�Duh duh duh duh- da da da da da� as the newly digitised opening credits shoot out at the open mouthed audience, you get the feeling that �Superman Returns� is going to live up to all the hype; even before the film has even begun.
The franchise has obviously had a well publicised revamp for this new film. Brandon Routh�s Superman packs a bigger pouch then Christopher Reeve or Dean Cain ever did, his suit is a little more blue, his hair a little curlier but most impressively, this Superman is built like a brick shit house and for purists he resembles the original DC comic character more then any other Supermen.
It makes sense that he would beef up, how else is he going to win back the love of the now Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Lois Lane who is saddled with a little kid and seriously gorgeous partner? Well, the one of the main themes of this film is that he doesn�t win her back, thus setting up the franchise for another few films that will no doubt see Superman save Lois time and time again until she finally cracks and is whisked away.
Their romance in the film is the thread that holds everything else together, and unlike the previous films, the red hot relationship between Lois Lane and Superman is totally believable. Maybe Lois has softened up in her old age, or perhaps, Kate Bosworth is incapable of playing the hard hitting reporter that we all knew and loved, either way her Lois is a likeable character, though you do find yourself longing for that feisty nature that Bosworth is unable to summon. On the other hand Kevin Spacey�s Lex Luther is spot on, creating the right balance of sarcastic humour with murderous megalomania that you almost want him to destroy the planet�well why not? He�s worked hard for it after all.
When it comes to Superman you can pretty much guess the plot line; however, the special effects used in �Superman Returns� makes up for the predictability of the script. Seeing Superman stop a bullet with his eye, saving a plane from crashing before landing it in a base ball stadium, jumping hundreds of feet in the air and seemingly floating in space all adds to the supernatural nature of Superman and really is what makes him the ultimate super-hero.
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