The Man-of-Steel is Back in Superman Returns
The newest Superman feature brought in 21.04 million on opening day, which is only half of what Spiderman 2 accomplished. Regardless, Superman Returns is quite entertaining as the movie combines the right amount of fantasy with reality to create a story that will appeal to a wide variety of people.
In terms of the story, Superman has been gone for five years. He made a sudden departure when there was news that his home planet, Krypton, might still exist. After a time of disappointing investigation, Superman returns to Earth, hoping to return to return to a place that has changed very little. Unfortunately, things on Earth changed during the absence of Superman.
After returning to Earth, Superman learns several new, surprising things. To begin with, after reacquiring his old job with the Daily Planet, Clark Kent (Superman) learns that Lois Lane now has a family. Lois Lane, of course was the woman that Superman always had a crush on. To add to the surprises, Superman learns that his old nemesis, Lex Luthor, is no longer in prison. These two events become the major issues for the movie.
The problems that were supposedly gone after “Superman 2,” are still present. The second Superman movie ended with Lex Luthor being imprisoned, and the man from Krypton accepting that he cannot have a relationship with a human, while holding his position as a superhero. Superman is still attracted to Lois Lane, and Lex Luthor is still determined to acquire world domination. The two issues run into each other, as Lois Lane is eventually captured by Lex Luthor, and Superman must rescue Ms. Lane and stop Luthor’s latest evil plot.
The latest Superman has the traditional fantasy associated with Superman, which is probably what many people wanted to see. The Man-of-Steel addresses an out-of-control plane, saves a lady from a car that lacks any brakes, and even takes down a shielded man who is firing a powerful gun on the top of a building. The big event, of course, is at the end when Superman saves the world. This sort of action has always been a trait of Superman’s, and “Superman Returns” does not leave it out.
As far as tradition goes, the behavior of the characters remains a constant. Superman continues to act like the perfect Boy Scout, and still reminds people about the safety of flying and the dangers of smoking. Lois Lane still acts like the fearless woman reporter who his willing to do whatever it takes to find the latest news. Jimmy Olsen continues to act like a nice, but annoying, person that is just always around at every office scene. As far as Lex Luthor, well it has already been mentioned that he has not changed at all.
The interesting thing about “Superman Returns” is the introduction of realistic issues to the superhero. Unlike the prior movies, Superman is not only burdened with an attraction towards Lois Lane, but a Lois Lane who has a boyfriend and a son. To add to that, Superman has to think about how to respond to a Pulitzer Prize article that Ms. Lane wrote called, “Why the World Doesn’t Need Superman.” One would never think that a superhero would have to deal with issues like that.
To continue on with the realistic theme, one can only wonder how Lex Luthor got out of prison. The storyline of “Superman Returns” claims that some of Lex Luthor’s rights were violated, first of all. That is something you do not hear about much when talking about the work of a superhero. More than anything, though, Superman did not show up in court to testify against Mr. Luthor, so the trial was thrown out, and the well-known criminal was set free.
If there is a down-side to “Superman Returns,” it has to be the development of the movie. It does develop at a slow rate and might not be so attractive to the impatient action/adventure movie lover. It is important to remember, though, that prior to “Superman Returns,” there hasn’t been a Superman movie since 1987. So after nineteen years, it might be fair to take some time to reintroduce the Man-of-Steel.
“Superman Returns” is an entertaining and interesting movie as it takes a character with unrealistic abilities, and portrays his reaction to realistic social issues. As well, the traits of the traditional Superman are not removed, so the superhero can still complete incredible tasks. The movie is easily worth the cost of a ticket, as Superman has definitely returned.
