[Review] Superman Returns
Jul. 26th, 2006 09:43 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
davywavyDon't waste your money.
Oh, you want more?
The Good:
1) Lex Luther and the design aesthetic which follows him about. Kevin Spacey predictably chews the scenery as criminal mastermind Lex Luther and plainly has a whale of a time about it, whilst the retro-40's themed design which surrounds him and wherever he goes is a visual delight.
2) The score. You can't do much wrong with John Williams' original soundtrack.
3) Superman and his super-deeds. Every scene featuring Superman doing super stuff is a winner. There are, however, nothing like enough of them.
The Bad:
1) I'll get straight to the point: There is a moment, about two thirds into this film, wherein your jaw will hit the floor with a resounding thump at the imbecilic banality of something you have just witnessed. Up until then, it's been pretty plain sailing. It's been a bit up and down, not as good as your inner geek might hope, but not all bad. From this moment on, the film is irredemable - it is impossible to maintain any tension in moments of drama or danger. Take my advice and leave the cinema when Lois gets on board Lex's boat. You will have seen a pretty good film to this point and you won't want to spoil it.
Speaking of which...
2) Lois Lane. It is inconceivable that a person with her lumpen and uninteresting command of the English language could ever have won the Pullitzer prize*. Moreover, such a boring woman would not attract a horde of male followers who, let's face it, could have their pick of the ladies. Whilst pretty, she is so self-obsessed, sulky and generally boring that it's a wonder she hasn't got a Livejournal. Her emotional range runs irritating to sulky, and she milks it to the full.
3) Superman as stalker. Superman should be out doing super stuff, not hanging around in his ex-girlfriends garden using x-ray vision to look at her in her underwear. That's the sort of thing I would do if I had superpowers, which, take it from me, automatically means that Superman wouldn't.
An award which has gone to such megabrains as Douglas Hofstadter for Godel, Escher, Bach in the past.
Oh, you want more?
The Good:
1) Lex Luther and the design aesthetic which follows him about. Kevin Spacey predictably chews the scenery as criminal mastermind Lex Luther and plainly has a whale of a time about it, whilst the retro-40's themed design which surrounds him and wherever he goes is a visual delight.
2) The score. You can't do much wrong with John Williams' original soundtrack.
3) Superman and his super-deeds. Every scene featuring Superman doing super stuff is a winner. There are, however, nothing like enough of them.
The Bad:
1) I'll get straight to the point: There is a moment, about two thirds into this film, wherein your jaw will hit the floor with a resounding thump at the imbecilic banality of something you have just witnessed. Up until then, it's been pretty plain sailing. It's been a bit up and down, not as good as your inner geek might hope, but not all bad. From this moment on, the film is irredemable - it is impossible to maintain any tension in moments of drama or danger. Take my advice and leave the cinema when Lois gets on board Lex's boat. You will have seen a pretty good film to this point and you won't want to spoil it.
Speaking of which...
2) Lois Lane. It is inconceivable that a person with her lumpen and uninteresting command of the English language could ever have won the Pullitzer prize*. Moreover, such a boring woman would not attract a horde of male followers who, let's face it, could have their pick of the ladies. Whilst pretty, she is so self-obsessed, sulky and generally boring that it's a wonder she hasn't got a Livejournal. Her emotional range runs irritating to sulky, and she milks it to the full.
3) Superman as stalker. Superman should be out doing super stuff, not hanging around in his ex-girlfriends garden using x-ray vision to look at her in her underwear. That's the sort of thing I would do if I had superpowers, which, take it from me, automatically means that Superman wouldn't.
An award which has gone to such megabrains as Douglas Hofstadter for Godel, Escher, Bach in the past.
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no subject
Date: 2006-07-26 08:52 am (UTC)Weak.
JmC
Though I admit that is an ongoing problem with the whole premise. But still.
no subject
Date: 2006-07-26 08:53 am (UTC)Super bitch slaps you
Date: 2006-07-26 08:54 am (UTC)Re: Super bitch slaps you
Date: 2006-07-26 08:56 am (UTC)Right.
no subject
Date: 2006-07-26 08:56 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-26 08:56 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-26 08:56 am (UTC)The world despairs.
:P
Re: Super bitch slaps you
Date: 2006-07-26 08:57 am (UTC)If he were stalking he would have known the best time would have been at 9.17 when she takes her bath...
Re: Super bitch slaps you
Date: 2006-07-26 08:58 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-26 08:59 am (UTC)Re: Super bitch slaps you
Date: 2006-07-26 08:59 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-26 08:59 am (UTC)Don't get me started on the 'will superman die' (No, unfortunately)scene.
The only good thing about this film is the impossibility of anyone posting spoilers, as the writer and director have done a bang up job of ruining it already
Re: Super bitch slaps you
Date: 2006-07-26 09:00 am (UTC)Re: Super bitch slaps you
Date: 2006-07-26 09:03 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-26 09:03 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-26 09:04 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-26 09:04 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-26 09:05 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-26 09:06 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-26 09:10 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-26 09:11 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-26 09:11 am (UTC)(Spacey talking): So the way I see it, he's kind of like an evil Gatsby, a self-made villain come from no-where. And he's got to create this old-money image for himself. So he thinks, What does a gentleman listen to? Classical music. So he goes along to the biggest record store in Metropolis ... (he starts doing the voices).
Luthor: I want to buy some music. Classical music.
Assistant: Certainly sir. What kind of classical music would you like? We have over three hundred composers in store. Baroque, romantic, opera ...
Luthor: Excuse me? What sort of a man do you think I am? I want the best classical music.
Assistant: We-ell, sir, we do have this CD here, just come out, called The Best of Classical Music.
Luthor (turning to his goon): Pay the man.
The more I think of his performance, the better it gets. It's the one thing that unarguably surpasses the original. (Oh, and the Metropolis design. That's superb too).
I'd give it 3 stars.
H
no subject
Date: 2006-07-26 09:13 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-26 09:14 am (UTC)You always kinda assume that Clark at least has to take some care.
no subject
Date: 2006-07-26 09:14 am (UTC)Its a remake of a dull premise which is only ever popular when America needs something to feel blindly proud and self-rightious about in a nostalgic manner. so in the current climate its going to make a killing then bog off back to nothing. TBH I just can't be arsed to go see it, am unlikely to watch it on video, and am much happier that I won't have to reclaim those two and a half hours back at any point.