Superman Returns

I didn't have much planned this weekend. Just the way I like it. Saturday I caught a matinee show of Superman Returns. Now, I'm not a big Superman fan. I never read the comics, but I do have fond memories of the first Superman movie, and being a comic book fan in general, I'm always up for the latest comic book flick. Plus, with Bryan Singer at the helm, I'm always excited.

The movie was pretty good. Not great, not crappy, but very entertaining. Like I said, I'm not much of a Superman fan. The special effects were very impressive and I'm guessing that's where the 225+ million went, because I cannot understand how this movie costs so much money. I thought the opening credits were fantastic. Fans of the original movies will like them as well. I'm getting a little tired of Lex Luther being the only Supes villain they put up on screen though. I mean, c'mon now, the guy is human!! How can he give Superman so many problems?! I don't care how geniusly evil he is or how endless his pockets are.

And I think right there is my biggest problem with Superman. No, not Lex Luther, just the whole Superman fiction. I'm sure it worked great when he was first introduced in comics in 1938, but it hasn't aged as well as other comics.

First up is the absolutely insane concept that nobody can recognize that Clark Kent is Superman. It was cute a first, "Look, he is wearing glasses and acts all goofy, ha-ha, nobody can tell." Sure, that works in the comics and in the first few movies. But by now, it is just stupid. THEY LOOK EXACTLY ALIKE PEOPLE!!! The glasses bit just doesn't work anymore. And to make matters worse, you have Louis Lane, who supposedly is "in love" with Superman, yet doesn't even realize that the co-worker she works with everyday is the same freakin' guy? C'mon now. And the whole disguise thing was even amplified in Superman Returns since after five years away, both Superman AND Clark Kent show up again on the same day. Look, I know a big part of enjoying movies - especially comic book movies - is being able to suspend your disbelief, but this needs to be addressed differently in this day and age. I mean, I DO suspend my disbelief! I have no problems with accepting that there is an alien from another planet flying around, shooting heat rays, and stopping bullets with his eye-ball, but I CANNOT accept the fact that just by wearing a pair of eye-glasses that he can make himself invisible to world, especially the woman who loves him.

My second problem with Superman is that . . . well, he is Superman. As far as super heroes go, he pretty much has all the bases covered. He's as strong as they come, can fly, and is basically invulnerable. If not for kryptonite, he cannot be stopped. So every Superman movie seems to be, expose him to some kryptonite and try to finish your diabolical plan before he comes to his senses. There is no challenge there and it gets boring. Superman is never really in "danger", it is always other people who are in danger and Superman is the all-powerful force that is there to help them. Throw in the kryptonite and he becomes as weak as a child, but to me it is just an artificial way to make him vulnerable. I don't want to feel he is in danger only when he has a shard of kryptonite stuck in his back and he is groveling on the floor in pain. That is no fun. I want to feel that he might be in trouble when he is out there doing what he does best. But that can never be the case because . . . well, again, he is Superman.

In the Spiderman movies, while he kicks some ass of his own, he can get hurt. There is always that vulnerability that can come at anytime, not only with some special object. I think overall that goes a long way in making the movies - as well as the comics - more interesting. But hey, no offense to the millions of Superman fans out there, I'm just giving my opinion. Plus, Spidey is my boy.

I give the movie a 7 out of 10. Well worth the price of admission for the sights and sounds. Plus, help the studio out, they have a lot of money to make up. But, if this series is going to continue they better come up with something more intriguing than Lex Luther with more kryptonite and a new plan. I want to see a villain that can give Superman a run for his money without the need of a piece of rock to give him the advantage. Hell, I want an epic Superman vs Doomsday battle on the screen, with the movie ending with his death. Then you can name the third one Superman Returns . . . Again.