Film Review: Superman Returns

Where to even begin with this one. Perhaps with a bit of recent history: In the summer of 2002 I entered a theater to see Spider-Man, thinking I was in for a real piece of shit. What I saw was a welcome surprise, a very well-made movie that was not only reverent of the source material but seemed legitimately interested in its characters. It was terrific, especially when considered relative to my low expectations. X-Men had opened in 1999 and I was surprised by its overall quality as well, but something about it didn't click with me. It was competently produced and the performers had all done their jobs well, and director Bryan Singer obviously approached the project with the sort of creative seriousness one usually associates with smaller, less fantastic films, but something was missing. With the first Spidey movie, though, it really hit-it wasn't just a decent attempt-it really got it right.

In summer 2003, I was one of the only people in the world to be really and truly impressed by Ang Lee's Hulk. The general reaction, both within and outside the comic-geek subculture of which I am an often reluctant member, was about an even mix of yawning and head-scratching. But the hell with what they thought-I loved it. It was the first comic book film I had seen to really, really take it seriously. There was artistry and spirituality there that I had never before found in a film of its kind. I think that's where Ang fucked up, as far as everyone else was concerned; they all wanted a big, loud, fun popcorn movie, and he went and made a very heavy film. But like I said, fuck 'em. I still love it.