Superman Returns
In my view, movie reviews are helpful. Reviews can take some of the steam out of the ticket sales for a poor film and sometimes help pump up a good film.
It is hard to say if Napoleon Dynamite would have been as financially successful if it were not for the strong positive comments by many reviewers. Likewise, there are films that arrive and disappear with little or no fanfare because of poor “word-of-mouth”.
Often there are movies that come along that are so “pre-sold” that, no matter what the reviewers say, they will still sell tickets. This past weekend Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest opened and gathered a huge box-office despite tepid reviews. The week before, Superman Returns opened with a strong box-office, although I believe that some at Warner Brothers may be a bit disappointed.
Superman is one of those truly American icons that is nearly sacred. Close to ten years ago Tim Burton was nearly allowed to resurrect the franchise with Nicolas Cage as the “Man of Steel”. Although the studio was pleased with his work on two Batman films, they were not as certain Burton was the best choice for such a beloved character.
Finally, Bryan Singer took up the gauntlet and has made an aggressive attempt to revive this franchise. He angered fans of his work who wanted him to lead the third X-Men film, but seriously, who could turn down “Superman”.
According to the website Movies.com, critics average an “A minus” grade for the film. Ty Burr with the Boston Globe gets it right by saying “(Bryan Singer) respects everything about this property except the last two sequels.” Anthony Lane of the New Yorker gets even closer when he writes, “…what, exactly, was so perfect about the 1978 project that it should warrant emulation?
Lane (no relation to Lois) expresses my disappointment with the new film directly. Many times during the course of Superman Returns I found myself saying, “I have seen this before!”
I remember being a teenager when Christopher Reeve burst on the scene in the 1978 film. At the time it was truly an event. Every image was exciting! Every special effect was amazing! Every man wished he was Reeve just as every woman wanted him for their own.
Most of all, the film left us with hope. We all wanted to believe in Superman. During a time when people were held hostage overseas, we wanted to believe in someone who could make us feel safe and protect us from those who would hurt us.
Today we live in similar times, if not times where we need a Superman more than ever. Unfortunately, we are not given anything new. The storyline is similar. Out of nowhere comes Superman. Lex Luthor wants to kill people and have a new civilization for him to rule, just as he did before.
Superman meets Lois on a rooftop. Superman takes Lois for a fly-around. The two are attracted, but do not quite connect. I remember, I remember.
The two things that also bothered me was the music being the same to the last note, and the final scene where Superman flies around for awhile, then eyes the camera and smiles before shooting away. Reeve did that last time.
Other than references to the film taking place five years after Superman II, and some important changes in Lois Lane’s life, there is very little new ground. Why bother making this movie besides the fact we know it will rake in millions of dollars?
The only reason to see this movie, and if you have not seen it yet, wait for the DVD (it is worth seeing the DVD), are the performances. Singer gets the most out if his people. Spacey and Posey are incredible as the villains. Routh and Bosworth do a very nice job as Clark and Lois. Critics are hard on Bosworth, but who could stand up to the expectations. It may have been harder to play Lois than Superman!
The supporting cast of Frank Langella, James Marsden, Sam Huntington, and the various henchmen of Luther’s did a wonderful job of filling their necessary roles. Even Noel Neill and Jack Larsen, who where in the original syndicated series that premiered over fifty years ago, are in the film and truly add to it.
So what we end up with is a film that is beautifully crafted, well-acted and directed, but offers nothing new for the viewer. Superman Returns. So what.
It is hard to say if Napoleon Dynamite would have been as financially successful if it were not for the strong positive comments by many reviewers. Likewise, there are films that arrive and disappear with little or no fanfare because of poor “word-of-mouth”.
Often there are movies that come along that are so “pre-sold” that, no matter what the reviewers say, they will still sell tickets. This past weekend Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest opened and gathered a huge box-office despite tepid reviews. The week before, Superman Returns opened with a strong box-office, although I believe that some at Warner Brothers may be a bit disappointed.
Superman is one of those truly American icons that is nearly sacred. Close to ten years ago Tim Burton was nearly allowed to resurrect the franchise with Nicolas Cage as the “Man of Steel”. Although the studio was pleased with his work on two Batman films, they were not as certain Burton was the best choice for such a beloved character.
Finally, Bryan Singer took up the gauntlet and has made an aggressive attempt to revive this franchise. He angered fans of his work who wanted him to lead the third X-Men film, but seriously, who could turn down “Superman”.
According to the website Movies.com, critics average an “A minus” grade for the film. Ty Burr with the Boston Globe gets it right by saying “(Bryan Singer) respects everything about this property except the last two sequels.” Anthony Lane of the New Yorker gets even closer when he writes, “…what, exactly, was so perfect about the 1978 project that it should warrant emulation?
Lane (no relation to Lois) expresses my disappointment with the new film directly. Many times during the course of Superman Returns I found myself saying, “I have seen this before!”
I remember being a teenager when Christopher Reeve burst on the scene in the 1978 film. At the time it was truly an event. Every image was exciting! Every special effect was amazing! Every man wished he was Reeve just as every woman wanted him for their own.
Most of all, the film left us with hope. We all wanted to believe in Superman. During a time when people were held hostage overseas, we wanted to believe in someone who could make us feel safe and protect us from those who would hurt us.
Today we live in similar times, if not times where we need a Superman more than ever. Unfortunately, we are not given anything new. The storyline is similar. Out of nowhere comes Superman. Lex Luthor wants to kill people and have a new civilization for him to rule, just as he did before.
Superman meets Lois on a rooftop. Superman takes Lois for a fly-around. The two are attracted, but do not quite connect. I remember, I remember.
The two things that also bothered me was the music being the same to the last note, and the final scene where Superman flies around for awhile, then eyes the camera and smiles before shooting away. Reeve did that last time.
Other than references to the film taking place five years after Superman II, and some important changes in Lois Lane’s life, there is very little new ground. Why bother making this movie besides the fact we know it will rake in millions of dollars?
The only reason to see this movie, and if you have not seen it yet, wait for the DVD (it is worth seeing the DVD), are the performances. Singer gets the most out if his people. Spacey and Posey are incredible as the villains. Routh and Bosworth do a very nice job as Clark and Lois. Critics are hard on Bosworth, but who could stand up to the expectations. It may have been harder to play Lois than Superman!
The supporting cast of Frank Langella, James Marsden, Sam Huntington, and the various henchmen of Luther’s did a wonderful job of filling their necessary roles. Even Noel Neill and Jack Larsen, who where in the original syndicated series that premiered over fifty years ago, are in the film and truly add to it.
So what we end up with is a film that is beautifully crafted, well-acted and directed, but offers nothing new for the viewer. Superman Returns. So what.
Labels: Entertainment
posted by Alexander Dimm | 10:32 PM
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