Superman Returns

A guilty secret: I loved Superman Returns. The long-awaited return of the man in tights reminded me how much I enjoyed the first films when I was growing up. When I was at university, I remember having a long conversation with my friend Boff about how underrated we thought Superman 3 was.

I was discussing among colleagues today what Superman's politics are and we decided he was a left-wing Republican. The Guardian's Peter Bradshaw was unimpressed by Superman's un-ironic goodness, but I kind of liked this. You can depend on Superman. You know where he stands. He is, obviously, a kind of pseudo-Christ like figure - sent to Earth by his father - set up to suffer for mankind's sins. It seems very Christian; there is a reliogious absoluteness in his belief in good which I found quite comforting. In an age where every hero is a bit of an anti-hero with an edge, something straightforward seemed almost innovative.

One thing which is arguably a bit tiresome is how so many of these comic book movies are basically about how the hero wrestles with his love for a mortal woman, trying to balance his world saving responsibilities (cf Spiderman, Batman, and in a way, the Incredibles, if you replace that notion with normal family life). The plot with Lois Lane and her having a partner and child, of questionable paternity, was quite satisfying and at the end you were left thinking how Superman's domestic setup was a very modern situation.

It looks beautiful, especially the shots of him descending into the Fortress of Solitude. I enjoyed the shots of New York, which I think was much more recognisably itself than previous Superman outings for Metropolis, and looked for places I recognised: Hudson Park, a Yankees Stadium etc. There was though, no Empire State building (despite the trailer poster image above), Chrysler building or Staute of Liberty.

The skill in the script seems to be finding ways to make Superman mortal so he can be put in peril. It is a bit annoying this always seems to be Kryptonite. My idea for another film would be to play on his reliance on the sun and have him buried under ground.

There were loads of great moments: the bullet hitting Superman's eye, the henchman playing the piano and the son of Superman being revealed by his act of astonishing strength. I also loved the rescue from Lex Luthor's fantastic boat, which I thought was beautifully done: the packets of food everywhere and the vicous snapping in half of the vessel. The ur Superman moment is the rescue. The film is basically about rescue.

Weirdly the Lex Luthor plot to use Superman's crystals to create new land in the Atlantic, and flooding north America, reminded me of a recurring dream I keep having about a new mid-Atlantic continent rising from the sea and becoming a kind of superpower to rival the US. In the dream the new continent invades the US to stop it damaging the environment.

A final thought: if Metropolis is Manhattan, then it is a city living in the post Bratton clean-up era of low crime rates. I know he can travel anywhere very quickly but surely Superman should live somewhere more dangerous: Mexico City, or Rio, or Baghdad? Opportunities for rescue would be closer at hand.

Comments

[Walnut]

Superman 3 was an abomination after the first two installments. My memory is of computers and robots that looked horribly outdated even 5 years later and a Richard Pryor in a slap stick role. Where were the villains? I must say I'm looking forward to catching the new one though.

[Houmous]

Walnut's remarks make my blood boil. When he sneers at the special effects in Superman 3 I assume he is forgeting the moment when Superman flew into the Leaning Tower of Pisa and pushed it until is became vertical. I don't remember General Zod doing anything like that Walnut. He claims Richard Pryor is slapstick, and well he may be. But show me a man who claims he didnt' laugh at Pryor climbing down the Grand Canyon on a donkey and I'll show you a bald four-eyed liar.

[Mark Oliver]

I have to agree with Boff here Darren. Superman 3 was quality. We also need to remember the bit where Richard Pryor gets into some computer bunker thing in Smallville by getting the security guy paralytic drunk after gaining entry by showing him his "travelling booze case"

[walnut]

Personal insults Houmous! I expect better of you. Please don't try and pretend that Superman 3 was superior to the first two instalments. Superman isn't about comedy its about good v evil, right against wrong, the good guys against the bad guys. NOT CRAP JOKES.

[Mark]

Yeah, the slapstick was bad, but Christopher Reeve really came into his own here, the best Superman/Clark performance of the series.

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