Ian
(Flash Review)First time seeing superman not as Christopher Reeve and the new actor was believable. Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor was fitting… although Gene Hackman still reigns supreme. In the movie, Superman had left Earth for a while in search of planet Krypton again or something? That was a bit foggy and I've already forgot. Anyway, he returns to a world that has moved on without him as well as the woman of his heart, Lois. Who now is engaged and has a little boy. Luthor's evil plan this time is to create land of continental proportions, which would cause the oceans to rise and submerge ¾ of the United States making his land values very expensive. How will Superman save the day? Hollywood must have thrown money at this as there are several exciting action scenes, top notch cinematography and a decent script for this genre. If IMDb hadn't removed its Forums section, I may be able to resolve a question I had: Was Superman not fazed by Kryptonite at some key point in the movie? Overall, fun action, dynamic shot framing with really good CGI for 2006 that felt authentic…better than some movies today.
ryanskywalker-87402
I think I just had a religious experience. Why did no one tell me this was a near-masterpiece?I think the difference this time was viewing it right after Superman: The Movie and Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut. Doing so really heightened how much this complements those, acting as a trilogy capper of sorts. It perfectly encapsulates not only the on- screen film, but the behind the scenes as well. By that I mean, you can feel the passion and the honesty that was put into this production, in the same manner as watching Donner's original masterpiece. Routh is an inspiration, finding the exact balance between playing Christopher Reeve playing the character, and adding in his own mannerisms and ideas as well. Truly, he was robbed of a franchise he worthily inherited. Bosworth is less revelatory but entirely competent as Lois. Marsden does fine in his role, but it's nothing special at all, merely added in for conflict. Spacey steals the show, having what can only be the time of his life as Luthor.The most divisive element of this film is obviously Lois's son, Jason, a possible heir to the Man of Steel. Seemingly randomly thrown in, this plot line stems from a single scene in II, in which we see Lois & Clark unclothed and lying together in the Fortress. This is an exciting addition to the Superman cinematic mythology, and it is mined for all its worth in an introductory capacity.The action is few and far between, but when it comes its in full force. The plane rescue is the easy standout, an exhilarating sequence that is beautifully realized and will leave you breathless. It is, I say confidently, one of the best scenes of superhero action ever committed to film. The climactic fight on the crystal continent is a visceral and heart-stopping setpiece as well.My favorite piece of this puzzle is the timelessness; from the architecture and the clothing to the cars and vocabulary. They never even reveal any event that could date the movie. This allows the film to act both as a sequel to Donner's films when it needs to, but also as a standalone adventure that can take place at any point in Superman's history.I highly suggest watching this in quick succession with the first two films, as it will reveal all the subtle throwbacks and references. Not just perfectly placed lines of dialogue or visual cues, but how this film interacts with and builds upon the other films. It can only be fully appreciated by watching this "trilogy" as just that. I've never enjoyed this film more, and I credit that to my refreshing of Donner's movies. Not only those Easter eggs, but keep an eye out for clever callbacks to Superman's early comic book career.Like Superman himself, the film's greatest strength is also its weakness. It's perhaps too thoughtful at times, too interested in living in every moment to move the plot. In my opinion, though, it's refreshing to see a major franchise film slow down long enough to enjoy a dance or two. It is entirely slavish to what came before. This prevents it from exploring in full force a greater change to the character and cementing a definitive home in the Superman pantheon. While the absence of an origin story is welcoming, it would have been nice to see Singer attempt to reinvent the wheel, perhaps using the Donner films as only a launchpad. Taken as what it is, however, this can only be described as the film Donner would have made in 2006.It's a true crime that Singer will never get to build upon this work. X2: X-Men United was such a leap from its predecessor, I can't imagine what his once-titled Man of Steel would have looked like. Rumour has it we would finally see Brainiac and Doomsday. The biggest loss comes at the expense of the son, whose further exploration we'll never see. Now that's a shame.Simply put, this is a worthy successor to the Donner era, a thinking, romantic, whimsical beast that may have just been to reverent for its own good. Still, there were so many moments of "Wow, THAT'S Superman right there!" Routh nailed the poses with a presence that can't be taught. He flew like he's been doing it all his life. With an exemplary supporting cast, knockout set pieces, and an exciting addition to the mythos, this one earns my highest recommendation, but is destined for under appreciation. Oh well, more for me.
sevenjetc
If you grew up being a fan of the first two 1970s Superman movies as I did, you would love this movie. It combines the cheesy, corny style of the two movies mentioned above and it hits on the nostalgia note just the right way. Kevin Spacey is great as Lex Luthor and Brandon Routh looks almost as the late Christopher Reeves, especially when doing Clark Kent, even Sam Huntington as Jimmy Olsen is a doing well. The only questionable casting choice for me was Kate Bosworth as Lois Lane. Plotwise, it works, it is the good mix of drama, action, humour and pathos. All in all, I enjoyed the movie in cinema in 2006 and I still enjoy re-watching it on Netflix. None of the later Superman remakes lives up to this one.
