I didn't really enjoy Superman Returns. The plane/shuttle sequence was great, but aside from that there isn't anything that makes me want to see this again. I hated the super kid. That was absolutely terrible. Spacey looks as bored on screen as i did sitting in the theater with a numb butt.

Popcorn was good though.

C+

Regarding the whole "Truth, justice," thing . . .

The line was invented by the radio show in the 1940's, as WWII was ending. Superman, at that point in time, was a proponent of social causes in the United States. The "American way" spoken of was in reference to fighting against racism, poverty, and religious intolerance. It was made by Americans for Americans. That was then, this is now. Superman is a world icon, not simply an American one. He is a champion of Earth, not just one country in it. Superman combats evil in all forms and is a proponent of good in all forms, not just American versions. "Truth, justice, and the American way" no longer applies. It is too limited a view on who Superman is and what he does. Superman no longer asks people to buy war bonds and "slap a Jap" or "clout a Kraut". He isn't political. His home is America, but his backyard is the world. "Truth, justice, and the humanitarian way" would be more apt slogan, but that's a mouthful, so I'll take "all that stuff."

Could not agree more!

Esp good movies!

About the American way thing, I think I saw in some trivia section at imdb that some parts of the movie was filmed in Australia and another director for this movie quit because he didn't want the movie filmed in another country.

I've just seen the original, and I did not particularly enjoy the film's first third being devoted to Planet Krypton and Jor-El, Brando's character. It's a freakin' sci-fi picture for the first 40 minutes, not an action-adventure! The film only really picks up speed after Superman's "date" with Lois. I was not particularly convinced by Gene Hackman as a villain either, he just seemed to want to crack jokes all the time. Superman Returns, IMHO, is a far superior film, and it's not just for it's flashy CGI or prettier photography either.

But I do love, having now seen the original, all the homages Superman Returns pays to the original. The intergalactic credits, the safest way to travel (statistically speaking), Perry White ordering his staff to cover everything about Superman, the Lois Lane shouldn't be smoking, and especially Brandon Routh's speech.

Well said!

And Robo, I see Fox because someone who posts on DVDTalk that I happen to live with has it on at least one TV in the house at all times. I'm not namin' names or nothing...

I liked the first half of this movie much better than the second half.

Having Lex go steal the Krypton crystals from the fortress was a good idea but the crystal continent thing was just stupid. I would have rather seen Lex steal the crystals soon after Superman's initial departure and use them to build some kryptonian weaponry over the years that Superman was gone. That way they could have had a challenging and action packed fight for Superman without resorting to kryptonite.

But then again I guess a huge fight between Superman and an army of alien machinery might have been too much for the special effects budget.

You mean, for example, a fight between Superman and a giant Kryptonian robot spider?

Nah. Was the spider thing done in one of the other Superman movies? It's been awhile since I have seen Superman 2, 3, and 4.

I was thinking more along the lines of the type of machinery that Superman fights in the animated series and Justice league when aliens are involved.

I'd love it if they did a Superman movie with Darkseid being the villain.

Just got back from watching the movie but i have to say it wasnt good for one reason only

Spoiler:

Superman's kid...... he should have a kid.... oh man... why!!??!?!?

people left not saying anything

c+

Or more accurately, McG quit the movie because the studio decided to film it in Australia (it's cheaper) and he's afraid to fly. If they chose Canada or Mexico I don't think he would have had an issue filming in another country. Movies do it all the time.

Lex was in PRISON. When he got out he had to rebuild his "empire" by diddling the widow(1950's Lois ). This way he could take her money. Once he had the money his plan went into play. Those grand plans take time and large sums of cash to get going donchaknow.

Plus, the Kryptonian Crystal thing tied in rather nicely in with Superman I and II. Remember, Lex was obsessed with having Real Estae in both movies. In Superman, he tried to destroy California to make new beach front property and in Superman II part of his deal with Zod was getting his own country(Australia) for giving up the son of Jor-El.

Suuuure, rub it in you lucky bastid. Just so you know, I don't watch FOX either. But I would if I had your setup.

I'll put it this way.

I love Superman, I was impressed with Routh and the action. However, the certain "twist" that we are all talking about, well, it left me and others pissed off. I have never been in a cinema when people boo'ed, but when a certain incident happened on a certain boat, I heard boo'in and two people scream "HOW FUCKING RETARDED". This is no joke. There are certain things you can do to characters to move their story along and there are certain things you can't...Singer and his writers done one of the things that you can't. And not only did he do that, but he tied himself to the Donner prequels so much that it created plotholes that shouldn't exist.

To put simply, I think Singer was blinded by his love for the original Donner and in the process he lost sight of what the film should of been about. It should of been about Superman's return, not the return of the modern Donner film, because let's face it, Superman Returns was just a more modern remake of Donner's original film, with a "twist" added. Nothing more.

I thought it was booooooooring.

I'd have liked to see the Kevin Smith 'Doomsday' plot instead.

The Lex Luthor plot was terrible.

= J

Brett Ratner was there?

Seriously, I've seen the movie twice. There was cheers/clapping during that scene at BOTH showings. My best friend is a huge comic fan and he said he was fine with the twist. Granted he wasn't jumping up and down all excited about it... but he was okay with it.

Me too!! I've seen it twice with packed houses and both times there were cheers and claps and a great audience response. It makes it even harder to reconcile all the hate for the movie online with the great audience reactions I have seen. It's like folks are talking about a whole different movie or something; it is strange.

But the imdb trivia states this:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0348150/trivia

Maybe this was the less-embarrassing excuse he used.

McG has an aversion to flying over open water. He can handle short flights with some pills, but he refuses to cross any ocean via airplane. He wanted to keep the movie in North America primarily for this reason, but prettied it up by saying that Superman is an American icon and should be filmed in America. The studio didn't buy it.

Movies and television series are filmed outside the U.S. all the time because it is cheaper. It doesn't make them unpatriotic. The studios making the money and employing people are still based here.

Same scenario with me. Guys wearing their old Superman T-Shirts, whistling the theme music in the bathroom etc..

I would think the internet crowd that followed the developments of this project would be even more grateful considering what it could've been.

Would that the one that has Superman fighting Polar Bears and Brainiac's sidekick is a gay, black robot dog? Well, to each their own I guess...

I think it's a case of people projecting their thoughts on the movie to the audience they saw it with. Anywhoo, just saw it again today and I'm still luvin' it.

Don't forget about the best homage of all, which was a nearly frame-by-frame reproduction of Chris Reeves' flying-around-the-earth-toward-the-sun-with-a-little--at-the-end scene. That was absolutely classic.

Though I still remain lukewarm about SUPERMAN RETURNS until I see it again, some family members have just seen it on Saturday and that their audience also seemed to love it.

It's funny...you look at some of the rave reviews and they are positively ecstactic, like the ones from TIME, VARIETY and NEWSWEEK. These critics pick up on the parental and alienation themes, and applaud Singer for doing something more with the superhero genre than action, fight scenes, and more action.

On the other hand, the mediocre reviews seem to overlook Singer's creative aspirations and see it as nothing more than a popcorn movie.

SUPERMAN RETURNS may become one of those movies like THE GODFATHER PART III or TITANIC or HULK where you either love it wholly or hate it entirely.