Lois & Clark Forums Forums General Discussion Off Topic Superman Returns WOW! My review! SPOILERS!!

NOTE: I don't think there are any TRUE SPOILERS here - but be warned just in case!!!


OMG!!!!

I have to say that there was a fair bit of "violence," nothing too intense but some of it might be a bit harsh for younger kids. The PG-13 rating is very appropriate, so be warned of that.

And the special effects, OMG! I certainly believe a man can fly, even more than I did 20 years ago!!!!!! The sound, the picture, the cinematography - all of it was just gorgeous! Such a beautiful film, in every conceivable way!!!

OH, I was so bouncing up and down on the way home last night LOL. You said it perfectly for me: Kate Bosworth grew on me. I mean, my whole crowd and I, we were just sort of like, errrr it's Kate BOSWORTH?! But she really grew into the part for me. I totally misted up at the end. And then there were a few parts throughout the movie where my whole theatre just cracked up! The almost 3 hours just flew by for me. We only had 1 showing in town at 10, so my group and I booked it over to the theatre around 9, and it sold out by the time it started.

Jen

Really? I got to my theatre at 8:30, there were 3 showings at 10pm (1 IMAX and 2 regular). They were all already sold out! The line was already WRAPPED AROUND THE MALL by 8:30! There were at least 150 people in line AHEAD of me, and by the time the doors opened to the theatre - well I couldn't even FIND the end of the line LOL! It was *great!* Just amazing! In the whole 2 1/2 hours, out of over 200 people, only ONE girl ever got out of her seat!!! Amazing!

Can't wait to go see it *again!*

Oh, you must live in one of those real cities. I didn't even know we were even having the 10pm viewing until one of my friends called me. I just assumed we were seeing it Wednesday night, as usual. The only real thing that kept my expectations low was Bosworth...I'm still talking about how she surprised me LOL. Other than that, I'm just a general fan of Superman. I grew up watching the movies, I've seen the original tv show, and of course our Lois & Clark. So from the start, I was completely ok with this movie not exactly being like any of the above. I'm just happy we're going to have another couple of movies! I looked around the theatre a couple of times, and I don't think anyone moved, except to seriously be on the edge of their seats haha.

Jen

hey! just got home from it myself, got off work at 9:30 and caught the 10:00 showing down the street (used the ticket in my lois and clark 3rd season for a freebie!)
ok all I can say is OMG! WAS THIS A GREAT MOVIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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I'm not a geek. I'm a level 75 dragoon!

Just got back from seeing it today and I loved it. I still can't picture Kate as Lois Lane not because she's young but because her Lois Lane still isn't that modern day woman in a man's world kind of person. Brandon was terrific as Clark Kent/Superman and you can really see the more personal side of Superman in this film especially when it comes to Lois.

i'm going to go see it today guys and did u find out about the kid yet ( i need spoiler moment ) lol

I'm going to be the dissenting voice here. While I thought it was good, it wasn't OMGTHATWASFREAKINGAWESEOME! The effects were good, the acting was good. But at one point, I'm sitting there thinking "I could probably fall asleep right now." I did like the nods to the original movie and the original series. But overall, nothing really got me excited, except for the jokes.

I really enjoyed the movie. I think most of the people who really strongly disliked it either had sky-high expectations (and some of them liked the movie, too) or are too set on one version of Supes.

Lois wasn't enough like LnC's Lois or Lex wasn't enough like Smallville's Lex or Superman wasn't a clone of Christopher Reeeve with all his memories up to 1978 artificially implanted. Some people were never going to be happy.

Of course, there are perfectly legitimate reasons for not liking the movie, too. Some stuff was cut out of the beginning that I was looking forward too, and I worry that left some things unexplained. And some people thought it was too long (I'm not one of them). But some people latch on to one aspect they don't like and can't like any of the movie for it. And, of course, some people just wanted a post-Crisis Supes and nothing else would do.

I admit it had it it's flaws, but a lot of people decided before it ever came out that it since it wasn't exactly what they envisioned, they weren't going to like it.

I don't blame anyone who's watched it and doesn't like it. I don't care if people don't want to see it. Just don't bash it without seeing it.

Saw it for the second time yesterday, and I'm going for a third either today or tomorrow! He just blows me away!

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You *will* walk out of this film believing that Jason is Superman's son. You'll also believe a man can fly! The last scenes are without a doubt, the best and most emotional parts of the whole film! The biggest revelation of all though, is Jason himself.

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Uh yeah saw it twice and plan to see it again at least 2 more times and once in IMAX because I am only 40 min from NYC.

Go see it, make your own judgments, and get ready for the ride of your life

PS: It grows on you the second time around...

