I'll just re-post my original review of Superman Returns from June 06. It has the opening day experience included in it:
Ok, I had to give it at least a week & see it more than once before posting my review.
I couldn't be objective after my first viewing. Too much event & hype.
THE EXPERIENCE Fist I'll talk about the "Experience" of the opening night. 6 of us in my group, 3 guys 3 girls.
HUGE line of ultra fanboys like ourselves. At least 1200 people. T-Shirts everywhere. Newscameras from local news outlets, everywhere.
I ended up on the morning news on 2 different news shows. I had brought the prequel comics to read while standing in line, & the camera guy filmed me holding them up. I got like 4 calls on my cell the next morn with buds yelling, "Dude you were so totally on the news at the beginning AND the end of the segment!" So, that was neat. Back to the line. We all got in line about 3 hours before the movie started (I'm a dick about having to have the best seats. And I get them too). We were like second in line. The guys in front of us were huge Smallville fans & I let into a huge fanboy rant about how it sucks & had everyone in line rolling with laughter.
Everytime something was mentioned about anything that was odd, no matter the subject, I'd throw in, "Eh, probably Kryptonite, as you know it does something different every time." People were howling. I was on a roll with these geeky fuckers. It was good fellowship with like minds. Good Times. Also there were these preppy dumbasses in their Aeropostle Jeans who were standing in line looking outstandingly out of place. There were about 7 or 8 of them. I kinda figured they were doing the thing that those kinda people do, you know, they aren't really there to "see" the movie, they are there to BE SEEN seeing whatever MTV told them was the Number One movie this week. Making sure everyone sees them at the big movie of the week in the outfit they just bought & riding in the car daddy just bought them. Then after the movie they don't talk about it at all, they just go to whatever restaurant is popular with everybody else this year, & talk about what everybody else at the movie was wearing. Anyway, even THAT was giving them to much credit, here comes a thing of beauty, the kinda moment people like us live for:
The Ushers had to come & change the sign above the theater door from "Click" to Superman Returns", as they were bumping 3 of the 10:00 o'clock movies to accommodate Superman. When the guy changed the sign above our theater door, one of the snobby girl preppies in line said really loudly "You mean this ISN'T the line for Click?".......... About 400 people wearing Superman shirts burst into hysterical laughter & pointed at them & laughed as they walked upstairs for a viewing of what I'm sure was yet another cinematic achievement by Adam Sandler. Gold I tell ya, gold. During the movie we were siting in front of some idiots who laughed REALLY LOUDLY at EVERYTHING. I mean stuff that was just mildly funny, they laughed out loud. They weren't making fun of it, they were just THAT amused by stuff that barely deserved a chuckle (i.e. Jimmy taking credit for figuring out Lois' fax). At one point I couldn't take it any more. I turned around & said "IS EVERYTHING THAT FUNNY?". Silence for about a second , then about a 4th of the theater applauded in thanks. Anyway, the experience was quite cool other than those guys. Other than those dumbasses we had a great audience that cheered & clapped at all the right moments. I started a standing ovation that spread throughout the theater after the plane rescue. Tee hee. It was hard to be objective about the movie afterwards though, as the night was all hype & anticipation. Afterwards we all went back to the hotel & talked the clerk into opening the pool back up for us, & we all swam & talked Superman well into the morning. Good Times.
THE MOVIE:
I'm gonna break this down into 3 sections. The Bad. The Good. The Matzah Balls.
THE BAD: Dark.
This movie is shot WAY to dark. The only time it brightens up is when he flies DIRECTLY in front of the sun. Is Metropolis ALWAYS overcast? This movie looked like Lord Of The Rings The Two Towers, which was SUPPOSED to look that way for dramatic purposes.
The whole damned thing was Partly cloudy.
The Money Shot.
Bryan Singer is afraid of the money shot. Plain & simple. My guess is that hes trying not to be to "Cheesy". Its a comic book movie. Its supposed to have those big snapshot moments & this movie failed to fork over any at all. If any movie needs these kinda shots, its Superman. Look at Batman Begins, the Stairwell Scene. More importantly, look at Spiderman, which uses the Money Shot more effectively than just about anything Ive ever seen. Spidey had the best Shirt Rips, the best swinging into the Camera moments & the Breathtaking shot of him on the American Flag Pole atop the Chrystler building. Which brings us to our next flaw:
Antipatriotic? Yep, thats right. I'm gonna bring this one up. & heres why. I got NO problem with them not making Superman an overtly "Patriotic American", as he IS the ultimate immigrant. I wouldn't have even had a problem with them not saying the "Truth, Justice, & The American Way" line at all. BUT to put the line in JUST SO you can make sure that everyone knows that "The American Way" thing has been tossed, well, thats just utter crap. Like it or not, Superman was MADE in America. The Character was RAISED in the heartland of America. His Creators are the epitome of the American Dream realized. Now, I don't care how many French people hate us, I don't care how many Robot Liberals hate George Bush (Don't like him myself, as of late), I don't care if you hate the war in Iraq. Superman still believes in the American Way.
