 "Suprman Returns... Not All Good" | 2010-02-08 |
| - Reviewed By HarryRfromNE from North Shore area of MA, USA |
I generally liked the movie, but why can't the Liberal Hollywood agenda take a break? Why did they have to have Lois Lane pregnant out of marriage?
They went out of their way to advance their agenda, instead of making a movie all Superman fans and others could watch without any moral objections!
Dukes of Hazzard remake had to have pot at the end, etc.
I heard they are going back to the drawing board and remaking Superman again.
This time fellas, just make a great movie, and keep your liberal agenda out of it.
They had Lois get pregnant out of wedlock, but they decided to hide Superman's real-sized 'package'.
Seems inconsistent to me. |
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 "Nearly 20 Years and we get this" | 2010-02-08 |
| - Reviewed By L. Cabos from planet earth |
| Bryan Singer's take on the Man of Steel. Said to be a sequel to SUPERMAN & SUPERMAN II, it lacks the feel of the Donner film and not even the Donner/Lester amalgamation that is the 2nd film. I like Brandon Routh as Kent/Superman. He isn't Christopher Reeve but he does a pretty decent job. Kevin Spacey is a truly vile and vicious Lex Luthor, Parker Posey a trip as his girlfriend Kitty. Frank Langella is ok as Perry White (stepping in after Hugh Laurie had to bow out), Sam Huntington a good Jimmy Olson and Eva Marie Saint as Ma Kent. As the acting goes, the weak link is Kate Bosworth. She is such a lousy Lois Lane. What killed this project -- it was a $200 million production that made money but not enough (movies have to do double their cost to break EVEN) -- it is dark, it is violent and long and kinda boring. What Singer managed to infuse into the X-Men franchise he couldn't do for the Man of Steel. Will we see another Superman adventure on the big screen? I am confident. It might be years but you can't keep a good man down. |
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| "Bryan Singer's Man of Steel is a Weak Link" | 2010-01-15 |
| - Reviewed By Wadsworth Spottsbottom from Troy, NY |
Bryan Singer did a phenomenal job with the X-MEN movies but his SUPERMAN RETURNS shows an obvious love for the Christopher Reeve movies -- but a serious misunderstanding as far as what makes Superman appealing. This is a weird, unsatisfying film that's just not funny or even romantic in any regard.
The reason being is that Singer brings his own personal agenda into the franchise where it doesn't belong. Superman here is a deadbeat dad with a bastard son -- elements that NO prior Superman story ever had -- and that entire subplot of the movie doesn't work at all. Do you want to see Batman or Spider-Man as a single parent? Singer should have made his own personal story about this material, not tried to graft it onto a Superman film. The casting also fails to work -- Kate Bosworth is a disaster as Lois, and there's no chemistry between her and Brandon Routh, who does what he can with the limp dialogue but also fails to register. Kevin Spacey likewise doesn't come across well as Lex Luthor.
There's a lot of talk but not a lot of fun here. Tellingly, SUPERMAN RETURNS failed to deliver on its initial box-office grosses -- and as fans have stated ever since the movie came out, nobody wanted to see this film's story (with Superman's "super kid" offspring) carried forward. Thus, the franchise is dead again -- fans can stick with the later seasons of SMALLVILLE instead, which are far more satisfying despite taking their own liberties with the material. |
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| "A Superman " What If Story "" | 2010-01-12 |
| - Reviewed By The Big Boss from USA |
Superman is the man. This movie is seeing the character on the big screen afetr a long time, but doesn;t reflect the complete character and his world. Bryan Singer and his team seemed to have seen the first movie of Superman and that is it. Watch the making of documentary and you will see one of his crew members reading "The Making Of Superman: The Movie" instead of a Superman comic book. This made me feel bad especially with my favorite superhero. Why is it that the animated features and shows go full out with the enemies and stories until we hit film and there is this tied down feeling with only one villian, Lex Luthor...as if Braniac, Metallo, Darkseid, Toyman, Parasite, Titano, Lobo, Gog, Bloodsport, Atlas, Doomsday, and others would never be seen in Superman film universe (makes us feel lucky they used Zod for 1.2 films). Also, switching the romance and add the child of _______ into the story makes no sense and illustrates no one did their homework. Imagine if Peter Jackson made Lord of The Rings with only seeing the animated TV special Return Of The King in the 80s without reading any of the books, the trilogy would be a one movie deal and a musical.
They did put a lot of hard work into the movie to make it look good, but I wish they tried more with the characters and the story. That's difference with Batman Begins and Superman Returns...Christopher Nolan being more of a fan of the superhero's mythology rather than liking a few films of done in the past.
The story is written from the outside looking into the character at a distance. The movie is enjoyable to see Superman on the big screen but fails to give Superman the credit he has in the comic books. It fails to take him to the next level of where he is now. Smallville is doing a better job at the mythology. Minus 2 stars for story and lack of work, but the movie is made well and may please anyone who doesn't know much about Superman but the basics to pass a Trivial Persuit game.
