More Superman...

I am still into Superman. Sorry, I can’t help it. The Superman effects haven’t worn off yet. Therefore, I’d like to share this article written by Michael A. Fredericks. I am in complete agreement with him.

SUPERMAN wears his underwear outside. It’s red. He only has to put on his glasses to assume his alter-ego. He’s also a tad too righteous. It all seems ludicrous.

And with today’s cinemagoers having developed a taste for the now commonplace silverscreen superheroes, who carry out their heroic deeds - swinging through an urban jungle with organic webbing, firing powerful "optic blasts" from their eyes, stretching body parts to unbelievable lengths, and growing humongous and green when angry – in super-stylish fashion without breaking a sweat, the idea that is Superman seems…old.

But Bryan Singer seems to know that it doesn’t matter; it works if it’s Superman. In fact, it could only work if it’s Superman; the man in the blue tights and red cape will remain relevant regardless of the idealistic image and retro flaws.

(To wit, imagine an X-Men team with their undies outside; or a Hulk that’s too righteous; or a Spider-Man who merely has to put on his specs to go incognito.)

One could even posit that reinventing Supes could prove to be detrimental. Which is why Singer’s take on the mythology of the Man of Steel, although different in the sense that it’s less campy comic-bookish fun than the Reeve movies, also seems strangely familiar [TOTALLY agree with this one].

It doesn’t take us long to realise that Singer isn’t going to reimagine things the way Batman Begins did, that he’s going to build things on his film’s predecessors [Gave me goose bumps here. The similarity is so overwhelming].

As Superman Returns opens, we hear the voice of the late Marlon Brando, as superdad Jor-El, spouting much gibberish, exactly like he did then. John Williams’ original music score then begins to swell, complementing the opening credits, the lettering of which duplicates that of its predecessors.

With that blast-from-the-past intro, the story begins in earnest. We learn that Superman (Routh) has been away for a while – five years, to be exact – to look for the remains of his home planet, after he fought off three supervillains and got to do the horizontal mambo with Lois Lane [I remember this so well. The supervillains were from his home planet. His dad Jor-El imprisoned them in a glass but when the glass broke, they managed to escape. I also remember Superman getting all cozy and intimate with Lois Lane. They shared a bed for goodness sake after he sacrificed his super powers coz he was hooked on Lois Lane. Way cool..!!].

Yes, the story here takes place after the events of Superman II, which says something about what Singer thinks about the third and fourth instalments [Can’t wait for the sequels].

Superman/Clark Kent realises soon enough that the world, as well as the Daily Planet, kept spinning in his absence, and people have moved on. He has probably never felt more alien in his life.

Lois (Bosworth) is now engaged to Richard (Marsden, who seems to like playing characters where his lover is in love with some other more-manly guy), the nephew of Daily Planet editor Perry White (Langella), and to add insult to injury, they have a FIVE-YEAR-OLD son (Lake Leabu). She’s also written a Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial called “Why the World Doesn’t Need Superman”, we suspect out of frustration and anger.

Meanwhile, Lex Luthor (Spacey), now out of prison, has just landed himself a whole load of cash – more than enough to pay for a trip to his nemesis’ hideout, the Fortress of Solitude, to pilfer the crystals our hero left behind. Needless to say, Luthor, the Greatest Criminal Mind Of All Time, has plans - something to do with real-estate built on Kryptonite landmass - to make a major comeback [I think Spacey makes the perfect Lex Luthor. He is menacing and evil, but with style].

Likewise for Superman, who sets out to reclaim his place in the puny planet that is his adopted world.

First thing he does to that effect is save Lois from getting killed in a plane crash, which really is an excuse to showcase the CGI here. It’s an amazing cinematic moment that is stunning visually, vicariously. As the people onscreen applaud his return, we are compelled to do so too [I love the CGI effects here. They were way cool. It made me cringe in my seat. And when Superman opened the door to ask if everybody was alright, I felt like standing up and telling him that I was fine. See, sampai macam tu sekali. Hehehe..]

But if you think this one’s going to be merely about the action and special effects – which puts a gleam on the whole Superman franchise – think again. Superman Returns strives to provide more, and does so by being character-driven.

The film spends a lot of time on the love story between Lois and Superman, expanding it with the inclusion of Richard, who’s really a swell guy (he flies, too, but by more conventional means). Like the Spider-Man movies, it gets the emotional aspect right [Very affected with the emotional aspects here. What to do. I’m a woman. And women can relate better in those sort of things compared to men].

It helps, of course, that both Routh and Bosworth fit in their respective roles, and look good together [Very good. I love it when Lois Lane stood on Superman’s toes and suddenly they were already in the air. Superb, I tell you. Now that’s what I call romance in the air].

Routh, with his angular jaw, pronounced eyebrows, and imposing six-two-and-a-half frame, is a wise choice to take up the mantle left behind by a great man. Looking like a metrosexual update who poses in midair frequently, he’ll never fill Reeve’s big red boots - nobody will - but you wouldn’t go into fits if you’re a Superman devotee (something which the casting of Nicolas Cage would have provoked) [Completely agree with Fredericks here. He will never fill in Reeves’ boots. But I don’t think there’s anyone else better than to carry the legacy than Brandon Routh. He is just so perfect for the role. I did hear that Cage was supposed to be Superman. Man, am I glad that he’s not doing it. He is SO NOT perfect for the role. He’s got no hair – no offense there – and his face is just not right for the role. Luckily he wasn’t casted as Superman or else that’d be a betrayal to the Superman legacy].

In super mode, Routh channels a reflective, brooding (super) person; we feel his longing for something/someone. As mild-mannered Clark Kent, he is sufficiently clumsy, though not nearly as comfortable as Reeve was in the comedic characteristics he brought to the role.

The difference between Bosworth and Margot Kidder, who played Lois Lane in the previous movies, is even more prominent. Bosworth as Superman’s one-time lover is all poise, though she keeps a worried look on her face throughout. She, like Routh, looks younger than her predecessor was, but feels more adult and serious in the role.

Spacey comes closest in chanelling his predecessor, Gene Hackman, although he tones down the monologues, and is less winky, coming across more bitter, vengeful, and menacing.

Similarly, the supporting cast all fit in their respective roles, especially Parker Posey whose deadpan delivery as Kitty steals the show several times.

At 157 minutes, Superman Returns may seem a tad too long, but I can assure you, it would hardly register. While I wouldn’t call this one a great movie, it is more than satisfying and enjoyable (with humour strewn throughout), nicely laying out the foundation for future adventures of comicdom’s most iconic son [Let me repeat. I can’t wait for the sequels. In fact, I’m looking forward to them].

And the best thing about it? It would make you go all nostalgic. As cynical and perceptive a cinemagoer as you may be now, you wouldn’t mind the red underwear, the spectacles, or the overly righteous behaviour. In fact, you’d embrace it [Very true. Very true indeed].

He has returned, he has really returned.