Superman Returns

Bloated Action Pic For Devotees Only, 17 August 2006

Author: gary-444 from United Kingdom


Firstly, my credentials. I enjoy an action pic along with the best of them. X men 3, XXX, etc, I can lie back and just enjoy them.Also, I am a huge Singer fan. but this is a messy, overlong, overbudgetted juggernaut that needed the studio to say; "sometimes Bryan, less is more." Undoubtedly there is a pretty good film in here. Brandon Routh is faithful to the Superman legend and pays homage to the Reeve legacy well. Kate Bosworth plays a straight, if distinctly unsexy Lois Lane, whilst Kevin Spacey steals every scene he is in as a brilliant Lex Luther. Oh, and also have fun looking out for a cameo performance by Sir Richard Branson "in flight".

So what's wrong? The simple plot is overlong and about an hour "fat". Singer is brilliant at dramatic tension and layered plot, as is evidenced by "The Usual Suspects".Here, he replaces plot and narrative with special effects and set pieces. The tightness and pace of the brilliant "X men 3" is missing, resulting in long tracts which are, quite frankly ,boring.

Afficianados of the Superman genre will feel well sated.Children will lose interest. The curious will find other more worthy projects for their attention in other films.