Superman Returns wants to be the beginning of a new era for the character. It is not. Director Bryan Singer returns to the cape-and-cowboy-boots formula he established in Superman Returns, but the movie can’t shake the feeling that it’s playing catch-up to a franchise that stopped moving years ago. The result is a technically proficient, visually ambitious film that never quite finds its footing.
The story picks up after Superman abandoned Earth to save a dying planet. He returns to find Lois Lane (Kate Winslet) engaged to a senator, his adopted son Clark Kent (Brandon Routh) grown up, and a new villain named Lex Luthor (Kevin Spacey) building a machine that threatens the planet. The setup is simple, almost too simple, and the film spends its first act establishing the stakes without giving us much reason to care about them. The audience is introduced to the senator and the creature early on, but neither gets developed enough to carry the weight of the story.
Trailer, via YouTube Movies.
Brandon Routh as Clark Kent
Routh is a handsome man, but he lacks the charisma that made Christopher Reeve a star. His Clark is stiff and unassuming, a man who carries the weight of the world without ever letting it show on his face. The film tries to humanize him by having him struggle with his identity, but the effort feels forced. The romance with Lois is similarly underwritten; the chemistry between the leads is there, but it’s buried beneath a script that treats their relationship as a plot device rather than a character-driven thread.
Spacey is the highlight of the cast. His Luthor is a pale imitation of the original, but he brings a sneering intelligence to the role that elevates the material. The villain’s plan is convoluted and poorly explained, but Spacey sells it with a performance that’s pure fun. The rest of the cast, including James Marsden as Jimmy Olsen and Parker Posey as a tabloid reporter, are competent but forgettable. They’re doing their jobs, but they’re not doing much else.
Kate Winslet and the Lois Lane Problem
Winslet is a revelation. She brings a warmth and vulnerability to Lois that previous versions of the character lacked, and her scenes with Routh crackle with tension. But the film doesn’t know what to do with her. Lois is supposed to be the anchor of the story, the person who grounds Superman in reality, but the script keeps pushing her toward a romance with the senator that feels like a setup for a sequel that never happened. By the end of the film, her arc is unresolved, and the movie leaves her hanging in a way that feels disrespectful to the character.
The Visual Style
The visual effects are stunning. Singer and cinematographer Newton Thomas Sigel create a world that’s both familiar and strange, with Superman soaring over cities and planets that feel genuinely alien. The action sequences are well-choreographed, and the film’s climax, a battle between Superman and Luthor’s creature, is a technical marvel. But the style often overwhelms the substance. The film is so busy with its visuals that it loses sight of the story underneath.
The Plot Problems
The plot is the film’s biggest weakness. The villain’s scheme is a convoluted mess involving a planet-eating creature and a machine that can harness its power. It’s explained in a way that’s deliberately vague, and the film expects the audience to accept it without question. The stakes are high, but the execution is weak. There’s a moment near the end where Superman has to make a decision that feels arbitrary, and the film doesn’t earn it. The audience is left wondering why the hero chose what he did.
The film also struggles with its tone. It wants to be a family-friendly adventure, but it keeps dipping into darkness. The villain’s schemes are cruel, and the film doesn’t flinch from showing the consequences of his actions. This tonal instability makes the film feel unfocused. It’s never clear whether we’re meant to be scared or amused, and that ambiguity saps the emotional weight out of the final act.
The Soundtrack
Hans Zimmer’s score is a mixed bag. It’s bombastic and memorable, but it often drowns out the dialogue. The film’s use of music is excessive, and it’s hard to hear what anyone is saying during the climactic battle. The songs are forgettable, and they add little to the story beyond padding the runtime.
The Ending
The film ends with Superman dead. He sacrifices himself to stop Luthor’s machine, and the final shot shows the world mourning him. It’s a bold move, but it feels like a cop-out. The film sets up a future that will never arrive, and that’s a disservice to the audience.
| Element | Strengths | Weaknesses |
|---|---|---|
| Acting | Spacey is excellent, Winslet is compelling | Routh is stiff, the supporting cast is underused |
| Story | Simple premise, clear stakes | Overly complicated villain, underdeveloped arcs |
| Visuals | Stunning, ambitious | Often overwhelming, distracting from the story |
| Tone | Ambitious, trying to be everything | Unfocused, tonally inconsistent |
The Verdict
Superman Returns is a flawed but entertaining film. It’s visually impressive, with a strong performance from Spacey and a solid lead from Winslet. But the plot is weak, the tone is inconsistent, and the film’s ending is a letdown. It’s a movie that’s better than its reputation suggests, but it’s not the revival the franchise needed.
7.2 of 10.
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