He's back. A hero for our millennium. And not a moment too soon, because during the five years (much longer in movie-fan years!) Superman sought his home planet, things changed on his adopted planet. Nations moved on witho... more »ut him. Lois Lane now has a son, a fiance and a Pulitzer for "Why the World Doesn't Need Superman." And Lex Luthor has a plan that will destroy millions - no, billions - of lives. Filmmaker Bryan Singer (X-Men) gives the world the Superman it needs, honoring the legend everyone loves while taking it in a powerful new direction. Brandon Routh proves a perfect choice to wear the hero's cape, leading a top cast that includes Kate Bosworth as Lois and Kevin Spacey as Lex. And the thrills - from a sky-grapple with a tumbling jumbo jet to a continent-convulsing showdown - redefine Wow. "I'm always around," Superman tells Lois. You'll be glad he is.« less
Diana L. (ptomom) from SULTAN, WA Reviewed on 8/14/2013...
This movie was better after a second viewing, but it still suffered from very slow, deliberate pacing and a ridiculous villain. A Superman movie should never be boring and unfortunately, this movie was boring at times. The similarities and obvious influence of Richard Donner's Superman movies was evident as this was clearly meant to be a sequel to the first two Superman movies, which came out in 1978 and 1980. Because of the purposeful intent of the director to continue the mood of those two films, this film felt old even when it was new in theaters.
Brandon Routh made an attractive Superman very much in the vein of Christopher Reeve (even looking a lot like him), but Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor was too sinister to be comic like Gene Hackman was in the original movies and too silly to be really threatening, like current superhero villains. Kate Bosworth was an okay Lois Lane, but lacked the crazy fire of someone like Margot Kidder.
Overall, the movie offers great eye-candy in Brandon Routh and a warm glow of nostalgia for those that remember seeing the Christopher Reeve Superman movies in the theater (like I did), but it could have been so much more.
3 of 3 member(s) found this review helpful.
Chad B. (abrnt1) from CABERY, IL Reviewed on 12/30/2011...
The biggest problem with the character of Superman is he has no villains in his power level. Superman is almost too powerful of a character to appear in films. He flies at near the speed of light (or some insane speed), can withstand explosions powerful enough to level mountains, has heat vision which allows him to burn holes through 25 feet of steel and can survive in space for years with no protection. Guess who he gets to fight in this revamp of the series? That's right it's Lex Luthor. Lex Luthor is not a threat. If you want to make Superman interesting and compelling in a movie give him someone to fight who's as powerful as he is.
Bryan Singer does do a decent job of remaining true to Richard Donner's Superman & Superman II, but doesn't really add anything different. The film seems really dated at times. We've seen this before and know exactly where the story is going from the start.
1 of 2 member(s) found this review helpful.
Ken E. (cheetah) from FAYETTEVILLE, TN Reviewed on 11/20/2009...
Overall, this movie was only O.K. Brandon Routh did a surprisingly great job as the man of steel. Although there isn't a lot of action to speak of, the airplane crash scene was awesome. The main problem I had with this film was the criminal plot that Lex Luthor comes up with. It's basically the same plot that we saw in the first Superman movie with Christopher Reeve. Lives lost and wide-spread destruction all because Lex wants to own his own land. LAME. If they make a second movie, I hope they can come up with something original.
2 of 3 member(s) found this review helpful.
Vernon P. (Merlin) Reviewed on 4/20/2008...
This is a fitting and noble effort to revive the Superman franchise. Kevin Spacey shines as the evil Lex Lutor (as he always does, no matter what role he plays). Surprising and largely satisfying is Brandon Routh in the role of Clark Kent/Superman. Routh proves to be very capable of making the part his own, without radically changing the legacy left to him by Christopher Reeve.
The one disappointment of this movie, for me, was Kate Bosworth as Lois Lane. She plays the role to the best of her ability, but the casting decision is left in doubt by the fact that she's just physically too young to play the part, given the story line she inherited. Lois was already a working professional reporter when she first met Clark. It was a couple of years before Perry sent them to Niagra Falls to investigate the Honeymoon scam, leading to her discovery of Clark's secret, and their brief affair. The affair was the first occasion when she might have gotten pregnant with Clark's son - who is now reported to be about 5 years old. By my calculations, this role should have gone to an actress between 28-35 years old. Kate just doesn't have that maturity.
Otherwise, I loved this show. It shows that the Superman franchise is in very good hands, and I'm looking forward to Routh's sequel in the Blue and Red uniform.