Name of the Film: Superman Returns (2006, Brian Singer)
*NOTE: Almost entirely spoiler free, but may need comfirmation of this.
After 10 years, finally the Superman franchise has recieved the boost it so desperately needs. Three directors, meddling studios, and even a teaser poster back in 1998, all for nothing until now.
And what a film it is. From the first few musical chords of the movie - John Williams' iconic theme is present throughout, despite a change of composer - you know this is going to be a nostalgia trip that'll thrill you to the core. Everything from the titles to the Man of Steel himself ring true to Richard Donner's original vision, and that vision is a fantastic one.
The acting is fabulous, with Kevin Spacey's Lex Luthor worthy of a special mention for his menacing portrayal of the character, and Brandon Routh the perfect replacement for the late Chris Reeve, the former matching the mannerisms of the latter's two distinct characters perfectly, down to Clark Kent's bumbling mannerisms and halting speech. Perhaps the one weak link is Kate Bosworth's Lois Lane, who simply seems to be out-acted by everyone else on screen, despite doing a solid job.
Of course, good acting does not a good film make, and Bryan Singer's expert direction steers the movie brilliant from the small, human stories - Superman's on-off relationship with Lois Lane - to the grand scheme of things, with one scene involving the Man of Steel literally carrying a world on his shoulders. All woven together to form a grand yet infinitesimally detailed plot that is perfectly plausible within the Superman universe, and fantastically intruiging to us, the cinema-goers.
However, despite frequent examinations of the human side of Superman - they almost overwhelm the movie - there's no shortage of action sequences in the film. From Superman's first appearance - an adrenaline spiking plane rescue - to the tense final showdown, all fantastically realised with almost seamless special effects and a healthy dose of inventiveness, with the sense that you're up there yourself, soaring along with Supermen, faster than a speeding bullet. This time, it's impossible to not believe that a man can fly.
All this said, the film isn't without it's flaws. At over two and a half hours long, it tests even the most patient of movie-goers, and this also leads to a small sense of dissatisfaction after the slightly drawn-out ending; though not quite the same feeling left after a certain four-hour long director's cut of a movie involving rings.
Overall, I don't think I could recommend this movie more. It has the human side of Superman to appeal to the ladies, and thrilling action sequences to appeal to those of us with Y-chromosomes and an appetite for war. Superman has most certainly returned, and this time, he soars higher than ever.
Rating out of 10: 9