Superman Returns

The beginning of this film uses the familiar theme composed by John Williams for the 1978 Richard Donner Superman film, which tells us that the director this time around, Bryan Singer, is not interested in reinventing Superman, just continuing the story. And I admit, that theme gets the blood pumping. Unfortunately, that may have been the high point of the movie for me.

Superman Returns suffers from too much angst. Now, superhero movies can have lots of angst. Spider-Man and Batman are two of the most neurotic heroes in movies today. But there has to be an element of fun and wonder, and this film lacked that. The action sequences, especially one where Superman rescues a plane, are well done, but what is in between--the pining for Lois Lane, the Superman-as-saviour metaphors, and Lex Luthor's not very well thought out evil plot, weigh his film down like an anchor.

Brandon Routh, who seems to have been selected for his resemblance to Christopher Reeve, is charmless. Kate Bosworth is fine as Lois Lane, but is too youthful looking to play a celebrated journalist who is five years older than the last time we saw her. I liked the colors and movement, but this film just drags in spots.