Superman Returns (2006)
Genre: SF, Action, Adventure
Release: 2006 .06 .28
Running time: 154 minutes
Written by: Daniel Harris, Michael Dougherty
Presented by: Warners Bros. Pictures
Main Actors: Brandon Routh (Superman / Clark Kent), Kate Bosworth (Lois Lane), James Marsden (Richard White), Kevin Spacey (Lex Luthor), Frank Langella (Perry White)
To prevent the sinister dream of Luthor's from being achieved, the Man of Steel fights against the psychopathic criminal. Yet, Luthor uses Kryptonite - the lethal substance that is Superman's only weakness - and our Superman gets into a trouble....
Teaser Trailer:
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RATINGS: 4 / 5 ★★★★☆
[Movie Review]
One of the renowned Hollywood blockbuster movie directors who directed "The Usual Suspects", "X-men" series, Bryan Singer, has come with a new work: the "Superman Returns". How much he wanted to work on this movie can easily be seen from many episodes; for one, Singer refused to direct "X-men3" - unarguably one of the most widely known job in his career that earned him huge fame - and handed the job over other director, Brett Ratner SOLELY in order to work on the Man of Steel! As an enormous fan of "Superman" himself , how Singer would interpret and add variation to the original superman figure has drawn attention of many people.
- Reflection? Artificiality!
Though both "X-men" series and "Superman" series come from the same source, comic book series, they come to us in a very different way. "X-men" had never been filmed before Singer and thus, every single characteristic and feature that Singer gave to the characters directly became the true figure of them. In case of "Superman", on the other hand, Singer had to both present new interpretation of characters whild reflecting some of the qualities that Richard D. Doner and Richard Lester had given to it in the original Superman in 1979 and 1980. When he decided to summon Superman back to 21st century from 1980s, Singer must have "fitly" fuse and separate from the original "Superman".
However, it seems that Singer failed to do so; the movie is tied too much with the past Superman series. The "Superman Returns" excessively sticks to the original version in that it uses classical narrative and exterior of characters. Even the credit sequence that comes at the very beginning of the film and the very ending of the film is the very same credit sequence that Richard Doner had used. Outside of that, astonishingly similar-looking actors as the past version, artificially made place setting at 1970s NYC, the very same places such as the bar, littery offices of Daily Planet building, and jammed streets of NY that had formed the place setting of the previous version coming up again all sum up and make the movie too much tied to the 1979 Superman. What's even more restraining is that for the places which appear in the Doner's Superman but not in his, Singer makes a miniature models of them and displays them in Luthor's home. Trivial episodes reappear just as it was in the past Superman series such as Kent and Olson talking in a bar; even the camera angle is identical. Not only the settings being repeated but camera angles, lines of actors, situations in the film, and scenes of the movie being repeated just the same as the past series causes artificiality. Preservation of the Man of Steel in 1980s as if it was in a vaccuum tube is not a way to connect the Superman series; it should reflect that the audience is living in the 21st century and thus, Superman has "changed" by the time.
- Interesting Status of Lex Luthor
During the movie, Lex Luthor compares himself to the Prometheus who in Greek mythology stole fire from Gods and gave it to humans and thereby let human civilization develop. He compares the Man of Steel as God and avows to fight against him.
In the Greek myth, Prometheus is unrequitedly punished for crossing God's will. Yet, in the Superman Returns, Luthor has coordinative status as does Superman. At this point, an interesting conjecture comes up.
The very beginning of the movie starts with the story of Lex Luthor. In the scene, Luthor inherits billons of dollars from a dowager - who he married with - and gets a huge power. He then goes to the 'fort of solitude' which is located in Superman's native planet with the money and meets with the illusion of Superman's father, Kal-El. The illusion is deluded that it assumes Luthor to be Superman and gives him the power of Krypton crystal and Luthor steals all the crystals from the planet.
That the tool that Luthor commits evil deeds with is the source of Superman's power is somehow ridiculous and ironic. However, if we put the relationship in the light of brothers, Luthor seems to be the evil sibling of Superman's, Cain.
Here, interestingly, the lady who acted the dowager is the very same actor who acted Lois Lane in the original Superman. Therefore, Lex Luthor, who married Lois Lane and was admitted by Kal-El could be intepreted as Superman's id and an evil brother who has to kill Superman.
Maybe, Luthor is not the Prometheus, but Hades, who is the older brother of Zeus and takes care of the afterlife world.
- Superman as an extraterrestrial being
If we see the Superman movies made in 1979 and 1980s, the Man of Steel is described as a humane and assimilative being that saves the world, has weaknesses and "feels" human feelings. However, in the Superman Returns, the Man of Steel is a man of "steel" who is stuck in the space between the human world and the alien world.
Luthor saying "He's dead" when Kal-El's illusion appears, the editor of Daily Planet preparing two articles titled 'Superman is dead' and 'Superman is alive', Lois Lane writing an article titled 'The reason we donot need Superman anymore', heroic actions of Superman becoming the subject of entertainment of people all show that Superman's existence is not "necessary" for people anymore.
Superman's costume makes him unnatural and artificial. Bullet getting crushed when it hits Superman's eye makes the Man of Steel a "steel"-like being. Superman is described as an extraterrestrial existence through the film and whereas it sends a social message about how selfish and corrupting human nature is, it disappoints crowd who wants a "hero" and wishes to feel safe with his abilities.
-After watching...
In the movie, the assumption that Superman is a savior sent be Kal-El to help people and save them from their inheritant wickedness parallels with the setting of Bible where God sends Jesus Christ to save the people. Whereas Superman is a herioc being who devotes to humankind's salvation and safety and thus must be applauded, as Jesus had to sacrifice himself, the Man of Steel must die.
Brian Singer seems to have understood the matter of imperfection very well and have expressed it very well throughout the movie.
It aroused reminiscence that the Man of Steel had made his comeback. Yet, watching the 1979 appearance of him in 2010 was somehow unnatural and artificial.
Yet, I enjoyed the movie in general, and the fundamental question that the film throws - How innately evil we are and how we should solve the matter out - reminds us of the social problems and filthy crimes going on in our societies. Hope the movie, even a very little bit, helps raising people's moral standards that will ultimately lead us onto trying to solve social problems.
SO LONG SUPERMAN.....
Nice choice. I heard they were making another Superman. I really didn't like this movie, but always LOVED the originals from the 80's. I remember the impact they had when I was young, and how the "special effects" were amazing. In 2006, they simply aren't. And Christopher Reid is simply too hard an act for "the new guy" to follow. In terms of Christ-like aura, Reid pulled that off, while the new guy is a bit wooden.
답글삭제All in all, super hero movies are getting worse instead of better, in my opinion. They aren't satisfying, and end up ALL being the same. Look into the "monomyth" and the "hero's journey" for a true eye opener as to the structure these films follow.
Good review, but it took a while to get going. At times a bit slow and repetitive. Try to hook your readers more effectively and avoid summarizing.