~Lois Lane Wanna Be

Yep, I saw it for the second time tonight. I was actually supposed to see the Devil Wears Prada with some people, but it was sold out. So I said to myself, hmmm... :p It really was great the second time around. I was worried that the...newness of it would wear off, not that that's a word, but it was just as funny and the special effects were still great! And I'm used to Kate Bosworth now.

JD

WOW P H A T indeed the best movie i seen all year.
And yes like Lucy said he is a yumm factor indeed. and the ending WOW. i was crying and my husband was about to tear up to.

They have to make another part. love it need to go again.

Lex got him island that he wanted. lol lol

Supergem thank you cause at first i was worried that he wasn't with all the drugs he had. lol

I finally saw the movie (1st time) last night. I went into it pretty skeptical. I didn't know that I would like Lois Lane being a mommy and I wasn't sure I'd like Kate as Lois.

But, having said that, I loved it. It was very emotionally moving and it was very visually stimulating. I was on the edge of my seat from start to finish.

I will have to see it a couple more times. I'm sure I'll like it even better the 2nd time around because I'll catch more things that I missed the 1st time through.

So if you haven't seen it yet, go. You might enjoy it more than you thought. I know I did. And yes, as much as I love Dean as Superman and he's still by far my favorite Clark, Brandon did an awesome job.

I saw it just yesterday. I laughed, I cried, I squeed, and I melted when he said a certain name... *SWOON!!*

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)

Wow, I have to agree. As much as I bounce up and down about the movie, I'll always have a laundry list of things I'd fix. Granted, I didn't expect Clark Kent to take over the whole show, but seriously, the guy did like nothing! Although, weirdly enough, it did give me a better appreciation for Superman. I used to get caught up in the Clark Kent side of things to the point where I was like, Superman, who? But Clark still was kind of a useless role in this movie.

Yeah, there was something about James Marsden that was just...off. I liked his character's involvement in the movie; I just wanted to see somebody different in that role.

Not that IMDB is the news god, but they're already rumoring a sequel for 2009...

Jen

Congratulations to all you lucky Americans who've been able to see the movie already! It opens here in Sweden on July 28. <grumble> I was in London last week but just my luck; it opens there on July 14.

Anyway, hugely, seriously thanks to you guys who discuss the movie here. Personally I can't be too spoiled, so the more you give away, the better I like it. But I really, really like to hear your personal opinions, too.

All Superman fans have different things that they like or dislike about the Superman mythos, so we will obviously like or dislike different things about the new movie. I know already that I'm going to squirm and be uncomfortable during the Lex Luthor sequences, wishing I could just fast forward the film through these parts. On the other hand, I honestly think I'm going to love the Jason parts. Not because I generally get any sort of huge kick out of the presence of kids in movies, but because of what I know about this particular child. Uhh, I really wish we could do this without spoiler warnings, but....
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Okay, even though I haven't seen the movie, it appears certain that Jason is definitely Clark and Lois's child. I love that. I love the idea that they should have children. At the same time, weirdly enough, I'm totally uninterested in nextgen stories, where the focus is on the kid(s). (Okay, there is the odd gem of a story, such as Snave's Cherub and a lovely story from about last Christmas about a man falling in love with Superman's grown daughter.) Generally, though, I'm adamant that the focus should be on Lois and Clark themselves, but I love the idea that they should have children.

I have to admit to you that what I like best about the movie so far, now that I still haven't seen it, it that it does indeed give Lois and Clark a child. Honestly, people, I didn't dare hope that that would ever "officially" happen. Interestingly, it was another movie, "Superman II" that made it clear that Lois and Clark had made love at least once. At that time, I hadn't dared hope that that would ever "officially" happen. But to me, "Superman II" was also a terrible heartbreaker because it said that Superman and Lois could never make love again, unless Superman gave up his powers.

Now, it seems clear that "Superman Returns" is a continuation of "Superman the Movie" and "Superman II", and that Jason is the love child that was born out of Clark and Lois's lovemaking in the second movie. This, of course, leaves us with a host of questions. Has Lois really, truly forgotten about making love to Clark in "Superman II"? (Yes, she might well have, seeing that Clark gave her amnesia in that movie.) But when it becomes clear to her that Jason is indeed Superman's son, what is she going to say to him? And what it he going to say to her? And is there a chance for them as a couple, or is it still going to be impossible for him to make love to her as Superman? And what about Richard, who is the man that Jason considers his Dad? And what is Luthor going to do, now that he has apparently figured out who Jason is?

So many of these questions can only be answered by the sequel to "Superman Returns", of course. But, people, what do you think? Any thoughts?

