Okay, I saw SR. I found it to be very good. I enjoyed it about the level I enjoy the Spider-Man movies (which is funny, considering both Spider-Man movies are essentially just Superman movies. God damn, it makes me mad that a generation of kids are growing up thinking that Spider-Man always reveals his outfit by running and ripping open his shirt, the MJ loves Spidey and thinks Peter's a big dork, and that Harry Osbourne and Spidey have a total Lex/Clark relationship. Bah!)

Like Asa, I bristle at the fact that Superman only lifts stuff. And that his power seems to change. At one point, he struggles to balance a 777; at another he thinks nothing of lifting a continent out of the water and throwing it - at escape velocity, mind you - into deep space. Oh, and he does the latter with a small piece of Kryptonite in him.

I did not enjoy Kate Bosworth at all. Superman needs a woman, not a girl. Plus, she's just not attractive enough to be Lois Lane (although this is probably just a matter of personal taste).

Spacey's Lex was okay. It wasn't really Lex, though, just Hackman's Lex. And he's still acting like a goddamn corrupt real estate mogul. Boooooring.

I loved Routh as Clark/Lex. Granted, he was just re-creating Reeve, but Reeve's performance was the cat's pajamas, so I can't be mad about that.

If anything, Routh was limited (as Asa pointed out) by the stupid super mopyness of the script's themes and tone. (Why the hell was the New Continent climax so damn gray and lifeless! This isn't Batman or X-Men. This is SUPERMAN. I want bright colors, high technology, and people smiling.)

I also didn't care much for the editing. There was too much "back and forth" as I like to say. Superman gets kryptonite in him and he falls in the ocean. Then he gets the kryptonite out and flies into space, whereupon the kryptonite is once again in him, and he falls to Earth sick again. Also, in the middle of all this Lois and Cyclops have arrived, left, and returned.

I guess Superman Returns is more a tribute to Donner's Superman than the actual Superman mythos. If I'm grading it only on how well it continues Donner's movies, it gets an A+. Excellent use of Brando, the old credits (I did love the whole opening), the spaceship, the farm, the sly references to Superman I and II. Now Superman movies are an actual series with tons of continuity behind them. Awesome!

On the other hand, all that continuity also hinders the new Singer films because some Donner continuity really sucks. Stupid crystal Krypton stuff, the whole "Superman can fly in space!" thing, the characterization of Lex, and so on.

So, as a Superman movie, it's a B. As a continuation of Donner's films, it's an A+. But I don't know if I ever wanted/needed to give that A+ out in the first place.

Extra Stuff

Because I like my Superman stories big and mythological, I didn't mind the Super Jesus bits. I

I also didn't see any of the "Superman is gay!" hysteria. And who the hell cares anyways. I love Smallville and that's gayer than anal sex.

Brandon Routh looks positively massive sometimes as Superman. Other times... not so much.

Note to Hollywood: Stop giving us little kids with shitty, shaggy 1970s hairdos. It's stupid, unrealistic, and distracting.

As I found with Batman Begins, there's a dearth of quotable dialog in these new DC films. The line I liked best was when Superman does his little "flying is still the safest form of travel" bit. And that's from the first film!

Also, because Superman was mopey and depressed, we didn't get enough Super Cockiness. I love that bit in the first one when he catches Lois falling from the chopper and she says "You've got me, who's got you?!" and Chris Reeve just smiles this cocky, "I'm Superman, bitch" smile. Or when he says, "Peter Pan flew with children in a fairy tale. This is real." Similarly, in TAS, there's a part where a thug tries to hit Superman with a baseball bat and Superman turns around, shakes his head, and says, "You're kidding, right?" He then throws the bat into orbit.

And finally...

I'm sick and tired of hearing about how Superman is Bryan Singer's "dream project." Bryan Singer had never even heard of the X-Men until he got that gig. I don't believe for a second that he's some big, lifelong Superman fan.