At long last, it's finally here. After wading through a seemingly endless string of overhyped turkeys and big budget wannabes, we actually have a summer movie that delivers in just about every way. That movie is Superman Returns, filmmaker Bryan Singer's (X2) loving tribute/sequel to the original film franchise that started back in the late 70s, and then derailed in the mid 80s. Don't get the wrong idea, this movie is not a clone copy of the original formula, nor does it come across as feeling dated. The film is vibrant, fun, exciting, and sometimes even touching. From the moment the familiar opening notes of John Williams' famous Superman theme begins to build on the soundtrack all the way up to the ending credits, this movie rarely misses a beat. To put it simply, Superman Returns is top notch popcorn entertainment with class.

The film's title is tied into the background story of the plot, which finds the famous defender of "Truth, Justice, and the American Way" returning to Earth after a five-year disappearance. During that time, Superman (Brandon Routh) has been searching the galaxy for any remains or signs of life of his birth planet of Krypton. After a fruitless search, he returns to Metropolis to reassume his secret identity as mild-mannered reporter Clark Kent, explaining his lengthy absence by saying he was on vacation and seeing the world. Clark returns to his job at the Daily Planet to find that not much has changed, except for the fact that his longtime secret love, Lois Lane (Kate Bosworth) has moved on from the days she used to long for Superman. She's apparently not happy over the fact that he disappeared five years ago without saying anything, and has since fallen in love with another man (James Marsden) and has even given birth to a cute little boy (Tristan Lake Leabu). It seems that Lois now views Superman as somewhat of a bad memory, and has even written a Pulitzer Prize winning article titled "Why the World Doesn't Need Superman". When the Man of Steel makes his triumphant return rescuing a doomed aircraft plane (which Lois just happens to be on), her feelings for him are reawakened and she becomes conflicted between the man she once loved and the man she has promised herself to.

Unfortunately for our hero, his return to action coincides with the hatching of the latest scheme by arch nemesis, Lex Luthor (Kevin Spacey). Lex is out of prison, and has become even more wealthy and powerful after inheriting a vast fortune from an ailing millionaire widow whom he struck up a false relationship with during her final years. The villain then sets his plan into motion to locate Superman's legendary hideaway, the Fortress of Solitude, and steal the ancient secrets of Krypton that lie within. (Knowing that it holds all the secrets of the universe, you'd think Superman would have installed some sort of security device on his Fortress of Solitude, but Lex and his henchmen are able to discover it and waltz right in with no opposition whatsoever.) With the knowledge of advanced alien technology at his disposal, the madman plans to use it to destroy most of the United States and create an entirely new continent ruled solely by him, making him the world's next great ruler.

Superman Returns, much like the Spider-Man films, attempts to dig deep into its title hero, and portray the relationships, feelings and loves of a legendary comic character. For the most part, the film is successful in this regard. This is a Superman who does not have quite the same amount of confidence that he once had. For perhaps the first time since he was an awkward teen, just discovering his powers, Superman finds himself alone. Any hope of finding traces of his own kind have come up short, and now he returns to Earth to find that some are not happy to see him, chief amongst them being Lois. Even though he flashes that same confident smile to reporters who are on the scene of his exploits, for the first time, he is beginning to truly question himself and his worth to the people of the world he has sworn to protect. When Superman and Lois are reunited, there is obvious tension, neither are quite as confident as they once were. It's quite obvious that they both hold each other in the highest regard, but there is much more hesitation. The movie, for the most part, does a good job at examining the complex relationship between this legendary couple. They get some good moments together, the highlight being a night meeting on the roof of the Daily Planet building, which leads to a touching and beautiful special effects sequence where Superman gives Lois an aerial tour of Metropolis. Where the film's depiction of their romance beings to slip somewhat is that it is not developed quite far enough. The way things come across, Lois is only interested in Superman, and seems to care less about his more nerdy real life counterpart, Clark. She actually spends so little time with the hero's alter ego that their relationship is practically nonexistent. This makes Lois come across as somewhat shallow, as she seems to only love one side of his personality, which is a stark contrast to the previously mentioned Spider-Man films, where the heroine Mary Jane loves both sides of the hero.

