When Superman Returns gets it right, it really gets it right.
Perhaps it’s my childhood fondness for the original films (I even liked Superman III), but as soon as the original theme music starts playing, I get all tingly. On can argue that Bryan Singer held Richard Donner’s original films in too high esteem, but you can’t blame him for being inspired by movies that really understood the heroism, romance, villainy, and comedy that makes the character so compelling. There are those who will tell you that Superman is too powerful and too perfect, but they’re wrong: Superman’s heroism and purity make him a great protagonist, as long as they’re balanced out by Clark Kent’s status as an outsider and perpetual second choice to the love of his life.
So Singer gets the core of Superman: Accordingly, Superman Returns gives us a man who wants to do good, and who will be haunted by the fact he’ll never be able to save everyone; a guy who is loved by everyone, but always feels like he’s on the outside looking in. Brandon Routh pulls off the double role well: His Clark Kent is awkward, but not an outright nerd. His Superman has the requisite swagger of a man who can do almost anything. He’s still the good guy, but he knows he can be pretty awesome. His flirtation with Lois (“Richard takes me flying sometimes”; “Not like this.”) and the confrontation with the robber with the Big Bad Gun show off his acceptable levels of cockiness.
Kevin Spacey’s Lex Luthor drew some criticism, but I can’t complain: He’s having fun. He’s a bit over the top at times, but he’s playing Lex Luthor, y’know? There’s a bit of Gene Hackman’s smarmy bastard in there, but slightly rabid. Spacey’s Luthor is a guy who was doing pretty well for himself at being underhanded and illicit until Superman came along, so it’s understandable he may have gone somewhat insane. Also, he gets Parker Posey as a sidekick; who can complain about that?
Unfortunately, things start to get dicey with the decision to cast Kate Bosworth as Lois Lane. To star with the obvious, she’s just too young: Bosworth doesn’t look like she could have been a star reporter five years ago, let alone now. More importantly, she doesn’t act like it: Most of the time, Bosworth seems like someone who’s trying to look tough, not someone who is tough. She spends entirely too much time moping and mooning to be Lois Lane. While Margot Kidder didn’t take crap from anyone and did pretty much whatever she wanted, Bosworth seems to be playing the role of a teenager whose parents won’t let her have any fun.
And then there’s the kid. I don’t dislike Jason as much as many people seemed to – for a child actor, he’s perfectly decent, and the idea of the character is interesting enough – but it feels like an unneeded addition to the already weighty film. The character of Richard, played ably by James Marsden, provides more than enough romantic and emotional tension: Singer avoided the obvious choice of having Lois hook up with a jerk that clearly didn’t deserve her. While Singer may have made Richard a bit too perfect (and a little bland), it’s a sensible decision compared to what he’s up against: No matter how perfect Richard is, he’s never going to measure up to Superman. But unlike Superman, we know he’s not the sort of guy who’s going to disappear for five years.
Jason doesn’t really hurt the film, but he doesn’t add anything to it, either, and when a film breaks the two-hour mark, elements that aren’t necessary should be cut. Singer clearly liked the father-son idea, as evidenced by the opening monologue by Marlon Brando, but that’s explored enough by the fairly heavy Christ imagery. Superman Returns is a fine film, but begins to strain under the heavy weight Singer imposes in the final half-hour. While the first hour breezes along, and the confrontation with Lex Luthor is suitably tense, the final 45 minutes start to drag. Admittedly, this may be due somewhat to personal bias: When watching the film in the theatre, I really needed to go to the bathroom, but kept thinking “It’s okay, I can wait, it’s probably just another ten minutes.” That doesn’t pose quite the same problem when you’ve got a pause button, but the film could certainly do with some tougher editing.
Bryan Singer gets Superman, and treats the character with the respect he deserves; though he’s not afraid to inject some humour, he stays away from camping things up or lowering the hero in order to make him more accessible. But he probably could have laid off a little: Between the Christ imagery and father-son themes, Singer’s vision can exceed his grasp at times. While some of the blame has to go to Bosworth’s lacklustre Lois, Singer’s tried to do too much, too fast with a franchise that’s spent too much time out of the public eye.
Still, Singer has successfully resurrected Superman for the big screen, and he’s brought a lot of the magic and awe back to the franchise. Ambition and failure is always a more appealing mix than a successful mediocrity, so Superman Returns is appealing enough in that sense. A bit more editing and a stronger Lois Lane (whether Bosworth or someone else) and Singer, like Donner before him, could really hit it out with his second kick at the can.