Superman Returns

Director Bryan Singer said goodbye to the X-Men franchise (his absence is felt in this summer’s so-so X-Men: The Last Stand) and hello to Superman, resulting in Superman Returns, a worthy addition to the character’s history. With his film, Singer asks us to forget the third and fourth Superman movies and remember the greatness of the first two installments of the franchise. He retains the John Williams score and those cool swooshing opening credits. He even retains the now-dead Marlon Brando, who makes a return as Superman’s daddy. The resulting picture manages to retain the vibe of the first two films. Unknown actor Brandon Routh is cast as Superman, and his performance is a tasteful tribute to Christopher Reeve. He looks and acts similar to the actor (without ripping him off), especially in the Clark Kent scenes. Kevin Spacey makes for a fun Lex Luthor, and Kate Bosworth is sweet as Lois Lane.