoyed Superman
But as much as I enjoyed Superman Returns, I think Man of Steel is going to easily be the definitive Superman film that we Superman fans deserve. And everything we have seen and heard from the film looks great. It's time that Superman take hold of the reigns again of being the greatest superhero we have ever seen.
Interesting article
The good:
- Brandon Routh: I don't think anyone expected him to be a convincing choice for the part after Reeve but I think he proved himself just fine. I would have been okay with him coming back for another turn as Supes.
- Frank Langella: He delivers.
- Special FX: Singer's films are always good in this regard. He has quality computer animators.
The bad:
- Kate Bosworth: Felt wrong for the part of Lois, and it
The good:
- Brandon Routh: I don't think anyone expected him to be a convincing choice for the part after Reeve but I think he proved himself just fine. I would have been okay with him coming back for another turn as Supes.
- Frank Langella: He delivers.
- Special FX: Singer's films are always good in this regard. He has quality computer animators.
The bad:
- Kate Bosworth: Felt wrong for the part of Lois, and it showed.
- Kevin Spacey: My biggest disagreement with you. Of course we all love Spacey but watching this, I never got the sense of menace I thought I should be feeling when seeing his plan unfold. He didn't come across as imposing nor cunning, and it seems the worst he could actually throw as Supes were his three dopey goons (it's hard to take it seriously when Kumar is beating up Superman).
- Luthor's island: You hit the nail on the head there. Terrible plot. Seems kinda pointless. Plus despite being in direct contact with the kryptonite embedded in the rock, Supes didn't seem to have much of a problem getting rid of it after all.
- Superkid: Worst bit of the film.
I don't know what they have planned for Man of Steel, and beyond. But here's hoping Lex Luthor (and Zod) are not the only villains WB are forever willing to use in Superman movies. Lex has been the heavy for five movies in a row. Superman has a large rogues gallery of villains to go up against. It's someone else's turn already.
Giant Rock
If people love it
If people love it for the throwback to the Donner stuff, then that's cool, but as long as they recognize that that's all it is. For me, it was another link in the chain of Superman's plight onscreen. They just don't let him grow or show his full potential. He's stuck in 1978.
As for action. It was weak sauce. The airplane rescue was the best sequence of the film. If it were on today, I'd stop watching after that part. Superman lays no punches and has no throwdown worthy enough to make me root for him. Instead, it's like watching a fight on pay per view where your guy is losing and you're yelling at him to get up and do SOMETHING. And if you make it all the way to the end, the only action you get is Superman hurling a giant rock into space.
The first two films are great and should be left alone as such. If Superman is ever going to matter again, it's got to be different than the Donner/Reeve films. I hope that Zack Snyder defies every tradition set by the Donner era with Man of Steel. I want 300 meets Watchmen meets Superman.
Again, good write up, bro! I love the way this column riles folks up! Good shit!