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Superman Returns

Other than "wow", I'm not sure where to begin putting into words my experience seeing Superman Returns. I will admit my lifelong Superman-worship biased me going into this. In some ways that makes me a prime target for this film, but also a member of the demographic that could be more difficult to please. All I can say is that I don't know if there is such a thing as a "perfect" comic-book film, but for me this one gets just about as close to such as possible - doing so with a stylistically different take than almost any "comic" film that's come before. The visuals throughout the film are breathtaking and - literally, for me - jaw-dropping. More than a handful of moments/scenes had me riveted and almost giddy with glee over seeing things play out on screen that I had only imagined from my years of pouring over comic book panels. ALL of the "what-if"s I've imagined over the years, regarding the potential for showcasing Superman's abilities using modern film-making technologies were supremely addressed and perfectly played out in so many instances. The flight is stunning. Not just the "up and away" moments or the cruising into space scenes, but the smaller visuals - the hovering up and down, the levitation without pretense - it all just flows seamlessly, making me feel and truly believing Clark could do everything I was seeing. The impact is astounding. A pleasant bonus on the powers/abilities angle is how their uses/needs are written into the action - not just there for just the spectacle/grandeur (though they do have that effect) in the sense of "he can FLY; he shoots HEAT from his eyes; he has super BREATH; he's FAST - look how cool it all is!" No - the abilities are shown practically, as tools in this hero's arsenal to be a protector and force for good, and hits home the idea that there is NO ONE ELSE who could do what he does - especially for the selfless, greater-good mentality he exhibits. Without being specific, some of the heat-vision scenes are just plain awesome. And the showcase of his strength is climaxed toward the last half-hour in a god-like feat that just gave me chills. Just another stunning, indelible visual in a film that is so beautifully shot, with such reverence for the icons, that it literally made me misty. What I noticed this film does well as a contrast to recent "event" hero films is in allowing the action sequences time to get established, with longer shots and less frequent cuts. Other reviewers have described it as giving the developments room to "breathe", and I agree. There is less of a frenetic pacing to the 'wham-bam' moments that keep your adrenaline up, which in turn gives the scope of what unfolds more of an epic/grand feeling. We get a little more time to appreciate the "heroics", which lends a little more realism and situational gravitas to the feats we see happening, and I think the older fans who appreciate the weight of the history behind Superman as a character will value this style more. And for all the greatness in the action moments we get, the literal 'heart' of the story lies in the emotional toll found in Clark's/Superman's alienation - pun not intended. Singer and his screenwriters manage to infuse a powerful sense of loneliness in Clark that has seldom been touched upon as effectively, without saccharine camp. And the feeling evoked isn't overly angst-filled or tortured, like those associated with Peter Parker or Bruce Wayne, because that isn't who Superman is. It gives a feeling of sadness in the (audience's) realization that Clark is a pretty solitary figure - the last of his civilization, apparently not too missed by those from his former personal life and the world as a whole. He returns to find that these emotional ties/foundations have shifted while he was away, and the world has maintained its way without him.

 
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