I got this movie to support the Man Of Steel and the middle part is fun especially the airplane save. Hang in there for the future for Superman and i highly recommend Superman: Doomsday and Superman/Batman: Public Enemies for those are way closer to the character and those great books. Maybe in time DC and Warner Bros. will treat us with a wholesome Superman Motion Picture like Marvel made up for Hulk with Incredible Hulk. |
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 "The Only Way It Could Have Been Done... A Fantastic Sequel!" | 2009-12-03 |
| - Reviewed By J. Kent Layton from New York, USA |
I can not describe in words how much I love this movie. It was the perfect sequel to Superman and Superman II, starring Christopher Reeve, and I grew up watching those movies. It had to be just right, done perfectly, or I would have despised it.
Brandon Routh played Superman the way Christopher Reeve did, and did so well that at times it made the hair on the back of my neck stand up, because he portrayed the character to such a tee. With Christopher Reeve unfortunately out of the running to play the role, *I think Routh was the only one who could fill his shoes. He paid tribute to Reeve very well.
Lex Luthor's character was a little edgier and angrier than in the original movies, but that is doubtless explained by 5 years' imprisonment, and he wasn't so over the top that it completely distorted the original character. Lois Lane's character was well-portrayed by Kate Bosworth. Although she seemed a little malnourished, she had spunk and I actually liked her in the role better than Margot Kidder.
As a film-score fan, and one who grew up humming John Williams' original Superman theme, the score also had to be perfect, and John Ottman not only retained the theme, but also worked himself to death to ensure that the entire film, from beginning to end, had an A1 score. I hope that John Williams was proud of Ottman's work, because he should have been.
Word has it that the Superman franchise is on indefinite hold because of legal battles over rights and royalties. It is also rumored that WB was so unpleased with the film's nearly $400 million gross (?!) that they might take the franchise in an edgier direction in the future. That would be a horrible mistake... Superman is not, and never has been, dark or frightening. It is not Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, or anything even remotely like it, and it never should be. This film was the only way it could have been done, and kudos to Brian Singer for reviving a legend. |
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 "At Least It Erased The Bad Taste of 3 (and 4) Away" | 2009-11-09 |
| - Reviewed By The Movie Critic from Elkton, MD USA |
| To me, what truly bogs this film down is bad casting, particularly Lois Lane, the pacing and the lack of originality. While Brandon Routh (who is a dead ringer for Christopher Reeve) acts very well for his role, he doesn't seem to command screen presence like Reeve (ironically the first Superman being his first big feature). Kevin Spacey uses more dry humor and has a lethal threat to him when compared to Gene Hackman. My only wish for these Superman films is STOP USING LEX LUTHOR! It's not like he's got plenty of other villains to go up against (Brainiac, Bizarro, Toyman, Silver Banshee, Mongul, Doomsday, etc.) And since they did use Luthor, again, couldn't they've turned him into the twisted business man instead of him just going after land? Again. Frank Langella does a good job with Perry White, even throwing a reference to the old TV series. Sam Huntington is bland as Jimmy Olsen (a character I don't really like anyway, he gets on my nerves too easily). James Marsden's character was a nice twist so that way Lois isn't always pining after Superman, but the guy must not be very confident in Lois' affections towards him as every time the hero's name is mentioned, he gets into some whiney attitude. Eva Marie-Saint, Jack Larson and Noel Neil (Jimmy and Lois, respectively, from the original series) cameo as well. Bosworth was a complete mistake as a Lois. I don't know if its the way they chose to go with the character or not, but she HATES Superman, almost downright dispises him. I know the guy left without saying goodbye and that can feel hurtful but to go on and write an aricle about how the world doesn't need Superman when, before he left anyway, he was always constantly saving her skin, doesn't put her in a good light. And she looks way too young for the role. When I saw Margot Kidder, I didn't see an actor, I saw Lois Lane. The other aspect I hated was the allusion that Jason is Superman's son (alluding to Supes and Lois' one night stand back in Superman II). It seems too contrived and it feels like a forced plot point. The pacing is slow, especially once Luthor's Kryptonite landmass is formed. For an action movie, the third act, which is supposed to be the climax, just feels like an extension of the second act. The effects are good but the heat vision you can just barely see and some shots of Routh flying (I suppose when its actually him) looks like he's CGI. The story feels unoriginal. I know Singer meant it as a tribute to the first two (more so the first) but Superman reiterating the line about airplanes, using Marlon Brando, Luthor's obsession with land and the romantic flying sequence just feel like they were ripping those moments off. Now, subtle references/moments which work better for me are Kitty asking if Luthor's been in the Fortress before, saving a plane and Lois' first interview with Superman. John Ottman does a fine job adapting Williams' classic themes while doing a great job with his own material (and editing the movie as well). |
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