There will likely to be spoilers in this so be warned.
Well, I finally was able to go see Superman Returns tonight and I thought it was all right. I would probably say it was okay to good.
Those parts that I expected to like for the most part I did, and those that I expected to dislike, I generally disliked.
First off, Bryan Singer's story started out with a major flaw. Superman would have never left without saying goodbye to Lois... never.
Also, as expected, I hated the inclusion of a child. It nearly ruined the entire movie for me. Unless the movie is for 4 to 8 year olds, nothing positive is ever gained by having a child as part of the storyline. I fear, if they decide to do sequels, that the kid will have a larger and larger role, which will be very unfortunate.
The special effects were good and provided many fun moments in the movie.
The characters:
Superman; Routh did a comendable job in the role. He seemed to be mimicing Chris Reeve quite a bit (some of which I think was intentional from Singer). He was properly earnest and had the necessary comanding presence while in the suit. He could have used a little more bulk in the upper body, but looked good for the most part. As for the suit; the colors didn't bother me as much as the stupid diamond texture they seemed determined to show close ups of.
Clark Kent; What Clark Kent? It's been said that Brandon didn't play him quite as geeky as he was written in the original movies, but how could he? He was hardly in the movie. Even in the minimal screen time he had, he was such a non factor as to be inconsequential. That may have been Singer's purpose, but I didn't have to like it. I like it when Clark Kent is a real person with a real personality of his own.
Lois Lane; Kate was better than I expected, but still not up to true Lois Lane standards for me. Physically she was, and looked, too young to justify the storyline. Also, I would have thought that a big budget movie could have afforded a better looking wig. The inclusion of the kid really blunted Lois' personality. Gone was much of the independance and fire that one would usually associate with a Lois Lane. Maybe, as a mother, they felt they had to write her as a softer and gentler Lois.
Lex Luthor; I expected more out of Kevin Spacey than I got. While he played the part well, it was written too much like the role in the earlier movies. At times, Spacey seemed to be channeling Gene Hackman. Lex Luthor is not the place to put your comic relief. Lex Luthor doesn't suffer fools, nor would he keep them around as associates. Hurmor coming from Lex Luthor should be of an ironic nature, not buffonery.
Perry White; Frank Langella did a credible job in a small role.
Jimmy Olsen; Who really cares? The only purpose for this character was for story exposition.
Martha Kent; another non-character and could have been played by nearly any elderly actress.
Richard White; I swear James Marsden has pictures of Bryan Singer with a goat or something. How else can you explain that this terrible actor keeps getting roles in Singer's movies.
Overall, the movie had many exceptional visuals, and better performances than the original movies. It was a pleasant experience, but hardly earth shaking.
Tank (who wonders if they have already pre-shot a lot of basic material for a sequel)
