Yes, humour is indeed a very subjective thing, just as our own personal opinions on many other topics that hit this message board. Lois' hair, Clark's hair, Lois' clothes...on these and many other topics we all hold strong personal opinions. Sometimes those opinions are split pretty evenly down the middle, sometimes the "vote" is markedly leaning towards one side. But everyone's opinions are, of course, valid.
I went to see Superman Returns on July 4. It was a large theatre in San Jose, so even though it wasn't packed, the audience size was respectable. I had read most of the spoilers going in, I had read FoLCs' reviews both for and against the movie. I personally didn't find very much humour, but I did chuckle a little at Kitty. The only audience response that I recall were a few laughs at the two references to the dogs (which I didn't find funny).
As a matter of fact, the audience response to the entire movie was almost non-existent. Just a few scattered chuckles. No claps and cheers at the title screen, no collective gasps of fear/horror when Superman was getting the tar beaten out of him, no sighs of delight during Superman and Lois' flight, no murmurs during the flyby at the end - nothing. Was it just a dead audience, full of people just killing time before heading off to a 4th of July barbecue? Perhaps, but we've seen other "big" releases here - X-Men III, Star Wars ep.III, Harry Potter - that garnered a lot more audience response than that.
For me there were a number of things I liked about the movie, and a lot that I didn't. Did I go in expecting it to be another L&C? No. I was expecting it to be closer to the first two Superman movies, which I've loved (with the exception of the amnesia kiss) from their first release and which I still love, despite the fact that I prefer Dean's Clark to Christopher's. But this movie didn't bring that feeling to me. The special effects were dazzling, of course, and were incredibly effective in so many places. But sometimes I felt it was overkill, and too much emphasis placed on the effects (which was what happened with the first Star Trek movie so many years ago).
I don't plan to go to the theatre again to see it, but will certainly buy it when it comes out on DVD, and I do plan to see whatever sequels are produced.
Kathy
