In “Superman Returns,” the title character squares off against nemesis Lex Luthor in an epic showdown that leaves the hero’s survival in doubt. Newspaper editors at the Daily Planet cover their bases by preparing two different headlines, one celebrating the Man of Steel’s recovery and another mourning his death.
Evaluating the health of the franchise isn’t quite so black and white. The new adventure from “X-Men” director Bryan Singer modernizes the icon to mixed results. The movie is technically stunning but emotionally remote. The CG effects convince you a man can fly. The generic storytelling, however, fails to make you care.
Running about 30 minutes too long, the film features a series of set pieces cobbled into a plot. Singer, collaborating with “X2” co-writers Dan Harris and Michael Dougherty, offers a sequel of sorts to Richard Donner’s 1978 “Superman: The Movie,” spinning a tale that takes place five years later.
The character has been up in space all this time, seeking out the ruins of Krypton to learn more about his roots.
His quest turns up no answers, and when he comes back to Earth, he finds that people have been getting along OK without him.
While star Brandon Routh wears the blue costume well, he is short on charisma. Same goes for Kate Bosworth, stilted in a mood of mild melancholy as Lois Lane. Playing the arch-villain, Kevin Spacey lacks the mischievous spirit of his predecessor, Gene Hackman. His portrayal accentuates the dead in deadpan.
The film starts slow but gets better as it goes along, building to an apocalyptic climax. An opening title card explains that the hero abandoned Earth when he learned that astronomers discovered remains of his home planet. Five years on, Lois is an unmarried mother who’s won a Pulitzer for an essay on why the world doesn’t need Superman.
Meanwhile Lex is out of prison, freed after the Man of Steel missed a court appearance. (Didn’t anyone else witness him trying to sink California with nuclear missiles?)
After the hero crash-lands his crystal ship on the Smallville farm of his adoptive mom (Eva Marie Saint), he returns to Metropolis in Clark Kent guise for his old news beat. The Daily Planet apparently isn’t having any problems losing business to bloggers, and Kent is welcomed back by chief Perry White (Frank Langella).
Shutterbug Jimmy Olsen (Sam Huntington) gets Clark up to speed on all the office gossip, including Lois’ very long engagement to Perry’s nephew, Richard (James Marsden), who may or may not be the father of her 5-year-old son.
In another part of the city, Lex is making sinister plans with a new crew, including his flamboyantly clueless girlfriend (Parker Posey) and a tech minion (Kal Penn). Using crystals stolen from Superman’s Arctic hideout, the Fortress of Solitude, Lex is planning to harvest a new continent in the mid-Atlantic, flooding Metropolis and most of the Eastern Seaboard. His blueprints resemble Al Gore’s global warming slide shows, although Singer neglects to follow through on any cautionary environmental themes.
Testing the crystal, Lex causes a massive blackout that short-circuits the systems on a plane flying overhead. The aircraft, with Lois among the passengers, takes a catastrophic plunge. Springing to action, Superman catches the jet and guides it to a safe landing in a baseball stadium, making a splashy return after his hiatus.
The plane episode is the first of several spectacular action segments. Big scenes are balanced out with ethereal moments, including dazzling shots of Superman and Lois aloft in dark skies. The story is strewn with references to the comics, the TV series and the older films (Marlon Brando has a hologram cameo).
Singer gets the details right but the big picture is uneven. You expect a more meaningful installment from him, given his subtext-laced “X-Men” movies. Don’t look for layers here. The character isn’t conflicted enough. There’s no dark side to his personality and never any question whether he’ll do the right thing. He’s a superhero gone emo, saving the day with a fashionable sulk.
(Rated PG-13. The film contains intense action, violence, mild sexual content, strong language and some social drinking.)
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(Lisa Rose is a staff writer for The Star-Ledger of Newark, N.J. She can be contacted at lrose(at)starledger.com)
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