Superman Returns
The long set-up to the point wherein Superman actually returns (from some half-baked venture at finding remnants of his home planet) dissipates the tension instead of building it up. The “money shot” sequence about 30 mintues or so into the film seemed a perfect opportunity for me to re-heat my pasta primavera.
Director Bryan Singer supposedly was trying to emulate and “re-imagine” the 1978 Christopher Reeve classic. One of the great things about that film which he seemed to have forgotten was its humour- this film, by contrast, is not funny, it’s ripe for parody, and it got me to start thinking about all sorts of questions surrounding the Superman premise:
Since he seemingly specializes primarily in stopping disasters (when he could be doing so much else), how does he divide his time?
If he stands for truth, justice, and the American way, what are his politics? Might it not be more likely that such a goody-goody might consider himself a “citizen of the world” and object to American intervention overseas?
Considering the publicity and worldwide awareness he is purported to have gathered, how would it possible for the Fortress of Solitude to remain hidden? Surely some paparazzi must have followed him there?
Does he ever comb his hair differently?
He claims in the film he can hear everything, but if he really did hear everything the cacophony would drive him crazy.
How does he “turn on” the beams from his eyes?
How can he breathe in space?
Is there anything too heavy for Superman? Because he has to lift up a very, very large rock formation toward the end of the film, and it appears that he is straining a bit. It is that just supposed to give the audience a sense of the weightfulness of the object? Or does Superman actually have to exercise a degree of effort to do such things, as it would seem he would have to, if the law of physics have any relevancy.
When did he lose his virgnity, and to whom?
If he concieved a child with Lois Lane, would the child only have half his powers?
Oh yeah, and Superman’s kid in the film is very weird! He reminds me of that preternaturally precocious kid from The Ring movies. Doesn’t the director know kids in movies are supposed to be to cute, especially if they are intended to elicit the sympathy of the audience? Now, I don’t mind the subversion of that convention, but if you’re going to make the kid weird, you should also at least make him interesting as well.
How susceptible is Superman to old age and sickness?
Might the Man of Steel need Viagra someday? Or maybe Enzyte?
Although lead actor Brandon Routh looks the part, he is souless and humourless.
Kevin Spacey at times seems to be trying to imitate Gene Hackman, but I can’t be quite sure that’s what he intended.
Kate Bosworth is miscast as Lois Lane- she hasn’t got Margot Kidder’s spunk, giving instead the same petulant line delivery she did as the surfer in Blue Crush. She’s also way too young for the role. Lane is supposed to be a Pulitzer Prize winner, and Bosworth’s how old? And you can tell she’s not a mother. In the scene where she goes on board Lex Luthor’s submarine, she has her child by the hand, but never once looks at him to see his reactions, whether he is curious, scared, skeptical, and a real mother would never not do that, and a real actor’s director would not fail to point that out to Bosworth.
After being in development hell for over a decade, this is all we get?
I read recently that in one series of Superman comics, Lex Luthor became President of the United States. Now, to have Superman return, and have him find that to be the state of affairs, that would have been far more interesting that the rehashed world-in-peril-from-natural disaster scenario that the scriptwriters decided upon here.
Director Bryan Singer supposedly was trying to emulate and “re-imagine” the 1978 Christopher Reeve classic. One of the great things about that film which he seemed to have forgotten was its humour- this film, by contrast, is not funny, it’s ripe for parody, and it got me to start thinking about all sorts of questions surrounding the Superman premise:
Since he seemingly specializes primarily in stopping disasters (when he could be doing so much else), how does he divide his time?
If he stands for truth, justice, and the American way, what are his politics? Might it not be more likely that such a goody-goody might consider himself a “citizen of the world” and object to American intervention overseas?
Considering the publicity and worldwide awareness he is purported to have gathered, how would it possible for the Fortress of Solitude to remain hidden? Surely some paparazzi must have followed him there?
Does he ever comb his hair differently?
He claims in the film he can hear everything, but if he really did hear everything the cacophony would drive him crazy.
How does he “turn on” the beams from his eyes?
How can he breathe in space?
Is there anything too heavy for Superman? Because he has to lift up a very, very large rock formation toward the end of the film, and it appears that he is straining a bit. It is that just supposed to give the audience a sense of the weightfulness of the object? Or does Superman actually have to exercise a degree of effort to do such things, as it would seem he would have to, if the law of physics have any relevancy.
When did he lose his virgnity, and to whom?
If he concieved a child with Lois Lane, would the child only have half his powers?
Oh yeah, and Superman’s kid in the film is very weird! He reminds me of that preternaturally precocious kid from The Ring movies. Doesn’t the director know kids in movies are supposed to be to cute, especially if they are intended to elicit the sympathy of the audience? Now, I don’t mind the subversion of that convention, but if you’re going to make the kid weird, you should also at least make him interesting as well.
How susceptible is Superman to old age and sickness?
Might the Man of Steel need Viagra someday? Or maybe Enzyte?
Although lead actor Brandon Routh looks the part, he is souless and humourless.
Kevin Spacey at times seems to be trying to imitate Gene Hackman, but I can’t be quite sure that’s what he intended.
Kate Bosworth is miscast as Lois Lane- she hasn’t got Margot Kidder’s spunk, giving instead the same petulant line delivery she did as the surfer in Blue Crush. She’s also way too young for the role. Lane is supposed to be a Pulitzer Prize winner, and Bosworth’s how old? And you can tell she’s not a mother. In the scene where she goes on board Lex Luthor’s submarine, she has her child by the hand, but never once looks at him to see his reactions, whether he is curious, scared, skeptical, and a real mother would never not do that, and a real actor’s director would not fail to point that out to Bosworth.
After being in development hell for over a decade, this is all we get?
I read recently that in one series of Superman comics, Lex Luthor became President of the United States. Now, to have Superman return, and have him find that to be the state of affairs, that would have been far more interesting that the rehashed world-in-peril-from-natural disaster scenario that the scriptwriters decided upon here.
posted by Amateur Film Critic at 8:57 PM
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