SUPERMAN RETURNS

Nineteen years, several scripts and a handful of directors later, the Man of Steel has made is resurgence in Bryan Singer’s SUPERMAN RETURNS. The latest Superman installment picks up five years after SUPERMAN: THE QUEST FOR PEACE, as Superman, aka Clark Kent, has returned from a half-decade hiatus following his abrupt departure after learning of Krypton’s destruction. He returns to Metropolis, but much to his surprise and dismay finds Lois Lane with a child, a steady boyfriend and a Pulitzer prize from her editorial titled, “Why We Don’t Need Superman”. Oh yeah, and there’s the little matter of Lex Luthor and his latest diabolical scheme.

Superman has indeed returned, reviving, rehashing and reinventing comic book’s most storied hero. In spite of some questionable casting choices, and a half-baked replay of Superman’s childhood/self-discovery period, director Bryan Singer stirs up enough imaginative and gripping moments to make SUPERMAN RETURNS soar. An underdeveloped, but still slow start threatens to dismantle the newest installment, but Singer adds some nice touches, from Superman’s updated x-ray vision to his and Lois’ descent upon Metropolis, and benefits from an ideal performance from Christopher Reeves successor Brandon Routh. Routh, in his big screen debut, proves to be the ideal choice for the Man of Steel and the odd-ball reporter. His Kent, much like Reeves, is lovable, clumsy and wise, but apprehensive in his romantic interludes with Lois Lane. As Superman, it’s all image, and Routh delivers an iconic figure who’s confident, charismatic and comedic at just the right moments. Spacey is deliciously devilish as Luthor, while Kate Bosworth is surprisingly miscast as the head-strong Lane. SUPERMAN RETURNS takes off rather sluggishly, but surges with a uniformly strong cast, and well-written climatic moments.

Grade: B