Preview: Superman Returns

by Nick van der Leek

Jerry Siegel and Joe Schuster created the Superman character. The man of steel first appeared in Action Comics in 1938. It’s a sad irony that after years of grubbing for money, they gave up on Superman, selling the idea and then watching their idea fly, generating millions and millions to the new beneficiary.

I was 6 years old when the first Superman movie came out in 1978. Even after Star Wars, Superman was simply breathtaking to watch. I’ve never forgotten Superman’s father either. Just recently, while waiting for my movie, I caught a preview of Superman Returns playing on the flatscreen above the popcorn kiosk at a cinema at Fourways Mall. Even more exciting was hearing Jor-el speaking again. Marlon Brando’s godlike voice, and effusive wisdom; what a great idea to use some of the classic, original material in what will be the fifth episode.


Even as a young child I wondered why, after Superman, they didn’t overhaul the movie industry and concentrate on superhero movies. Even then, there were plenty of action figures to choose from: Spiderman, Green Lantern, the Hulk, Captain America, the Flash, Fantastic Four, Thor, Wonder Woman, and obviously, Batman. Nearly three decades later, Hollywood has learnt that a gritty, superhero-in-the-real-world approach works better than a Tim Burtonesque creepy, campy, corny film, like the terrible Batman Returns (with Danny deVito) and the awful follow ups that temporarily buried the Batman franchise.

Spiderman, X-Men and recently, Batman Begins show that comic book heroes can attract massive audiences and rake in the big bucks. Bryan Singer directed X-Men (and Kevin Spacey, in The Usual Suspects) and he will do the honors for Superman Returns, but very much according to the ‘authentic’ style applied so cleverly by Christopher Nolan in Batman Begins. It will be interesting if Warner Bros offer Nolan a chance to do a follow up on Superman Returns, but perhaps, he’s not much of a fan of Superman, or, for the time being, too preoccupied with Batman.

When Superman Returns, he takes himself as seriously as the dark knight did, in Batman Begins. The story starts where Superman 2 ends, with Superman (Brendan Routh) visiting his home planet Krypton, and returning even more lost and bewildered, and unsure of his place in the universe. The world seems to not need saving, and if anything, Superman has his own problems, especially dealing with his arch enemy, Lex Luxor (played by Kevin Spacey). Jor-el provides Supes with much needed inspiration – courtesy of stock footage from Richard Donner’s original Superman.

Things have changed since 1978. We’ve survived a bunch of calamities, including 9/11 and some incredibly bad weather. We became so nihilistic at one stage that comics depicted Superman’s death, and the antihero emerged as the hero for our brave and somewhat cynical new world. But the success of Smallville, and a world that seems increasingly brittle, and in danger of imploding, suggests that we’ve shed our cynicism and are now observably lost. We need Superman, now, more than ever. Superman Returns to South African cinemas in July.