Our current President & this war may not be representative of the American way, but that does not mean that it is to be noticeably snubbed in a movie about perhaps our greatest fictional icon. The American way is not about what is going on right now, its about the ideas on which this land was founded, & to have them say the famous line & then pervert it with an off-handed snub like "All that stuff" is pure agenda crap. Also anyone notice that there are ALWAYS flags everywhere in Spidey's New York & not ONE SINGLE FLAG to be found in Superman Returns? Spidey seems proud of it. So did Christopher Reeve's Superman. Thats all I'm gonna comment on this one, as I don't wanna turn this thread into another Maverick VS all the Liberal followers on the board. Ive said my piece on it & I aint budgin.
Flying with Lois.
Wow, this fell REALLY flat. I mean I LOVE the dialog before & after, but man, this had ZERO magic to it.
This goes back to 2 previous topics: First, the lighting. Singer knows something that Richard Donner knows: Superman looks best when filmed at night. But what Singer fails to realize is WHY Superman looks best filmed at night. Its because of the way his bright Red cape cuts around the night sky & makes a brilliant contrast. This Superman had a dull brown cape. I was getting used to the color until this scene hit. Same in the Kryptonite Fortress. Superman's costume should have cut a diamond hard contrast of his Blazing Red cape against the filthy dim backdrop of that place. Especially when he had his back turned. Not so. His brown cape just sorta blended in & made him look quite at home. Secondly, the money shot thing. I suppose I half expected a shot during the flying scene like the statue that I ordered from Weta.
But, such a shot was nowhere to be found. Just Brandon & Bos flying around in a scene so dimly lit that I could barely make them out at times. Truly truly sad. I was REALLY looking forward to that scene. However, I DID like the part where she touched the water as they were flying over it. It woulda been even better if you could actually SEE them. Sheesh.
The Main Theme. I don't mean the opening credits, I just mean the main part of the main theme.
Ottman or Singer have something against it. It was never used in the movie. Not one fucking time.
When Superman landed that plane & stepped out of it to the delight of the crowd, NOTHING would have been better than the Main part of the Main Theme blaring like it did in STM's helicopter scene when he caught the Copter & the theme bursts open with the extra pumped up Tuba bass line pounding like its a friggin parade. Alas, nope, just the "Secondary" theme was played over & over & over & over again through the whole movie. I want the MAIN THEME dammit.
The deleted scenes.
They sound incredible. I want them all dammit. Now
The Good: Sigh, where to start. I Love SOOOOOO much about this movie. Other than the 5 complaints above, I have nothing but LOVE for this film.
Brandon Routh. He simply IS the new Man Of Steel for a generation (Those that can accept the fact that Christopher Reeve isn't coming back).
My god, he was God-Like on the screen. Charm. Sincerity. Looks. Humility.
Everything. He had the "Little moments" like Reeve, when Clark just cracked you up with laughter. Like when Lois is introducing Richard & says that he likes Horror Movies. That little "Shiver" thing that Clark does at just the thought of Horror movies, made me spew diet Pepsi from my nose. Dumb of me I know, but watch it again, thats friggin GOLD. Clark with Ma - AWESOME. So so so so so touching to finally see them together again for the first time since Jeff East said goodbye all those years ago. Did anyone notice that when Clark is on the farm, hes wearing the coat that he had on in Don's Dinner? NICE. I love the way Brandon "Works" the suit. He REALLY pulls it off. By the way, I thought I would hate it, but I LOVE the belt. It truly works. I like the Cape without the yellow "S" as well. I dunno, when he talks to Lois Or Citizens, I hear Superman talking & not an actor. I love the guys personality in real life on talk shows also. Hes just great. Love him.
Kate Bosworth. I'm in love with her Lois. Spunky, Reckless, but Jaded & Vulnerable. She wants to believe again that a man can fly, but has her reservations. AND her voice doesn't sound like Margot Kidder's (Like she sat in a 1986 Chevet with the windows rolled up & smoked non-filtered cigarettes for 8 hours). Thats always a plus. I also LOVE the touch about the smoking thing. I dunno, I REALLY dug her. She has officially passed Teri Hatcher as my fav Lois. By the way, when she kicks off her heels to fly with Superman......SEXIEST THING EVER.
