Heck with it. If you haven’t seen it by now, you just ain’t trying.
Reviews: My general feeling walking out of the theater was this. Solid reviews from Mary Ann, Peter, and Bob. The best one liners comments are by Ken Levine:
Maybe the world didn’t miss Superman for the five years he was gone because we have Jack Bauer.
Brandon Routh makes Dean Cain look edgy.
George Reeves is the Sean Connery of Supermen.
Director Bryan Singer said there was an in-depth discussion during pre-production on the size of the hero’s “package”. My question to Mr. Singer: On this movie or all your movies? And the pilot of HOUSE?
The most exciting five minutes of the night was the SPIDERMAN 3 trailer.
Which, come to think of it, was what Mike Gold said.
Now for the problems.
Kate Bosworth and Parker Posey should have switched roles. Bosworth just didn’t have the moxie to pull off Lois Lane, let alone the age to have a 5 year old and a career as far along as she did. Posey could have done that role and everybody would have bought it. Of course, putting in the pretty young thing as Lex’s arm candy would have obviously shown that it’s really Miss Teschmacher. Or her kid sister. But Peter David would have been happy.
Supes was gone for five years, without explanation? Uh-uh. Nope. Sorry. Remember that speech to E.G. Marshall at the end of SUPERMAN II? “Good afternoon, Mr. President. Sorry I’ve been away so long. I won’t let you down again.” And then he leaves for half a decade. And during that time, what’s happened in America and the world? Or Lois, and everybody else he ever cared about? Plus the possible kid? Put in something to explain it. Marv Wolfman’s novelization has him being blown off course, so he was only expecting a five day trip or so, which would be fine– but you need something acting on him to take him out of the picture. Heck, you can even give Lois a cute line about even a super man not asking for directions, hiding her bitterness. Two lines, tops.
Beyond that, a good film, with almost every conceivable hat tip to the Donner films. This is really an Elliot Maggin version of Superman– it ain’t the physical hurdles, it’s the ethical and emotional ones that are going to cause him trouble. And yes, that reminds me that I have to do a longer post about that, but I’ll save it for another time.