Superman Returns

Is it good? Moderately, yes. There's enough throwbacks to the original films to make me smile. The "rescuing the plane" scene is good. We get to see Superman use all of his power several times. They have a GREAT shot of Superman holding a car above his head in tribute to the cover of Action Comics #1, his first appearance. The effects are quality and CG isn't overused. And yes, Brandon Routh makes a decent Superman and an even better Clark Kent. (Christopher Reeve still retains his title as the definitive Superman/Clark Kent, but Routh never had a chance of stealing that.)

I went into the film hoping it would be amazing. And it started off strong. Great opening text. INCREDIBLE opening credits. Great music. I really felt like I was about to see a GREAT Superman movie. By 3/4 of the way through I realized that wasn't he case. If the credits opened my mind to an A+ movie, the rest of the story worked it down to a C. And keep in mind my love of Superman covers a multitude of sins. Had this been any other superhero that rating would have been much lower.

It had good characters, good actors, good sets, good scenes, and good direction. With all of that why wasn't it a great film? I honestly could sit here and type a 10 page essay on the film, but nobody will read it. In short I'll say it's story structure is an absolute mess. Characters do not have clear goals or desires and do not change as a result of obtaining or missing them. It was a tribute to a great character and a great film, written by either untrained or untalented writers. If you're actually intrested in reading what I believe to be the most accurate review of the film, check here:

http://www.aintitcool.com/display.cgi?id=23714

Ebert's review has some good points although it's a bit harsh:
http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060626/REVIEWS/60606009

It's worth the price of admission. It's really enjoyable and entertaining. Worth buying on DVD as a Superman fan. But if you're like me and want to see a GREAT Superman film. It's already been around for 28 years now.