I went to Superman Returns yesterday with my littlest sister and her dad. We had a good time, my treat. It was just as I had foresaw. The movie was unnecessarily dark and dreary and didn’t have any of the comedy from the original Superman movies. But I expected that. I had hoped, that since Brian Singer is purportedly a fan of the Christopher Reeve movies, that they would emulate the charm that flowed from Reeve’s characters, not so. 🙁
Overall, I am pleased. My greatest pet-peeve for this movie is that even though it was in widescreen (letterbox), it had not been filmed appropriately. All the shots, and I mean ALL of them, were closeup and claustrophobic. You can’t tell what’s going on in most of the action sequences. It was like watching a reformatted, pan and scan version, which really sucks.
As far as the story went, it seemed to me to be just a rewrite of Superman the Movie nearly scene for scene, without the fun gags and comic relief. Some of the lines were taken right out of that movie. Like, superman “Clark?” Loise, “A guy from work.” Maybe not an exact quote, but Superman fans should get the point. And Lex, “What did my father always tell me?” Miss Kitty. “Get out!” It seemed like none of the movie was really original or fresh.
The plot was that Lex Luther plans to grow a new continent just off the east coast of the States of America large enough to engulf North America. You know, the whole real estate thing from Superman the Movie?
And for all of you, who, like me, was a bit skeptical about the whole Lois having a kid and a boyfriend. The math doesn’t add up for the obvious reason. Stop reading if you don’t want to know until you see the movie. The second Lex stops in mid dialog to look at Jason, you know who his father is before Lex even asks. And how about that piano seen. I think I jumped up in the theater and yelled Yes! I knew it! It’s good for Superman to have a son, but I hope they get him and Lois together in subsequent films. I’d like to see them have a real family, though Richard White is a pretty cool guy and hero by his own rite.
I cried like a baby when they killed Superman. You know those shots in the preview when he is falling? He had just used the last of his strength to cast Lex’s continent into space and he’s got this kryptonite shiv in his side courtesy of Lex Luther and his prison experiences. It’s really emotional when the paramedics and fire department (you know, all those other heroes) take Superman to the hospital and the whole world is rooting for him. There’s nothing they can do at the hospital though, because he’s Superman, they can’t stick needles in him, or fibbulate* him, or anything.
Well, this movie was interesting reinventing of the greatest superhero ever. It wasn’t as good as I wanted it to be, but it is a good movie and I hope they get better with the sequels. I look foreword those too. I feel sorry for Miss Kitty, I fear Lex is going to eat her. I think it was foreshadowed by the dog that ate the other one when they were left alone in the mansion for too long. Shudder… 😀
*I know it’s not a word, but I think you get the concept. 😉
