Superman Returns (spoilers)

Re: Superman Returns (possible spoilers eventually, but not tonight)

$52 million over the weekend has to be a huge disappointment. Hell, Batman Begins made almost that much and that was a decidedly dark film that wasn't for children...

I know it's made $80-something million over five days, but for a movie that cost $260 million to make, that's a huge disappointment. I know the stars (Routh, Bosworth, Spacey) are all under contract for two more films, but here's hoping they don't get made.

 

I liked it; unfortunately it ran out of steam at the end and went on 15-20 minutes too long. I still prefer Superman I & II.

 

Re: Superman Returns (possible spoilers eventually, but not tonight)

I read somewhere where Warner Brothers was figuringspinning that the cost was worth it to re-launch the character. Which just goes to show how DC and Warners let Superman slide in the toilet in the late 80s and 90s. ("Death of Superman" my ass)."Superman Returns Again" won't cost $260 million to make and the ad campaign will be a bit smaller. I bet the sequel will have more action and less visual poetry...and they'll work very hard to keep people from slapping a "gay Superman" angle on the flick. God forbid if some 15-year-old dumbass in Hicksville, Neb., thinks that Superman is a homo.

 

I know I'm a week late to the party but ...

Let me first state that Supe is my favorite superhero by far and the first and second movies were cornerstones of my youth. If you're between 30-35 years old and you didn't get teary-eyed or, at the very least, get fired up when:

• The opening credits (in the original font!) rolled with John Williams' great theme
• The first time Babe Routh opened up his shirt to reveal the S
• The baseball crowd cheered Superman on after saving the airplane
• Frank Langella said "Great Caesar's Ghost"

Then you don't have a pulse (or are a Batman fan). I teared up multiple times during the movie, including the closing credits when Routh looked at the camera and flew off, just like Christoper Reeve did.

HOW-EVA ...

• On the Pulitzer Prize, why did it say "for the editorial entitled"? That drove me nuts. AP style, bitches.
• I love Parker Posey to death, but she has no place in this movie. Totally annoying.
• Did Spike Lee edit this movie? Go ahead and lop off a half-hour.
• Did Lex really expect to sell property that looks like the 100x microscopic view of Baba Booey's teeth?

Final thoughts
• I love how 10 years ago Spacey shared a movie with Verbal Kint and now he's with Clark Kent. Also love how during one scene Spacey said he had "some Time to Kill."
• My prediction for Supe Returns II: Mitch Albom as Mr. Myxlplyx.

Long live Kal-El!!!

 

Just me or does anyone think Kryptonite makes the kid's powers surface. Also ... is it possible the kid's powers are mind-control and not physical? I know he extended his arms when the piano flew across the room, but he may have done that with his mind. And when the plane is pulling up from escaping the craggy rock, the camera keeps going back to the kid's face, as is he is somehow responsible for the plane's escaping.

Only me?

 

I saw it on July 4 and I liked it. Long movies don't usually hold my attention, but this one did for some reason.

 

The kid did that. Super-strength moves the piano --- and explains why Lois asks her son if he can help Mommy escape. Super-vision helps the kid find Supes. When he's using his nascent powers, his eyes switch from brown to blue, the color of his real father's eyes.

Movie was too long, but I only looked at my watch once. Kevin Spacey was far better than Gene Hackman. I found the Clark-gets-all-goofy bits slightly tedious, but on the other hand I suppose that should be looked at as true to the character. If Clark Kent suddenly became all suave and debonair, he wouldn't be Clark Kent anymore.

And the long sunbath scene is supposed to be the explanation as to why Big Blue can lift a big chunk of kryptonite into (and then throw it out of) Earth orbit --- he overcharged his solar batteries, so to speak.

 

I was entertained by the new Superman flick, which is all I can ask out of any movie these days.

It was a little long. Bosworth seemed pretty wooden, but much better to look at than Margo Kidder.

The dude playing Superman was pretty good. Kind of a copy of Reeve from those days, but Reeve was good, so no problem as far as I'm concerned.

I would have liked to see some of what Superman did when he was gone. Seemed like some potential there..... Would have made his departure and return more compelling.

I like Keven Spacey, but he didn't have much to work with. Villians ALWAYS make superhero movies, and I thought Lex could've been more interesting.

But again, I didn't feel like I wasted 10 bucks.... and I'll go see the next one they make.

My main issue is with Superman himself. Too goody-goody and flawless, for those of us who are drawn more to an anti-hero, or someone who you're not sure can win.

 

I was disappointed in Spacey. Mostly everyone here raved about his performance. I didn't think it was anything special. Now compared to the rest of the cast's acting (which I thought was poor), Spacey knocked it out of the park. Maybe that's why he's getting so many kudos.

Special effects were awesome. Supe's flying kicked ass.

What the hell was up the CGI of him flying at the end, tho? That was just horrible. Terrible way to end a movie.

 

Saw it at the drive in (!) in Russellville, Ala., tonight, so that's not exactly direct-to-digital.

Superman is one of the most problematic of all superheroes precisely because of the Only Begotten Son aspect (Thor, actual son of the Norse God, obviously holds the trump card.).

But, hell, I liked it a lot. Anybody think Tim Burton and Nic Cage would have been better?

I give Singer a lot of credit for the tips of the hat to the original, for using that as his jumping-off point. Routh was fine, obviously studied the Reeve movies a lot.

Bosworth was okay, but doesn't look like a woman who's had a baby, super or otherwise.

The screenplay was probably better than it had to be, in giving some depth to Lois' boyfriend, etc. ... But, as with others, five minutes of musing on his trip to Krypton would have been okay, too. ... I would score this more-or-less equal to Batman Begins.

Only thing I wished for: A Clark Kent wink at the camera. Maybe that idea played out with Seinfeld, though.

 

Just saw it tonight and though I enjoyed it, I was disappointed. The movie was way too long and far too slowly paced. And it ended with more of a whimper than a bang.

The way I took the part about Superman being able to pick up the giant rock and toss it into space is he dug under the part where the Kryptonite had expanded. The Kryptonite didn't get to the depth where he was until he was already up in the air with it. Still a reach, but that's how I took it.

I'd probably go see a sequel, but I wouldn't miss the franchise if they just let it die now. This definitely wasn't worth ruining the X-Men series by having Singer leave that.

Loved the Spider-Man 3 trailer. Already can't wait to see it.

 

Saw it twice: once in IMAX 3-D and once at the drive in.

The 3-D is worth the extra $5. Amazing visuals.

The story itself could have been better, but it's a good way to ease back into the mythos.

My thought on Jason is that when a do-or-die moment came, his natural instinct took over and his first burst of power emerged. The parallel to the first movie is when baby Clark catches the truck before it can crush Jonathan Kent. (The do-or-die theme also is used a story device every time Clark develops a new power in "Smallville.")

But this movie could have been much worse ... gay robots ... polar bears fighting aliens ... Nicolas Cage ... Superman in a black leather coat? No thanks.