Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8850 in DVD
• Released on: 2006-12-04
• Rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 148 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
It's fair to say that Superman Returns probably wasn't quite the blockbuster many were expecting. It concentrates its action on a handful of dazzling, audacious sequences, it spends time working with its characters, and it deliberately pays homage to the heritage of the source material. Knitted together by Bryan Singer, the man behind the camera for the first two X-Men features, it's some distance away from the last time the Man of Steel appeared on the big screen.

But that's very much a good thing. Whilst it doesn't quite, and nor did it need to, perform the major surgery that Batman Begins had to undertake on the Dark Knight's adventures, Singer nonetheless leaves distance between his film and some of its predecessors (although there are respectful tips of the hat to the first two films, not least the nostalgia-inducing credits sequence).

The plot finds Superman returning to Earth after several years away, to discover that the world has moved on in his absence. It's not as safe, Lex Luthor is out of prison, and Lois Lane now has a family. Which is the cue for a lot of soul searching, slower, tender moments and character development that divided some sections of the cinema audience.

Yet, thanks to a stirring cast, led by newcomer Brandon Routh, the end product gels extremely well. Routh's performance is a fitting tribute to the late Christopher Reeve, while Kevin Spacey chews up anything he's allowed to as key villain Lex Luthor. Further, credible, support comes in the form of Parker Posey, James Marsden and Kate Bosworth.

It'd be remiss to call Superman Returns a flawless film. After all, the running time could use fifteen minutes taking off, there's not enough Kevin Spacey and there are occasional moments when the pacing feels a little off. But it is a superb return to form for the classic superhero, with the modern day blockbuster ingredients of some meat to go with the action firmly in place. Further instalments, Mr Singer, will be more than welcome. --Simon Brew

Synopsis
For five years, Superman (Brandon Routh) has been away from Earth, coaxed into space by a belief that Krypton may still exist. Finding nothing, he comes back to a changed world--not only has terrorism become rampant, but Lois Lane (Kate Bosworth) has married, started a family, and won the Pulitzer for her piece 'Why the World Doesn't Need Superman'. After a stop in Smallville to see his adopted mother (Eva Marie Saint), Superman is back in Metropolis, and Clark Kent has his old job back at the Daily Planet, with everyone still incredibly oblivious to his alter ego. But where there's Superman, there's Lex Luthor (Kevin Spacey), and he is likely to be planning something dastardly--in this case, using a piece of pilfered kryptonite to grow an entirely new continent that he will control. Bryan Singer (X-MEN 1 and 2), armed with a script by Dan Harris and Michael Dougherty, approaches the red cape with reverence for the lore of the character, and respect for Richard Donner's SUPERMAN (1980) and Richard Lester's 1980 sequel, films that ushered in the era of the modern superhero film. Singer's SUPERMAN is filled with melancholy, and not so subtly suggests the notion of Superman as a Christ figure, sacrificing himself to save mankind. But there are still laughs, mostly courtesy of Spacey (clearly having a blast) and Parker Posey as his moll, Kitty Kowalski, as well as plenty of gasp-inducing set pieces, including a spectacular and terrifying near plane crash and a sinking boat. While modern visual effects have allowed Superman to reach entirely new realms, Singer keeps them from becoming the film's raison d'etre, thus keeping the Man of Steel's gigantic heart intact--heavy though it may be.

Customer Reviews

"Statistically speaking, flying is still the safest way to travel"
It's been a long time since Superman last graced our cinema screens. But now he's back, courtesy of Bryan Singer. And it was well worth the wait.

Wisely deciding to sweep the final two dire movies under the carpet, Singer sets 'Superman Returns' after the events of the second movie. Superman has been away for five years, following up astronomers' claims that Krypton may not have been destroyed after all. But they are wrong, and Superman returns to Earth to discover that things have moved on in his absence - he is shocked to learn that Lois has a son and a fiance. More importantly, she seems to think that the world doesn't need Superman anymore. Superman's life has just taken a drastic change of direction.

