Superman Returns

Though once again plagued by an overlong running time, Superman Returns is nevertheless the most effective and flat-out entertaining installment in this ongoing series. Director Bryan Singer captures the feel of Richard Donner’s original without sacrificing his own distinctive sense of style, while star Brandon Routh does a nice job of stepping into Christopher Reeve’s iconic shoes. The story revolves around Superman’s return to Earth after a five-year stint exploring the ruins of Krypton, during which time Lois (Kate Bosworth) has given birth to a son and gotten engaged to a coworker. Lex Luthor (Kevin Spacey), meanwhile, has been using the time to concoct his most diabolical scheme yet (involving, of course, the acquisition of land). Thanks to the various advances in computer-generated imagery, Superman Returns finally places the Man of Steel in an appropriately impressive context (ie we finally do believe a man can fly). Singer, along with screenwriters Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris, infuses the movie with just the right balance of action and drama, peppering the storyline with the sort of larger-than-life set-pieces viewers have come to expect from these films. But as engaging as much of Superman Returns is, the inclusion of several needless or overlong sequences (ie did we really need another Superman/Lois nighttime flight?) ultimately prevents it from becoming the riveting superhero flick one might’ve hoped for. That being said, Routh delivers a surprisingly solid performance, while Spacey wisely avoids the temptation to channel Gene Hackman’s flamboyant take on Lex and instead transforms the character into a far more evil and psychotic figure. (Luthor’s penchant for absurd wigs remains, however.) In the end, Superman Returns is a solid piece of summer entertainment – which is fine, certainly, but it’s hard not to wish the film had lived up to its promise.

*** out of ****

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