Something else occurred to me. FoLCs, suppose you were allowed to write the script for the sequel. What would happen in it? Care to share? I'd really, really like to hear your thoughts on that one!!!!

Ann

LOVED it. Love. Love, love, love, love, lovvvve. So many thoughts, so many reasons, so few fingers, so little time... but here goes...

The little things, first of all, that just make me want to mow Brian Singer’s lawn every weekend, no charge: When Clark’s glasses fell off as he and Lois are picking up her stuff. The look he had, fleeting, when his face was bare and he really wanted her to look up, to notice, to see. Gah! That was just... thank you for that.

The great, great, great wink to Action Comics cover #1 with Supes holding the car overhead. For that, I’d mow the lawn and pull the weeds. Really.

Cheesy 1970s opening credits just like the original movie. See? I was happy before it started.

Clark and Jimmy in the bar. The look that crosses CK’s face when he hears about the shuttle and he knows he’s going to have to go, to make his first appearance since his return. Again, small, subtle, but telling.

Jason looking at Supes on the television screen, then back at CK right next to him, back to Supes, back to CK, and reaching for his inhaler. Lawn, weeds, hedges.

Jimmy telling CK how/why Lex Luthor got out of prison. “How pissed off do you think that makes Superman?” And Clark’s quiet, deadpan, “A lot.”

Incidentally, I do know there are some people in the world who aren’t madly in love with Superman and his universe. I’m talking about the weird ones who live oblivious-- or worse still, not especially caring-- about the comics, television, novels, movies, and fanfic. I met one the day the movie opened, in fact. She looked at my Supes t-shirt, (I was geeked up and ready) and said, “Hey, I think maybe they’re making a movie about Superman.”

Um. Yes.

The big things. Ones that even those who don’t adore Superman would find worth seeing:

The flying! So much. So great. So zoomy. Especially love all the Superman hanging in space images. (I want that poster!) Looking down on the earth, separate and “not of it,” as Jor-el keeps reminding him. But watching over it-- listening to and filtering through for cries for help. Summed up his essential loneliness and his goodness. And I like that he took Lois up, telling her what he hears-- people wanting to be saved, even if the world doesn’t need a savior.

The whole Savior/Does the world need Superman? theme. Just dark and thoughtful enough to give the movie emotional weight. My favorite scene is the plummet back to earth after he’s pushed ‘Krypton’ back into space. The not-at-all subtle Christ-imagery, and then the long, soundless fall—people below helpless to do anything but watch. The hero fallen, literally. Just... love.

Lex Luthor: Yes, yes, yes to Kevin Spacey. The right amount of dark and funny with pure crazy simmering underneath.

Lois Lane: Hmmm. The age thing was a bit distracting. I would have liked to have seen her fight back against Bruno, too. But, on the whole, I found her appealing and believable, and especially liked her windblown look when she comes down from her flight with Supes. “Have you been smoking?” Also, I thought their chemistry was just right.

Superman/Clark Kent/Brandon Routh: Dead on the money!! More than I ever hoped for. Not a false note from him. I want to... marry him, actually. And, you know, he is so perfectly Superman to me, that now... Dean Cain in the suit... looks kind of like... Dean Cain in the suit. Not like Superman.

I know. (But it’s true!) And in that regard, I am over Tom Welling. We will no longer be seeing each other.

At the risk of this turning into a rhapsody on Superman, I’ll just toss in a few things that bugged. I didn’t like that Jason killed, however accidentally, the thug holding them. Since that’s anathema to Supes, it bothered me that his child had done what the father never would.

I get Lois figuring out paternity at that very moment, but... I would just expect her mind to be blown. She doesn’t remember their lovemaking, right? That was erased by the magic kiss of amnesia. So, how does she realize this and not just... demand a million billion explanations??

I found the scene where Superman was being beaten-up riveting/excruciating. It hurt to watch. But then, I guess that goes in the plus column.

I wish the beginning of the book had been included in the movie. I see why it wasn’t, but I missed it. I thought the Smallville scene was too choppy without it.

Last Thing. The father-son speech. Superman in Jason’s room, choked with emotion, ‘you’re not alone, the father becomes the son and the son the father, etc.’ That? Just killed.

We’ve certainly entered uncharted territory-- and there isn’t much of that since Superman is 70 years old. Superman is a Dad. And I have mixed feelings about it. The reason I adore Nan’s Home series is because she surrounds Clark with this huge, extended family. He is no longer the Only; and the idea of him having a real biological tie to the planet feels right. However, I don’t know that I’m ready for the Super Adventures of Jason, you know? And all the would go with that...

Where is an amnesia kiss when you need one?

CC