Which is exactly what Bryan Singer intended, taking the legend in an entirely new direction while still managing to honour the original movies. Brandon Routh makes an excellent Superman/Clark Kent, seeming almost uncannily like Christopher Reeve in the role. Kate Bosworth makes a feisty and creditable Lois Lane, yet somehow losing the wackiness that Margot Kidder brought to the role. And Kevin Spacey is excellent as the scheming Lex Luthor, reminding me from time to time of Gene Hackman yet still managing to make the part his own.

'Superman Returns' contains some wonderful and touching tributes to the original movies. Whole chunks of dialogue have been lifted from the first movie and inserted seamlessly into 'Returns', notably Superman's speech to his son. The Kent's farm manages to look so much like the original that I wonder if it was actually filmed on the same set! And the opening credits - a superfast journey from Krypton to Earth - captures the feel of the originals perfectly while bringing them bang up to date.
Yet, for me, the ultimate tribute is Singer's decision to keep John Williams' original score. Hearing the Superman fanfare on screen again after so long actually brought tears to my eyes! Alright, so sue me, I'm a softie!

The special effects are exactly what you'd expect from a movie of this calibre. The plane crash sequence is well worth a mention and, in my opinion, is easily the best scene in the whole movie. The rest of the movie just doesn't seem to live up to this first glimpse of Superman in all his glory and the finale seems rather downbeat in comparison. This isn't a criticism, just an observation. I love the film in its entirety, but I just wish the final showdown with Luthor had been as visually stunning as the plane crash scene.

All in all, 'Superman Returns' is a fine piece of film-making, and I would like to think that Christopher Reeve would think so too. He made the role his own during his four film outing, but Brandon Routh has proved that he is equal to the task and I, for one, cannot wait for the sequel.

The Greatest Superhero Returns!
What a film! Never before have i enjoyed a comic book film so much in my life. From the second you hear the familiar superman theme tune and see the old school credits you are in for a treat as you get to see some of the best special effects ever and some superb acting, notably Brandon Routh and Kevin Spacey. I wasn't sure whether Routh would be able to fill the legendary red boots sadly vacated by Christopher Reeve but i felt he did a fantastic job and he even bears an uncanny resemblence! I was also shocked to see they had cast Kate Bosworth as Lois Lane as she looks so much younger than Margot Kidder did in superman 2 and this film is supposed to be set 5 years after! However she too does not disapoint and gives a good performance as the feisty reporter who captures Supermans heart. It's not just the acting that's strong the story doesn't slow down for a second, from the minute Routh reveals the famous logo from beneath his shirt there is non stop action as Superman helps save thousands of people from around the world.With Superman so busy after a 5 year absence the superb Kevin Spacey is plotting the man of steels downfall. I for one can't wait for the dvd to watch this awesome film again and i would strongly recommend anyone to watch this film.

The Man is Back
Bryan Singer knocks it out of the park with his heartfelt interpretation of the Superman story. Following on from I and II, he presents us with the story of a hero with all the heart of the old stories, and all the action that CGI can muster.
And what effects they are: from the showpiece plane-rescue, to a hundred little details scattered throughout the movie, Singer has obviously come to this project with the starry-eyed optimism of a childhood fan. Best of all, however, is his successful harnessing of all the characters and settings that make the Superman stories so enduring and compelling. This results in something that many people might have feared would be absent in this work- a plot. The vision and scale of his interpretation shows confidence and panache, and the story successfully appeals to a broad range of ages due to its superficial simplicity and its subtextual complexity.

Minuses? Questions have been asked about the casting- Routh is generally excellent, contributing the combination of innocence and confidence that the dual character of the protagonist requires. But Kate Bosworth as Lois Lane fails to convince, simply on the grounds that her youth tends to belie the gravity and experience that Lane's character needs to embody. Spacey, on the other hand, is a strong villain, genuinely unpleasant and far less comedic than Hackman's masterful 77 effort.

THE blockbuster of Summer 2006. See this.