ARTS& ENTERTAINMENT
Smith & Reeve at the Movies: Superman Returns

Iain W. Reeve and Stephanie Smith, Kneelers Before Zod

 

 

After lurking for years in filmmaking purgatory, Superman makes his return to the big
screen. In a sequel to the first two Swperman movies—while conveniently forgetting the
two crappy ones—the Man of Steel returns after five years away from earth to find that
those close to him, and the world at large have learned to live without him.

Reeve:

Bryan Singer, a man who abandoned the X-Men franchise to direct the most expensive
film ever made, has taken one more step toward becoming the saviour of comic-book
film. In a film that boldly combines the comics, the films, and new interpretations,
Superman Returns has brought the most iconic superhero of all time back to the realm of
film brilliance.

Perhaps the greatest part of the film is its unenviable attempt to please everyone.
From fans of the Reeve movies to comic book nerds, a lot of people are invested in
Superman. For the comic nerds there are faithful and well-acted versions of all their
favourite characters. For the film fans, there are countless stylistic carry overs, from the
original theme and credit sequence, to Lex Luthor’s wigs. Perhaps the coolest and most
subtle reference to the old films is the use of the awkward diagonal camera pans when
Superman flies. Necessary for special effects in the old films, here it is pure cheese.

The script carries a tone similar to the old films as well. Bright, heroic, comedic, and

 

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corny at times, dreadfully serious and ominous at other times. The cast is delightful.
From Jimmy Olsen’s awkwardness, to Perry White’s stern fatherliness, this is good stuff.
Brandon Routh is all Christopher Reeve when playing Clark Kent, the same awkward
charm that endeared Reeve to 70s film audiences is present here, but Routh makes
Superman his own. Kevin Spacey is without a doubt the stand out as Lex Luthor. This is
probably the best piece of comic book casting ever. Spacey effortlessly brings Luthor
and all his sadistic, brilliant glory to the screen. Chilling and hilarious, that’s our Lex.

I would be remiss in a film like this to not mention special effects. Saperman certainly
sets a new standard for superhero films—and films in general—for computer-generated
brilliance. Superman’s flight and fight throughout the film is nothing short of breathtak-
ing,

Boldly comedic at points, dangerously dark and morbid at times, but heroic through-
out, this is the perfect effort. Superman has, indeed, returned. And, like Batman Begins,
leaves the audience begging for, rather than dreading, the next chapter. Up, up, and away!

Smith:

It cost $200 million to make and it took years. But it has finally come, Superman Returns
hit theatres this week, and has spawned some serious critical praise. “Rightfully so,” say I;
this film was stunning. From the amazing visual effects to some fantastic acting, the
movie never fails to amaze.

The reason for the huge budget was the amount of Computer Generation (CG) in
the film. Throughout, Superman’s cape, for instance, is entirely computer animated.
There are some points where it is not, but if it moves in any way, it’s not real. Hell, there
is even digital hair! But the CG is used for good as well as evil—tealistic flying, for
instance. In the original Superman film, the flying didn’t look so good. In this version, it is
flawless. On top of that there is the ever-popular Fortress of Solitude, which looks fan-
tastic. It actually always looked good, but in this film it looks real. And that is a good
thing,

The quality of acting in the film is amazing. Kate Bosworth, while not terribly talent-
ed, pulls off a salvageable Lois Lane. Brandon Routh had Superman down, perfectly
mimicking even the mannerisms of Christopher Reeve. He nails the voice and intonation
of the original Superman, and even masters the walk and posture. It was fantastic. Last
but certainly not least, is the always-impressive Kevin Spacey. I must say I was excited to
see this movie mostly for Kevin Spacey. He’s yet to disappoint me; he did not do so in
this film. As Lex Luthor, he played a darkly twisted, remorseless man with just a hint of
crazy. He was funny and cruel. This was a perfect role for Spacey. If he weren’t already a
two-time Oscar winner, I would say he was born for this role.

In any case, I would highly recommend going to see Superman Returns. Even if you
are not a fan of the comics or of the original movies, I would recommend it. It’s a great
story. It’s an edge of your seat thriller; it’s a comedy; it’s a drama; it’s a flippin’ superhero
flick! What more could you want?

Easily the best film I have seen so far this year.

 

 

 

 

Suicide Girls

 

 

This Week’s Website: Large Hearted Boy

The Internet has come to be founded on two ) major p
mocratic ability of all SS with the net to ace

 

:

_ about every shape and size, a much wider more representative
slate than the Playboys and Penthouses of the world. The other
- side of the coin though is that you pretty much have to be goth,

ples: punk, indie, rock-a-billy, or in some way alten