But, this being a summer movie, few people in the audience will probably care less about the plotting and character development. They'll be coming for the special effects and action sequences, and in these areas, Superman Returns definitely shows where the film's astronomical budget (reported to be well over $200 million) went. The first big action sequence in the film, where our hero must rescue an airplane that is falling apart as it plummets to earth, is quite literally awe-inspiring. There is such a sense of speed and rush during this sequence that you almost start to wonder if the filmmakers are blowing their wad within the first half hour or so. Fortunately, this is not so, as the movie has many more wondrous sights to show us. Some other action highlights include Superman taking on some heavily armed bank robbers, and the film's powerful climactic sequence. There is an actual sense of grandeur and awe to these sequences. This is not just a series of big explosions or expensive stunts splashed on the big screen just to keep the audience awake between the dialogue-heavy scenes, like some other blockbusters. (I'm looking at you, Mission: Impossible III.) The movie does a great job of balancing the heart and sentiment of the characters with the over the top action sequences that, appropriately in this case, look like a comic book come to life. These scenes are edited masterfully, they never become confusing or fly by too fast, and the sense of speed creates a more realistic sensation of flight when Superman takes to the air than the original films could have ever accomplished due to special effects limitations at the time. I like it how Superman literally takes off with an almost small sonic boom in this movie, instead of just merely jumping into the air and floating away. It gives him a greater sense of power and majesty this way.

In terms of casting, relative newcomer Brandon Routh has been under much scrutiny since it was announced he'd be filling in the blue tights and red boots famously worn by the late Christopher Reeve in the original franchise. I'm proud to say that he fills the role with ease. While it certainly helps that he somewhat looks like a young Reeve, which kind of helps with the transition a little, he is able to bring across the stoic mystery that his Superman persona needs, while also filling out the more comical and awkward elements of the Clark Kent character. The real star of the film is Kevin Spacey, who all but walks away with the movie thanks to his energetically evil portrayal of Lex Luthor. While I have great respect for Gene Hackman as an actor, I always thought his portrayal of the famous supervillain was lacking and too comical in the earlier films. Spacey still portrays Lex with humor, but it is much subtler and darker now. Not only that, he comes across as much more menacing and cunning than Hackman ever did, much more of a suitable match for the "last son of Krypton". As intrepid reporter Lois Lane, Kate Bosworth fills the role well enough, but never truly stands out as she should. Aside from a few choice moments with Superman, like the previously mentioned rooftop meeting, she actually lacks any real interesting scenes that can truly attach her to us. But, I'm sure that's something that could be easily fixed in a sequel. As for the rest of the supporting cast, they are simply required to stand in the background and react to the action that's going on around them (such as the other staff members at the Daily Planet like Jimmy Olsen and Perry White), or they are not developed as much as they should be (the new man in Lois' life). The only supporting character who stands out is Parker Posey as Luthor's ditzy girlfriend/sidekick, who begins to question her own actions during the course of the film, and comes across as being much more interesting than the simple comic relief she initially passes herself off to be.

Aside from a couple characterization troubles, there is very little I can find fault within Superman Returns. When compared to its other main comic book competition this summer (X-Men: The Last Stand), there is simply no comparison - Returns leaves its competition in the dust. You can tell that a lot of care and planning went into just about every aspect of this film. From the set pieces to the wonderful music score by composer John Ottman (which skillfully mixes material from the older films with new tracks), everything is just as it should be. Even with a running time of just over two and a half hours, the movie never lags or loses our attention. It goes without saying, but I highly doubt there will be a finer blockbuster hitting multiplexes in the remaining summer months to come. Superman Returns is much more than just big budget spectacle and escapism, it is joyous and has an actual heart. If the inevitable sequel can iron out the film's few tiny faults, I see a very successful return to form for the franchise.

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