Superhero Media: Superman Returns

Even when I saw it at the cinema, I didn't understand why people were so down on this film; I've always found it magnificent. The tone is a near-perfect match to the Richard Donner films, with enough modernisation to make it play in a then-contemporary environment. The casting is really good, even considering the little moral twinge enjoying anything with Kevin Spacey comes with now. I, personally, find it a real shame that Brian Singer didn't get another go at Superman, especially considering that Brainiac was slated to be the next villain; as much as I like the characters, I'm getting a bit sick of Luthor and Zod. Also, because Superman Returns had a disappointing box office return, we ended up with Man of Steel, and we all know how that ended. Personally, I think the much-coveted "teenage boy" audience dollar wasn't there because it was too smart for them, with more of a focus on wonder and nuance than Supes punching anyone. 

The word I would probably use to best describe Superman Returns is "iconic". Not only is Singer attempting to evoke the iconic Donner/Reeve combo of Superman: The Movie, but also to present the character at his most iconic moments. The plane rescue in the first act, with the John Williams music pumping and, somehow, still better than Man of Steel, CGI helping the audience believe a man can fly, may actually be one of the best Superman rescue scenes ever put to film, and using the quote from Superman: The Movie is a nice touch. Luthor's plot, drawing on the mythology of the previous films, is bonkers in the best way, killing millions to sell a lot of Superman-proof real estate, any Bond villain would be proud, and Spacey does a great turn in the role. Yes, it turns out he's a scumbag, but damn, he made good stuff before we all found that out.  

One of my favourite scenes in Superman Returns is when Lois and Richard are discussing Superman and think, just for a moment, that Clark Kent looks like him, until Clark gets his foot stuck in a bin and trips over. Sure, it's not quite as good as the glasses moment in Superman: The Movie, but it's charming nonetheless. Superman Returns is much better than most give it credit for, and is well worth a revisit if you haven't bothered with it in a while. I really hope that when DC and Warner Brothers get around to (yet again) rebooting Superman, they take another look at this film and appreciate just how good it really was, rather than pandering to juvenile demand for violent power fantasies. Or, you know, just make a live-action version of Superman Vs The Elite already, seriously.