It's too long, but then so-called 'event movies' always have been.
Superman Returns (2006)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted: 246
Fresh: 188
Rotten:58
Average Rating: 7.1/10
Consensus: Singer's reverent and visually decadent adaptation gives the Man of Steel welcome emotional complexity. The result: a satisfying stick-to-your-ribs adaptation.
Rated: 12A [See Full Rating] for some intense action violence
Runtime: 2 hrs 34 mins
Genre: Action/Adventure
Theatrical Release:14-07-2006
Synopsis: For five years, Superman (Brandon Routh) has been away from Earth, coaxed into space by a belief that Krypton may still exist. Finding nothing, he comes back to a changed world--not only has... For five years, Superman (Brandon Routh) has been away from Earth, coaxed into space by a belief that Krypton may still exist. Finding nothing, he comes back to a changed world--not only has terrorism become rampant, but Lois Lane (Kate Bosworth) has married, started a family, and won the Pulitzer for her piece "Why the World Doesn't Need Superman." After a stop in Smallville to see his adopted mother (Eva Marie Saint), Superman is back in Metropolis, and Clark Kent has his old job back at the Daily Planet, with everyone still incredibly oblivious to his alter ego. But where there's Superman, there's Lex Luthor (Kevin Spacey), and he is likely to be planning something dastardly--in this case, using a piece of pilfered kryptonite to grow an entirely new continent that he will control. Bryan Singer (X-MEN 1 and 2), armed with a script by Dan Harris and Michael Dougherty, approaches the red cape with reverence for the lore of the character, and respect for Richard Donner's SUPERMAN (1980) and Richard Lester's 1980 sequel, films that ushered in the era of the modern superhero film. Singer's SUPERMAN is filled with melancholy, and not so subtly suggests the notion of Superman as a Christ figure, sacrificing himself to save mankind. But there are still laughs, mostly courtesy of Spacey (clearly having a blast) and Parker Posey as his moll, Kitty Kowalski, as well as plenty of gasp-inducing set pieces, including a spectacular and terrifying almost-plane crash and a sinking boat. While modern visual effects have allowed Superman to go to entirely new realms, Singer keeps them from becoming the film's raison d'être, thus keeping the Man of Steel's gigantic heart intact--heavy though it may be. [More]
Starring: Brandon Routh, Kate Bosworth, Kevin Spacey, James Marsden
Starring: Brandon Routh, Kate Bosworth, Kevin Spacey, James Marsden, Parker Posey, Marlon Brando, Frank Langella, Eva Marie Saint
Director: Bryan Singer
Director: Bryan Singer
Screenwriter: Daniel Harris, Michael Dougherty
Story: Daniel Harris, Michael Dougherty, Bryan Singer
Producer: Gilbert Adler, Jon Peters, William Fay, Chris Lee, Bryan Singer
Composer: John Ottman, John Williams
Studio: Warner Bros.
Reviews for Superman Returns
This Superman takes flight like few before and one wonders whether the film's minor flaws mean only that the sequel, like Singer's X2, is destined to become a real classic of the genre.
Many happy returns, Superman, you've been away too long. Unfortunately, you deserve a lot better than this.
It’s all about heart -- not that the spectacle falters; this is the finest popular entertainment since the Rings trilogy closed. Superman doesn’t fly -- he soars.
The effects are terrific - you will, indeed, believe a man can fly, especially during a showstopping set-piece involving an out-of-control aeroplane.
It may never generate an epic scale, but that's only because it stays so relentlessly intimate.
Logical progression, intelligent reappraisal, and nostalgia trip all in one, Superman Return is better than we dared hope.
It’s straight-faced, square-jawed stuff, but that’s apt enough for the boldest, simplest superhero concept of all.
Superman Returns feels eager to please, and it frequently succeeds, but despite its best intentions, it seldom soars to the height of 1978's Superman: The Movie
Superman Returns is a bombastic, rousing, explosive burst of summer fun and fantasy, enriched by its predecessors and rejuvenated by the new blood and slavish religious devotion of director Bryan Singer.
Solid and emotionally direct but not the concussive powerhouse many will be hoping for.
the tragedy of 9/11 and Lois' super sex with the 'man of steel' are two major selling points of the film, but they remain as sublimated as Clark Kent's secret identity.
The Man of Steel as a morally-compromised and ethically-challenged figure has the potential to be quite compelling, but if and only if he is portrayed as confronting his demons in a more meaningful way.
Latest News for Superman Returns
July 03, 2009:
Brandon Routh Talks Superman's Future ![]()
Whatever happens next for the "Superman" franchise, it appears that Brandon Routh won't be wearing that big "S" and cape -- in a new interview, he says his contract with Warner... More...
June 02, 2009:
Bryan Singer Talks Superman, X-Men Franchises ![]()
Could Bryan Singer still be interested in another "Superman" movie? How about a return to the "X-Men" franchise? He discussed both topics in a pair of recent interviews. More...
March 25, 2009:
Mark Millar Steps Away from Superman ![]()
In his latest site update, Mark Millar has informed fans that development on the next "Superman" movie "seem to be in stasis right now...so the director and I are just working... More...
February 20, 2009:
Legendary Prepping Superman Unleashed? ![]()
There isn't any information about who's directing or starring, but an intrepid Web sleuth has unearthed a password-protected page at the Legendary Pictures site that reveals the... More...
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