By Edwin Hopkins
Email Mr. Hopkins

HUGE

After nearly 20 years and many unsuccessful attempts to reboot the franchise , Warner Brothers assigned director Bryan Singer the monumental task of bringing back the Man of steel, literally placing him in the exact position Christopher Nolan was for Batman Begins with one of two options and no middle ground. He could make it really good - or really screw it up.

Thankfully, the former option is the one exercised. Singer, who brilliantly helmed the first two X-Men films has given the last son of Krypton a new, fresh regeneration that is nothing short of amazing.

His triumphant homecoming, is heralded by everyone with the exception of two. Lex Luthor (Kevin Spacey), naturally, whose soul purpose in life has always been to destroy him. And main squeeze Lois Lane (Kate Bosworth) now engaged to Richard White (James Marsden) , PerryWhite’s nephew, plus she has a five year old son named Jason to boot . It certainly doesn’t take a psychologist to realize that she’s a trifle ticked at him for leaving without saying a word.

Because Supes wasn’t around to testify against him in court, Luthor is now free to wreak havoc on the world again. He revisits Superman’s Fortress of Solitude availing himself of all the advanced scientific technology of Krypton. With the aid of the fortress’ powerful crystals, Lex is now capable of “growing” his very own beachfront property . Something he’s always had an affinity for. And the fact that billions of people will die means nothing to him. “Those who control technology control the world”, he enlightens his rattlebrain girlfriend Kitty Kowalski (Parker Posey).

Even more amazing than the advanced special effects for this film (Superman seems to be flying at warp speed now) is the engaging storyline. I was certainly impressed by the emotional element Singer and writers Mike Dougherty and Dan Harris weaved into it. You can identify with Superman a little better despite his being “faster than a speeding bullet”.

As in 1978, a newcomer, not a high priced superstar, was needed to fill some pretty big boots-and blue tights. Brandon Routh fits both perfectly. He’s less huskier than Christopher Reeves was ( five years absence may result in some weight loss) yet his resemblance to him was acknowledged by Reeves’late wife, Dana whose blessing and approval was encouraging to Routh . Carrying on an American icon is certainly not easy. But Routh’s performance as both Kent and Superman assures me that the franchise has been re-energized.

Kate Bosworth probably would not have been my first choice as Lois Lane. Neverthe less, she exudes the same rock hard intrepidness of the Daily Planet’s ace reporter . Her maternal instincts aren’t bad either. Giving her lover the cold shoulder (five years remember) was a whole different experience for me bearing in mind their past relationship. Kate’s Lois had to be soul searching, with deeper feelings. She admirably portrays the woman’s heartache over her priorities as a mother, a fiance and being torn between two men now that her old boyfriend’s back.

Super heroes cannot be super without good villains, especially one like Lex Luthor. Kevin Spacey simply dives into the role popularized by Gene Hackman, evoking more of Lex’s menacing, evil side while flippantly discarding the notion that he may be the king of moral panic. He convinces you that Luthor is still the greatest criminal mind of our time. With fine supporting roles by Sam Huntington as Jimmy Olsen, Frank Langella as Perry White and cameos from Superman tv veterans Noel Neil and Jack Larson, Superman Returns celebrates a glorious homecoming. Not just to the big screen, but to the hearts and minds of all people the world over.

Back in Blue… and Red
by Christian De Matteo

Super (actually HUGE, but come on, I had to do it)

Sunday afternoon, Heather (my wonderful girlfriend) and I went to Mike’s house to watch Superman I and Superman II, in preparation for the Man of Steel’s return to the big screen.  After years of rumors including Nicholas Cage (I am the Man of Steel but I sound like Jimmy Stewart and can’t stop my hairline from receding), Big Boy Blue was finally going to come back.

Heather had inexplicaply never seen the movies before in total, and we all (including Julie, Mike’s wonderful girlfriend) had a grand old time.  While the movies do seem a bit dated in 2006, Superman is still the consummate superhero, and, while when it comes to comics I’ve always been a Marvel man and Spidey fanatic, there is something about the character of Superman that makes you feel proud while watching the movies.  He’s the big boy scout who, despite his mild-mannered alter ego, unflappable goodness and occasional campy remark, is everything a superhero, and a man, should be.  He’s a cape-clad cowboy.

While I have issues with some of the ideas in the films, particularly plot-wise in the second, the movies still stand up as great superhero adventures… and the final New York city street fight scene between Supey and the three Kryptonian bastards blows the final New York city street fight scene in the Fantastic Four so far out of the water it’s hard to remember it was even ever in it, despite the technological advances from 1980 to 2005.

 Then on Wednesday we caught the 9:00 showing of Superman Returns.  I’d been iffy after the initial previews but had faith in my boy Bryan Singer (though part of me still wants to, as a Marvel fan, burn him alive for leaving the X-Men to flounder in part three… I haven’t written that review yet because  I’m still seething). 

 Well, Bryan came through in a big way.  I was shocked the next day to see some negative reviews of the film, particularly the review by Roger Ebert, who, while I don’t always agree with, is generally more sensitive to the things that make this new Superman movie amazing.

 And it truly is that:  Amazing.

 Here’s my big criticism of the movie:  There’s not enough.  Clocking in at 2 hours and 39 minutes (if memory serves), I still wanted more of everything.  More Lex Luthor as triumphantly portrayed by the great Kevin Spacey.  More Superman action scenes.   More explosions, action and mayhem.  And yet, the movie has all of this.  So what’s the problem?  The problem is I didn’t really want it to end.  I know Bryan’s work, and gauging by the way he planned out the X-Men trilogy (had his final vision not been butt-raped by money grubbing executives out for a quickie), and I know I will get all I want out of the inevitable Superman sequels.