Kevin Spacey. What can I say other than he knocked it out of the park. I knew he would. Loved every minute he was on screen. The perfect balance of cool & cruel, of seedy & psychotic, of Hackman & Spacey.
Frank Langella. I like his Perry. Very realistic. He seemed more like a real businessman who had lots on his hands. He was still funny, yet real. Sure, I miss the kind of Perry from STM, but Sam Rami stole him & put him in Spidey, so he cant be used yet again. he he.
Sam Huntington. Liked his Jimmy ALOT. Also, The Deleted subplot of Jimmy loosing his photography mojo ever since Supe's absence should have been left in. The way he acts in the movie would make much more sense. Supes was the reason he was renowned & since Supes left he hasn't been turning in good work & hes been staying drunk. That ties in with his crappy picture of Superman Flying (Look, its a bird , its a plane), & then later when he gets the ultimate Money shot of Supes holding the Planet globe & he gets his "Mojo" back.
James Marsden. Wow, he REALLY surprised me. Damn what a likeable character. I thought for sure they would either take the cheap way out & make him an asshole so we wouldn't care if Lois dumped him, or I thought maybe he would die saving Supes. But they had the balls to make him likeable which makes things REALLY complicated.
Parker Posey. She damned near stole everything at times for me. LOVED her. The amused, & impressed look she gives Lex when Lex makes the comments about "Rome building Roads" was BRILLIANT & subtle. Its the little stuff I love in this movie.
Eva Marie Saint. Wow, I was REALLY floored at how damned wonderful she was as our fav Ma. I gotta tell ya, I'm most looking forward to her deleted scenes.
Also, if you haven't already, read the Ma Kent Prequel comic. Its REALLY good & will very much enhance your enjoyment of her character in the movie. Speaking of those 4 Prequel comics, The Jor-El one is pretty, but utterly useless. The Lex one is poorly written & has shitty art, but does contain an amusing Jon Peters reference. The Lois one is great with LOTS of nice homages to STM. The Ma Kent one is easily the best written. It seems very realistic & in tune with the Ma Kent we know & also has the best artwork.
Tristan Leabu. Im gonna say it right now. I Loved him. EASILY the most likeable kid ever in a movie for me. This wasn't one of those annoying little Dakota Fanning bastards walking around talking like a 30 year old spewing on about Ipods & Starbucks. This kid was REAL to me.
Trust me, I hate most kids Ive ever seen in movies. This one was cool. Better yet, he wasn't "Cool", if you know what I mean.
The Effects.
I liked every damned effect I saw except for one: The shot at the end of the film when Superman flies past the camera from Left to Right exactly when the closing Theme starts up. Thats the grossest abuse of technology Ive EVER seen. That shot, considering how close it was in camera, & taking into account the amount of detail you have to achieve in a shot that close, had to have cost a BLOODY FORTUNE. Would it have really been that hard to hang Routh from wires, blow a fan on him & run the Camera from his Head to his Toes? It looked terrible & made no common sense at all. But, anyway, I loved all the flying effects. He flew the way you think of Superman flying in the comics. I tell ya, I had a REALLY hard time picking out which shots were CG & which were wires. Oh & the cape ALWAYS looked great in flight.
The Music. It gave me chills so many times that I couldn't be asked to count. The best musical moment comes when Superman is pushing New Krypton out of the water. It has the Bass line of the Superman Theme throughout, but it turns into a Lex vs Supes Musical battle!!!
It does the bass line thing & you think its gonna be Supes theme but its Lex's! Then when we see the reveal that it is Superman Pushing it out of the water, all the sudden it changes to Superman's theme with a CHOIR at the end note!! I felt high when I heard that.
How about that MAGICAL & rousing rendition of the Smallville theme during the Corn scene! My lord that sounded great. LOVE LOVE LOVE Lex's new theme! Very Hum-able & with a touch of "Psycho" throughout, KILLER. Other than my earlier complaint about the absence of the main part of the main theme (Its only heard during the opening credits & its even cut down there), I love the music of this movie. Am I the only one who LOVES that they snuck in the Animated Series Theme song at LEAST 5 times!!!!!!!
?
Cant take it out of my car CD player.
The Cameos. Wow, am I the only one impressed with how good Noel Neil was? Cool to see the original Jimmy Olsen come full circle before he died. Love that the TV reports mentioned Gotham.
The Humor. Dead on & Donneresque. Just how I like it. The Dogs. He he. Love how Un-Otis, Stanford is as well. I like my Henchman quiet.
Perry: "Don't thank me, thank Norm Palmer for dying!" Thats the Perry I know & love!
The Opening Credit sequence. I had tears welling up in my eyes. My god how great was that!?
