2007-10-03

Superman Returns - a response

So I saw Superman Returns last night (and today). Interesting picture. Here are my thoughts in no particular order:

  • I like attention to detail. I was impressed by a number of events in the story that existed to please discerning film watchers. These include the use of Supersonic shock waves whenever Superman or other flying craft break through the sound barrier (a real pic can be found here).
  • There are events in the film that are tributes to other films, these include the scene of the bad guy with the minigun firing at cops (Arnie in Terminator 2), the launch of a Space Shuttle whilst on top of jet airliner (Moonraker), the breaking in two of a ship as it sinks into the ocean (Titanic), and, of course, the presence of Kumar Patel from Harold and Kumar go to Whitecastle (maybe Lex Luthor tried to hire Neil Patrick Harris as one of his bodyguards as well)
  • I nearly turned the DVD off when Superman rescues the stricken plane and lands in the middle of a major league baseball match. That was pathetic. The chances of that happening were, well, about as likely as Superman actually existing. I like continuity and the ability to suspend ones disbelief, but this almost triggered off my "Why are those people flying in Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon?" alarms.
  • As Superman flies over the ocean and sees the massive fault line developing underneath him, my initial reaction was "surely Metropolis is about to be hit by a Tsunami". Why didn't it happen?
  • Why doesn't Superman realise that he has lost his super powers? Perhaps he just wanted the experience of being beaten up by gay Rugby League player turned actor Ian Roberts.
  • Best scene - the piano playing duet between Superman's bastard and the guy with a dog's face tattooed on the back of his head.
  • Apparently Superman also made it to Gotham City in the film.
  • Did Lois Lane get her Pulitzer?
  • Speaking of Lois, I was impressed by the whole you've-been-gone-five-years-and-now-I'm-married -but-I-still-love-you-but-I-also-love-my-husband quandry that she goes through.
  • More on Lois - she's pissed off at Superman for leaving them all, but manages to express this to the man of cobalt just after she gets her life saved by him. Some chicks would prefer to die in a blazing wreck than to have their lives saved by someone they're angry at.
  • Apparently the Kent family farm was filmed in Tamworth. The film-makers thought that the location was typical "middle America". Tell that to the folks in Middle America who had to have their landscape depicted more accurately overseas (and tell that to the good people of Tamworth who probably now think they're more middle America than Middle America which gives them more reasons to hold that ridiculous country music festival there year after year).
  • Richard Branson was in the film too, apparently. Didn't see him.
  • The director also did The Usual Suspects, which is where he was able to get Kevin Spacey. It would've been good to have a Kayser Soze moment during Luthor's screen time.

3 comments:

Ron said...

Funny I loved the Boeing nose dive into the baseball field. I was bored up until that sequence.

Also loved the boy finding out what he could do.

Thought Spacey was brilliant as usual

Did not understand the whole "romantic" plot

Did think the Titantic like break up was in bad taste

Like many of these serial films I still think the First was the best. With great lines like "Don't worry I've got you", "But who has got you"

Now to talk with Dave about those EBHS chairs

Anonymous said...

Now to talk with Dave about those EBHS chairs

D'oh! I'm busted now.

Ross said...

One good thing about this film was that it followed the continuity of Superman I and II, presuming that the inferior III and IV were never made. The other thing I liked was that it retained the Biblical subtext of the earlier films, with Superman as a sort of Messianic figure. With all of the characters and their relationships reestablished, I hope we get to see a sequel which will have more action and a supervillain or two.

By the way, Richard Branson was one of the Space Shuttle pilots.