It's a bird! It's a plane! No, it's another man in a skin-tight outfit!
The past few years have inundated our screens with superheroes. These action-packed films present characters blessed with an innate ability to outfight any enemy, save threatened citizens and rescue the beautiful damsel in distress. The problem is that we see these amazing feats often -- just multiply the number of superhero stories available by the number of holidays in a year.
For a movie to capture our attention, it needs to do more than just provide a mighty and invincible hero. Quite simply, it needs its audience to care about the characters.
At first, the casting of the film appears uninspired, but surprisingly, the chosen actors serve the film well. The producers and director Bryan Singer (of X-Men fame) spent many months searching for the perfect unknown. When they picked Brandon Routh, many fans questioned the choice. The actor seemed to lack the charm that Christopher Reeve so famously brought to the role.
Routh, however, exceeds expectations by infusing a sense of duty and reflection in this addition to the series. Most noticeably, his eyes convey such purity that he challenges the audience to not only stomach his wholesomeness, but to embrace it.
As Lois Lane, Kate Bosworth has finally found a worthwhile role. This is the first film to show her maturity and grace.One could wryly point to the change in hair color as assisting in her artistic growth, but it probably had more to do with her first role as a mother.
Anyone who watches "Smallville" knows Kevin Spacey had his work cut out for him. While he is cold, slick and duplicitous in the necessary parts, Michael Rosenbaum's Lex Luthor still personifies a depth, complexity and unpredictability that remains unrivaled. Amusingly, Spacey is overshadowed by the delightful, yet naïve Kitty Kowalski (Parker Posey). More consistently than any other character, Luthor's lovely lady produces the memorable laughs.
Is Superman Returns the best hero film we have seen in recent years? Not even close. Spiderman and Batman Begins have the advantage of featuring characters with whom we can identify--they are actually human. But since when did a film have to be the best in order to be deemed worthwhile?Pirates II proves you don't even have to be the best comedy in order to attract audiences in record numbers.
Superman Returns presents engaging characters in the timeless story of man in tights vs. an evil rich dude. More seriously, it still manages to be entertaining and visually-pleasing. The action, although quite impressive, is probably not the reason most will go to see this movie. There are great scenes with a rapidly descending airplane, a burning building, an out-of-control car and even a city falling apart -- but would they matter if you did not care about the hero who was doing the saving?
The summer is by no means the Oscar season. The secret to succeeding involves lots of noise, laughs and a buttery bag of popcorn. Superman Returns is a bit more subdued and thoughtful than the usual lot. But this film recognizes a key ingredient -- it gives its characters emotional resonance. And for this, we should at the very least be appreciative.
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