The Kent Farm. Perfect
The Re-Design of the Fortress. Holy Bleedin shite! I LOVE what they did with the place. Its more alien. Nothing like that awful Lester shot in Superman II where Supes is talking to Lois & turns on little lights inside of what looks like a plastic console. God I LOVE the look on Brandon's face when he realizes someone has stolen the only thing he truly owns on this planet. Anybody else notice the shot of him descending into the Fortress was ripped directly from the wonderful D.C. Direct Snowglobe from a few years back?
Beautiful. Loved seeing Brando again. Classy.
Metropolis. I LOVE the Fleischer cartoons, so I'm a little Biased. I love anything Art deco. I was hoping it would be a little "Sky Captain"ish, & it was. So, Loved it.
The Plane Rescue. Sweet Mother of GOD that was awesome. The moment when he & Lois first locked eyes on the plane gave me butterflies. Lois passing out. What can I say huh?
The trainset wreck with the 5 or so homages to STM.
Cool huh?
Superman's Super Hearing sounding the way it did with Lex's sonic greeting in STM. NICE.
The Bank Robbery & Kitty Car Rescue. Now THATS comics baby!!!!!!! Ya know, I guess the recreation of Action Comics #1 was a pretty good money shot. Also when we get the full reveal of Superman holding up new Krypton. Good money shot as well.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE
all the dialog between Supes & Lois. Perfect. Also love the fact that he was going to the fortress for guidance about the Lois thing after the Flying Sequence.
The Metropolis Earthquake. Again, THIS is how Superman is supposed to look in action. Multi-tasking Kryptonian style baby!
Lois, Richard, & Jason drowning in the boat. The single most terrifying water scene I have ever witnessed. My lord, I felt like I was gasping for air. When Superman pulled that thing outta the water, our audience went crazy! Also, them goin back to save Superman. Now THATS what Superman is about. He inspires those who CAN be hurt to be "Super". And they were.
Superman's serious ass beating. Wow, that HAS to be the MOST uncomfortable I have EVER been during a movie, & I LOVED it! Man it was brutal. Kudos to Singer for not punking out on that one.
The hospital scene. I dunno what everybody's problem is with this. I liked it. VERY touching. Metropolis citizens doing everything they can to save their savior. They did miss a HUGE opportunity to stick in a cameo by professor Hamilton. Maybe later huh? All the Christ references were cool as well. The Crucified pose as he falls, the empty tomb as the middle eastern nurse tells the man outside the room that he is risen. Goosebumps. The Citizen Kane homage with Perry.
Lex finally got his Beachfront property! Brilliant!
Superman's Speech to his son.
Oh, My, God. I had tears STREAMING down my face. My lord it just KILLED me every time I saw it!
The Reeve Flyby at the end.
How else could it have ended!?!?!?
THE MATZAH BALLS: In an episode of Seinfeld, George told a girl he loved her & she didn't reply & he referred to it as a "Big Matzah Ball hanging out there" in their relationship. It means an uncomfortable or unresolved predicament just hanging out in the open.
Superman Returns has several Matzah Balls. depending on what they do with them, they could turn out to be GREAT.
Richard White. Wow, like I said hes so likeable, & he didn't die. They didn't take the cheap way out, so I guess we'll just have to see which way they go with that one. I really love how adult they left that situation open. I mean, is Superman gonna be a home wrecker, or will Richard realize he never had a chance?
Jason. Class. Thats the word that comes to mind. I'm glad Singer lied his ass off. I'm glad he flat out lied & said its not Superman's kid & that he has no powers. Because If I had known about it, no matter how good they woulda done it (& they did it spectacularly) I woulda hated it going in & would not have given it a chance. But seeing how they did it, I love it. There I said it. I love it. As long as he is never a full fledged Super Kid, I love it. Superman has been around for over 65 years, its time to let him grow & evolve. I wouldn't even mind if they did this in the comics. I think it enriches his legacy & I just think its time. We'll see where they go with it, but as it stands, I'm in love with the idea. So sue me.
New Krypton.
Anyone else thinking what I'm thinking? An awesome Crystaline Humanoid Brainiac!?!?!? Guess we'll see.
All in all, I'm love with this movie. It has about as many flaws as the original STM which I also love despite its HUGE flaws.
This movie has heart & soul & it breathes when it needs to. Its characters are likable & sympathetic. The Love story is gripping. Superman now has a lineage.
I hope we get ALL of that deleted footage put into a directors cut & I hope that we see much more of Brandon Routh in sequels as our NEW Man Of Steel.
I have seen the movie 4 times as of now. I plan on seeing it once more before it leaves theaters.
Thank you Mr. Singer. I hope that you re-think the color red, & that your problems are resolved in time to make us an even better sequel, that is to Superman Returns, what X-2 was to X-1
