My review on this movie is overall negative and I have more than enough good reasons for it. This is not to say I disliked everything in the movie.
First off the worst part of this story is that is not a remake of the original Superman movies starring Christopher Reeve, but rather a continuation of them.
This in my opinion was the worst part of the movie and the worst mistake of the producers.
Christopher Reeve's Superman was simply a classic, this is agreed by most Superman fans and non-fans alike. Christopher Reeve has everything required for a Superman. He had the handsome appearance, he had the build, he had the voice, he played the role with profession.
Reeve truly became the spirit of Superman and a spirit that was irreplaceable. Most people especially fans saw Superman and Christopher Reeve as one. He came into our minds when we tried to imagine what Superman looked like.
So when you loose the actor who becomes the spirit of the character, it's very rare that you can resurrect him artificially by getting another actor to play the same role.
This is exactly what happened with Superman. When Christopher Reeve departed from the world of the living, so did Superman.
This is why Superman Returns lacked the spirit of the rest of the Superman movies with Christopher Reeve.
Not only was Brandon Routh an artificial attempted replacement for Reeve (I don't even see much resemblance between the two), but he also lacked character and had nothing of Christopher Reeve's Superman in him.
Then there was of course the part of poor storyline. Just about every critic of this move mentions this and rightfully so. This storyline is one who can randomly pull out of just about any Superman comic book.
Nothing special or epic about it. And it is part of a never ending story. Lex Luthor tries something evil, Superman foils it. This goes on and on with no possible ending in sight.
Here are some of the good things. The special affects especially the flying sequences were obviously better, given that we live in a much later time era than Christopher Reeve's Superman quadrilogy releases. I also liked Brandon Routh's Superman suit which seemed to be made of thicker cloth and plastic than Christopher Reeve's thin suit. Having a thicker suit for Superman makes it look more realistic to it not being scratched or damaged when Superman is attacked.
Another final taste added to the dull theme of the movie was the producers giving Superman a son by Lois Lane.
Perhaps this is a sign of continuation of the story from the same cycle of Superman saving the day from another random plot.
Perhaps the story may continue with a "next generation Superman" with the son replacing the father.
I do not recommend people buying this movie on DVD, especially a new unopened copy. Those curious about the movie should rent the movie and if they like, buy a used copy which is cheaper.
