toddly6666
Civilian
- Joined
- Sep 27, 2005
- Messages
- 545
- Reaction score
- 0
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- 11
Here's a great review of Superman Returns at DVDtimes.co.uk. It's the most honest review of the film.
I must begin this review with a clear statement. I have never before seen a film from the Superman franchise, nor read any of the comic books upon which it is based. My only interaction with the Man of Steel was the fairly enjoyable romp that was the "new adventures" TV series that was shown during the '90s. So, I hope to bring an element of objectivity to a film series which has produced millions of hysterical, devoted followers and assorted fanboys essentially rendering most reviews overwhelmingly subjective and devoid of any real cinematic criticism.
As a result, perhaps it is no surprise to some that I can honestly say, hand on heart, that I fail to see the merits of Superman Returns. It is a shallow, emotionally vacuous film which I am amazed cost so much money (if you believe some reports, this is the most expensive film made to date). In actual fact, this was a painful viewing experience for this reviewer after toiling through over two hours of non-existent plot and woeful dialogue, uncomfortably wrapped up in a ridiculous veneer of caricature and mindless melodrama. Even the likes of Kevin Spacey, and not to mention the usually dependable director Bryan Singer (whose debut film The Usual Suspects is one of my favourite films from the past fifteen years), are unable to elevate the return of Superman into anything remotely super.
Things start to go wrong right from the start as the bizarrely underwritten plot involves the return of Superman (played here for the first time by newcomer Brandon Routh) and his continuing fight against the all-round nasty piece of work that is Lex Luthor (Spacey). Along the way there is an alarming absence of action or energy, which is downright bizarre considering its bombastic origins, and the film tries in vain to make a poignant statement about the role of responsibility and power in today's terrorised world. It doesn't take a genius to realise that the script is trying to be a "clever" metaphor about the modern war on terror, and our need for a hero, but the handling of the material is just so damn tedious and overtly putrid that any intelligence is immediately destroyed.
Of course, the filmmakers must take the easy option and portray Luthor as a crazed megalomaniac who is Completely Evil without offering any justification or insight into the character. Similarly, Superman is clearly the all-American hero who is struggling to rekindle his relationship with Lois, who painfully goes through the motions as she is torn between her husband, her child, her Pulitzer Prize-winning career and her feelings for a grown man in a blue suit and red cape. I could understand the appeal of such a film if it was handled in a manner best described as tongue-in-cheek, but Superman Returns is executed with such a dour-faced seriousness that you can't help but wonder if Bryan Singer honestly believes such a scenario is realistic. Things arent helped by tired performances from good actors who are going through the motions for the paycheque and the related publicity; in particular, Spacey should be chided for phoning in a performance that could, at best, have elevated the film if he'd chewed up scenery after realising how ludicrous the whole film really was.
I find it hard to add anything more to this review because the film offers so little. There is no compelling story or controversial element to discuss, only melodrama to bore. Granted, the film looks gorgeous and the digital photography never cheapens the visuals it does in fact add a fair bit of texture and colour to an otherwise turgid experience. Similarly, one of the film's only (and very brief) action set-pieces involving a flaming, and indeed flailing, jet is well staged and vaguely exciting.
I finished watching the film thinking how painful and empty it was. No element sticks in your mind apart from a handful of beautiful shots that might look good in the trailer but ultimately cannot add a single thing to a film so devoid of a central structure or anything vaguely resembling a pulse. It's a ridiculously-expensive screen test for Routh (who is no doubt a competent actor if given a half-decent script) and an impressive demonstration of the film's digital cameras. Perhaps the inevitable sequel will be the real deal, but this reviewer thinks it's incredibly unlikely given the creative choices made by the franchise's new producers.
Movie: 3 out of 10
I must begin this review with a clear statement. I have never before seen a film from the Superman franchise, nor read any of the comic books upon which it is based. My only interaction with the Man of Steel was the fairly enjoyable romp that was the "new adventures" TV series that was shown during the '90s. So, I hope to bring an element of objectivity to a film series which has produced millions of hysterical, devoted followers and assorted fanboys essentially rendering most reviews overwhelmingly subjective and devoid of any real cinematic criticism.
As a result, perhaps it is no surprise to some that I can honestly say, hand on heart, that I fail to see the merits of Superman Returns. It is a shallow, emotionally vacuous film which I am amazed cost so much money (if you believe some reports, this is the most expensive film made to date). In actual fact, this was a painful viewing experience for this reviewer after toiling through over two hours of non-existent plot and woeful dialogue, uncomfortably wrapped up in a ridiculous veneer of caricature and mindless melodrama. Even the likes of Kevin Spacey, and not to mention the usually dependable director Bryan Singer (whose debut film The Usual Suspects is one of my favourite films from the past fifteen years), are unable to elevate the return of Superman into anything remotely super.
Things start to go wrong right from the start as the bizarrely underwritten plot involves the return of Superman (played here for the first time by newcomer Brandon Routh) and his continuing fight against the all-round nasty piece of work that is Lex Luthor (Spacey). Along the way there is an alarming absence of action or energy, which is downright bizarre considering its bombastic origins, and the film tries in vain to make a poignant statement about the role of responsibility and power in today's terrorised world. It doesn't take a genius to realise that the script is trying to be a "clever" metaphor about the modern war on terror, and our need for a hero, but the handling of the material is just so damn tedious and overtly putrid that any intelligence is immediately destroyed.
Of course, the filmmakers must take the easy option and portray Luthor as a crazed megalomaniac who is Completely Evil without offering any justification or insight into the character. Similarly, Superman is clearly the all-American hero who is struggling to rekindle his relationship with Lois, who painfully goes through the motions as she is torn between her husband, her child, her Pulitzer Prize-winning career and her feelings for a grown man in a blue suit and red cape. I could understand the appeal of such a film if it was handled in a manner best described as tongue-in-cheek, but Superman Returns is executed with such a dour-faced seriousness that you can't help but wonder if Bryan Singer honestly believes such a scenario is realistic. Things arent helped by tired performances from good actors who are going through the motions for the paycheque and the related publicity; in particular, Spacey should be chided for phoning in a performance that could, at best, have elevated the film if he'd chewed up scenery after realising how ludicrous the whole film really was.
I find it hard to add anything more to this review because the film offers so little. There is no compelling story or controversial element to discuss, only melodrama to bore. Granted, the film looks gorgeous and the digital photography never cheapens the visuals it does in fact add a fair bit of texture and colour to an otherwise turgid experience. Similarly, one of the film's only (and very brief) action set-pieces involving a flaming, and indeed flailing, jet is well staged and vaguely exciting.
I finished watching the film thinking how painful and empty it was. No element sticks in your mind apart from a handful of beautiful shots that might look good in the trailer but ultimately cannot add a single thing to a film so devoid of a central structure or anything vaguely resembling a pulse. It's a ridiculously-expensive screen test for Routh (who is no doubt a competent actor if given a half-decent script) and an impressive demonstration of the film's digital cameras. Perhaps the inevitable sequel will be the real deal, but this reviewer thinks it's incredibly unlikely given the creative choices made by the franchise's new producers.
Movie: 3 out of 10
