This movie, much like Singer’s X-Men is very character-driven and the plot seems almost a sidenote to the introduction and fleshing out of the characters themselves. In this way (and thanks to a couple other details) it lends itself well to a sequel that’s probably going to be super awesome. Anyway, I really can’t get over how great Spacey and Routh are in the movie. At times a little over-the-top on the cheese factor and also a bit long (the two and a half hour running time seemed able to lose a few minutes near the end), the movie still managed to succeed about exciting me about a superhero I’ve never been terribly excited about. I always like when he appears in Batman comics and I enjoyed the first two movies. But Nuclear Man really left a bad taste in my mouth, and I tend to think someone as all-powerful as Superman can only have so many interesting stories written about him.

Although not perfect, and still not quite the best superhero movie I’ve seen (although very high on that list), this movie manages to breathe new life into the franchise and is a terribly exciting film. Go see it. I have decreed. It’s got good interaction between characters, a buttload of action, and even a lot of amiable poking fun at Superman itself (think of the “Well, what would you prefer? Yellow spandex?” line from X-Men). I don’t even think seeing it in the press screening room did it justice. I might have to pay for some IMAX action in the next couple days.

Movie Grade: A-

Synopsis:

Following a mysterious absence of several years, the Man of Steel comes back to Earth in the epic action-adventure Superman Returns, a soaring new chapter in the saga of one of the world's most beloved superheroes. While an old enemy plots to render him powerless once and for all, Superman faces the heartbreaking realization that the woman he loves, Lois Lane, has moved on with her life. Or has she? Superman's bittersweet return challenges him to bridge the distance between them while finding a place in a society that has learned to survive without him. In an attempt to protect the world he loves from cataclysmic destruction, Superman embarks on an epic journey of redemption that takes him from the depths of the ocean to the far reaches of outer space.