 Starting with his brilliant idea to begin the movie right after the events of Superman II, and continue Richard Donner’s vision (who, in the definition of irony, had done to him by the Salkinds, what the X-Men producers did to Singer), allowing us to forget that massive turds that were Superman III and Superman IV:  The Quest for Penis, Singer sailed in like the Man of Steel himself and resurrected (not an accidental word usage, considering the overwhelming Christ imagery of the new film) the series.

 Lex Luther is now hardened from prison (which he ostensibly got himself to after being left in Antarctica) and crueler than he was.  He’s still funny at times, don’t you worry, but he’s now a real hardened sonofabitch.  The kind a guy who, while still debonair and eruidite, will also shiv you from behind if it gets him where he needs to be.  Spacey plays him with the fun Gene Hackman imbued in him, but with a much colder, harsher more evil edge.  Spacey is so alive in this movie, the Spacey I know and love from American Beauty, The Usual Suspects and, yes, Seven.  There’s no room for the K-PAX, Pay it Forward Spacey.  This is Spacey at his glorious best.

 But let’s not forget our newbie, newcomer Routh is great as Supey.  Picking up the now sainted mantel of Christopher Reeve he delivers us a Superman we can believe is the same guy we loved before, but with a new energy and, most importantly, a new intensity.

 And this is where some people fall off of the movie.  This is not you non-stop, wham, bam, thank you man, rock’em sock’em superhero flick.  Go see X-Men 3 for that… you’ll enjoy it until you realize none of it matters and the film cancels itself out (seething).  This is a character study about the difficulties of being the good guy, of being the one everyone’s counting on, and the consequences of heroism (and unprotected sex).

 Stan Lee told us decades ago that “with great power, comes great responsibility.”  Implied in that was that with great responsibility comes loneliness, exhaustion and no rest for the weary.  Superman has returned after five years (during which time America survived 80s glam and silliness, depressed itself with 90s grunge and misery and entered the 2000s with brand new technology, new cars and buildings, terrorism and music you can’t tell apart – it’s okay, it’s a comicbook flick) to a world that has lost faith in him and all hope in general.  Singer, unlike anyone who has touched the material since Donner – and in fact even better than Donner – gets the message the Godfather, I mean Jur-El gave to Superman.  His job is not just to save humans, but to lead them.  Not just to give humans faith in him, but through that faith in themselves.

So does Superman seem not as super as he once did?  No.  But he shouldn’t have to be super on his own.  So should we. 

 Astounding, mindblowing, gut-wrenching and occasionally pretty damn funny, Superman Returns is the film X-Men 3 should have been.  Resonating with emotion, thrilling in every way a person can be thrilled and deeply meaningful, Singer’s Superman is a message movie.  Not a message about a cause, an issue to rally around, but a call for everyone to reach their Superman potential, to be the best people they can be, to not stand by and wait to be saved, but to lead the charge.  As Lois Lane does, as James Marsden’s character (who, unlike in any X movie, actually has something to do here, and does it well) does and as little Jason does.  Superman Returns is still as American as apple pie, as we see when the first action sequence ends in a baseball diamond.

 Now, if only they had the balls to say, “And the American way.”  Then, we’d really have something.

HugeReviews.com PREVIEW

January 2006 - Joe De Matteo

     Kevin Burns has been asked by Bryan Singer to make a TV documentary for the Superman Returns project. Burns is known for his film documentaries Cleopatra: The Film That Changed Hollywood, and Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy. 

The plan is to run the documentary on TV before the June/July 2006release of Superman Returns.  The documentary would cover the origins of Superman and the evolution of the man of steel. I wonder how they will handle the not-so-good superman films Superman II and III? That part of the evolution may be best unmentioned.  According to "the plan" you'll own this documentary when you purchase the DVD. 

I'm very excited about this film.

   Singer is well respected here at HugeReviews.com, and well trusted, I might add.  His top films to date, from The Usual Suspects  to the X-Men were blockbusters as far as the HR Team is concerned. 

   While Singers' X-Men films brought known superheroes to the screen with a new look that worked, but seeing Superman in his same costume evoked a sigh of relief from me.  After all, Superman is known to a lot of movie going baby-boomers from the George Reeves TV show and the comic, as well as the Christopher Reeve Superman and the 90s TV series "Lois and Clark", both of which kept the same look and feel to the character.  That would be a lot of disappointment to overcome. 

    Of course, the suit isn't completely the same.  There is an insignia on the belt buckle and other minor changes, but basically it is the same.  Man, what a drag to have to talk so much about the costume.  That's only because there is so little coming out of Australia.  Australia, don't get me started about that.  Though, once again I defer to this former New Yorker.  If he wants to shoot Metropolis (New York to anyone in the know) in Australia, well, okay.

   As Michael Flanagan reported below, back in January, this picks up after Superman II (1980), when after a six-year absences he returns to earth to find a very bad situation.  Evil has taken hold in Metropolis.  Lex Luthor has gone for criminal outcast to an accepted power in the great city.  Enter, stage top, returning Krypton bad guys.  The same ethically-challenged aliens we thought were locked up forever in space.

   And, we can only imaging that he is heart sick over his loss of Lois Lane.  Superman will have a full plate, and with Bryan Singer at the helm, we can expect a couple of hours of fun and excitement.