Bryan Singer does a superb job with Superman Returns. He mixes a potent cocktail of action, romance, and drama with the cast balancing all parts of the equation expertly. The cinematography is quite breathtaking, as well. The colours bring a dreamy quality to the film, presenting audiences with something classic and classy all at the same time. Some people have complained about the movie’s length; I wish it could have been longer. (I also wish Singer could have directed X-Men 3, but that’s a different rant.)

I have to say this right off the bat: Brandon Routh is a better Superman than Christopher Reeve was. I know, I know… It seems almost blasphemous to claim this, but it’s the truth. Brandon Routh, although quite stoic in most of his scenes, adds another layer to the Superman persona that plays at the heart-strings a bit more than Reeve’s performance ever did, Reeve’s personal life aside. A relative Hollywood no-name, Routh fills Reeve’s shoes — and tights — very well. He transforms seamlessly from Clark Kent to Superman, adding a little of both to each ego. And he’s hot to boot.

The plotline was a little blah. It could have been more sinister for my taste, could have provided a darkness to the shiny Superman franchise. Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins does just this, but Singer’s Superman Returns fails to arouse a genuine fear in its audience. Lex Luthor, although brilliantly played by Kevin Spacey, doesn’t scare enough. Sure, he’s a baddie, but who’s honestly afraid of him? We see our fair share of earthquakes, but when does it get to a point where we’re worried for anyone’s safety? And with a PG-13 rating, I don’t suppose we’ll ever get there. Though, when a Kryptonite-affected Superman gets kicked and punched by Luthor’s henchmen, there is a real sadness and pathos achieved.

Overall, I loved Superman Returns. Lois Lane and Superman have a sexual tension that oozes out of every scene they share together. James Marsden, who plays Lois’s new beau Richard White, seems to always play that guy who loves the girl who we all know should be with the main guy, as seen in the X-Men movies. However, Marsden carves out a deservedly bigger and more significant role for himself. Like the Cyclops/Jean Grey/Wolverine triangle, the good thing about this “new” triangle is that Richard is a surprisingly good guy. He’s a hero in his own right. Superman flies, Richard flies… a sea-plane. The latter is possibly even more heroic, as he is more vulnerable and susceptible to mortal injuries, but he is still willing to sacrifice himself for his family. Kate Bosworth, on the other hand, doesn’t have the raw appeal of past Lois Lanes, though it’s still pretty obvious why Superman is in love with her.

Like the Man of Steel himself, the film has one true weakness: it doesn’t delve into the duality of Clark Kent and Superman as much as it could — or should — have. What makes the Superman story the most interesting, to me at least, is the fact that these two characters are really one and the same. Superman doesn’t pretend to be Clark Kent; he is Clark Kent. Who is the alter-ego, Clark or Superman? Who does Lois Lane truly love? Can she have one without the other? The complexities underneath this superhero’s seemingly still waters run quite deep. It’s a shame that Bryan Singer put this intriguing element of Superman’s humanity on the backburner.