New-comer Brandon Routh stars as the latest re-incarnation of Superman, following in the footsteps of the late Christopher Reeve. With director Bryan Singer (X-Men,X2: X-Men United, The Usual Suspects) at the helm, Superman Returns picks up where Superman IV: A Quest For Peace (1987) left off. Although updated to a modern-day Metropolis and using groundbreaking visual effects, Singer has attempted to stay true to the aesthetic feel of the four original movies and the 1938 comic books.
The 'Man of Steel’ returns to Earth after mysteriously disappearing five years earlier. Superman (with his alter-ego, Clark Kent) is devastated to find Lois Lane (Kate Bosworth), star reporter for 'The Daily Planet’ and Superman’s true love, has moved on with her life. She is now engaged to the Editor's nephew Richard (X-Men’s James Marsden) and sports a young son, Jason (Tristan Leabu).
During Superman’s absence, world crises have gone unheeded. Crime has skyrocketed in Metropolis and nemesis Lex Luthor, played by Oscar-winner Kevin Spacey (American Beauty, The Usual Suspects), has been sprung from prison. Luthor plans to use Superman's Kryptonian 'crystal technology’ to create cataclysmic disasters and create profit for his own business ventures.
Superman embarks on an epic journey of redemption. Once again, he must save the world from annihilation. And just as importantly, the 'Man of Steel’ must reconcile the bitter-sweet relationship with his one true love.INTERVIEW EXTRACTS (Extracts from an interview by Rebecca Murray)Bryan Singer on Superman:"I am adopted and I’m an American, and I’m an only child, and Superman was [too] you know "¦ he is the ultimate immigrant and he carries his – what makes him different, his special heritage – he carries it with pride.
And the suit, in the sense of the suit, he’s very idealistic... and kind of represents a bit of what America is and the pitfalls one experiences in their idealism, so I very much like the character. I find him very pleasant. I’d like to think that there were people like Superman or aliens like Superman that existed.
Plus, he can do anything. If you look back in the comic history, they’ve done pretty much about everything. Superman’s rescued everything, picked up everything, thrown everything, caught and captured and everything’s bounced off him. You have to just see what serves the story that you’re telling at the given moment.
But there’s definitely a respect to taking an overview of the series and an overview of the movies and an overview of the serials and an overview of the musical, which I’ve seen.
Yeah, they did it. Taking a piece of everything and the comic, of course, and all its incarnations to kind of give it a general [tone].
'I feel enormous responsibility because very simply, it’s Superman. It’s an icon that surpasses probably any comic icon and most icons that exist in popular culture. I guarantee you take the cross and the 'S" into the jungle and you will have 50/50 recognition. It’s [an] extraordinary responsibility." Read the complete interview.
INTERESTING TITBITS
* When Bryan Singer took over this project, he immediately brought over his production staff from X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) – consisting of cinematographer Newton Thomas Sigel, composer/editor John Ottman, production designer Guy Dyas, and writers Dan Harris and Michael Dougherty.
*Stock footage of Marlon Brando – originally shot for Superman: The Movie (1978) – was resurrected and used in the film.
*Bryan Singer wanted Christopher Reeve to make a cameo appearance in the film but Reeve died before filming began. Singer then decided to dedicate the film to him.
