This is going to be a very positive review of Superman Returns until I get distracted and complain about people who are determined to dislike Superman and Star Wars. I'm telling you that right now so you can decide if you want to read it or not. And the picture I posted above has nothing to do with Superman Returns, I just felt that my blog had been without anything to look at lately.
Anyway, I bought tickets for last Friday's 3-D IMAX Superman weeks ago, and ever since I bought them, I was thinking less and less about Superman and almost not even caring about the movie. On Friday I spent 7 hrs. taking a simulated Bar exam (I scored a few points below the target score, and I'm okay with that because the test gave me lots of reasons to be optimistic about my final official Bar performance) and it left me feeling really beat up and not at all thinking about Superman.
(I'll spare you the step-by-step story of me getting to the movie theater and eating a hotdog before the movie and picking up my 3D glasses if that's what you thought you were about to get)
I cannot explain it, but the second Superman Returns began I was absolutely transfixed. I could not take my eyes off the screen. It was a feeling that I don't think I've had in probably more than 20 years. For some reason, I loved this movie more than I could have ever imagined, and now that I'm writing this little report, I cannot muster the reason for it. Mostly what I do know is that I've talked to a number of happy people who really liked it, but then I talk to people and they're like, "Well . . . I really hated the plot and the pacing and the acting was so stiff and the this and the that and dumb dumb dumb Superman movie." And I think, "I don't know what you're talking about." Perhaps I'm being troublesome, but why do people need to dislike Superman or the Star Wars prequels? Where's the benefit in that, what are you getting out of sitting around with your friends talking about how you could have made them better. You really could have made a better Star Wars movie or Superman movie? That's funny, considering you took 6 years to finish college/work the night shift at a flower shop/live with your granduncle/study botany or whatever.
These movies are all so easy to like, and I feel like they're just presents that were made for us . . . I mean, on each one hundreds if not thousands of people worked for a long time at a price of hundreds of millions of dollars to make you a movie so you could have a little fun, why you gotta go watch it and be all gruesome about how it ruined your life and childhood? Don't you know about being a polite guest who just says "no thank you"?
Ahem.
Anyway.
Superman Returns, to me, was awesome and I dug every second of it . . . even the seconds where Lois Lane's hairline looked a little weird. The movie really made me think about Superman's feelings and Lex Luthor was really mean to Superman. I look forward to Pirates 2.
Footnotes:
Exempt from my rant: People who went into Superman Returns expecting a good time but unfortunately it just didn't click for them and they left disappointed and wishing they liked it more.
Not Exempt from My Rant: People that had that same experience with any of the Star Wars prequels.
7 comments:
I fall into the group that was exempted. I went in expecting something spectacular, and came out feeling it was just a good, fun movie. I don't agree with any of the people who claim it's "Un-American" or that the new Superman is gay (so he's a metrosexual, what of it?), but I did think the Christian imagery and allegory were a little heavy-handed. I'd see it again, but it just didn't live up to my expectations.
I didn't know that people were claiming it was un-American or that Superman is gay but that is hilarious. I loved the movie. I wasn't even expecting to like it so much but Brig, I am with you on this one. I was amazed. And I wished that I had read the comic books (was this based on events from the comic books? i know i know! don't hate me comics readers! )
since i don't have anything nice to say, i won't say anything at all. except that.
Lane sucked ass. She was the worst, not even good looking like Hatcher or sassy like whoever it was when we were kids.
That kid, Jason or whatever, he sucked too. He looked like ally Mcbeal's kid. Like a little frog with a bad wig.
The Superman kid, he was great. He knocked it out of the park. No one could have done better, ha had all the Reeves 80's mannerisms down perfect.
Luther made the movie though. Holy Shit, that guy was compelling. Spacey is just too good.
the viewer I was with loved the movie so much she kept crying anytime superman did something super, and she isn't a comic book fan per se so I took that as they did a good job.
That part where superman is falling through space, that was nice and eerie and beautiful.
Story was fine and good
Pacing good
Effects and all that were great
The Christian father and son are one save the world... that was unexpected.
Just Lane and that kid, boy they sucked, they were like a giant zit on an otherwise beautiful face
uh. why arent we talking more about the hotdog part of the superman evening? i saw some photos of betsy's and that part of the outing looks just as cool as 3-D bullets bouncing off superstrength eyeballs
also, can we talk more about how i really like parker posey and kevin spacey?
Since, I know Brigham, or perhaps his mother is dying to hear what I have to say about this I will add my two cents.
I loved Superman Returns. As soon as it started I got a big stupid grin om my face that didn't leave my face for more than 5 minutes at a time. Everytime they showed him flying I giggled like a little kid. I thought Brandon Routh was really good. His Clark made me laugh and his Superman was as good as Christopher Reeve's which is the quintessential portrayal. However, I left the theater hating Brandon Routh simply for the fact that how are the rest of us dudes supposed to compete with a 6'4" demigod with black hair? Whenever I make out with a chick after I know that she will most likely be thinking about Brandon Routh... and I'm okay with that.
Kevin Spacey was totally awesome. Really sinister and mean but with a humorous bite. Definitely better than Gene Hackman. It's like he took the "No...by causing the death of innocent people" Lex Luthor and drew it out for the whole movie.
I'm glad Kumar said nothing in the movie.
I thought the kid needed haircut.
I thought that the floating scene was way waaaaay better than the Margot Kidder inner monologue/poem flying scene.
I got choked up in a couple of places... but the music plus the whole experience did that.
The only thing that the original movie had that was better was the Pimp complimenting Superman on his clothes
"Say Jim, that is one bad outFIT! WOOOOO!"
I went with a lot of people expecting superX-man and they did not like it. I couldn't help though but to like the fact that they created a new man out of the flesh from the first two movies. The graphics the music the etcetera all felt like the sequel I never saw from the first movies.
I am tired of the superhero movie where everything splodes but nothing really happens (X-men too, I am looking at yoo).
I embarassedly gigled at several parts during the movie, while people around me really just wanted to see "Lake Hut".
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