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Film

'Superman' drops in

By STEVE PERSALL
Published June 22, 2006

Look, up on the screen. It's a bird saving a disabled plane . . . no, it's Superman Returns (PG-13), and not a moment too soon for those lucky passengers. One of them happens to be Lois Lane, who hasn't seen the Man of Steel in five years.

It has been 19 years since Superman IV: The Quest for Peace became cinematic kryptonite for the movie series starring the late Christopher Reeve.

With Superman Returns, everything old is new again, starting with Reeve look-alike Brandon Routh (rhymes with south) donning the red cape, and horn-rimmed glasses as the superhero's alter ego Clark Kent. Oscar winner Kevin Spacey takes over Oscar winner Gene Hackman's baldness as archvillain Lex Luthor, whose scheme to flood North America in a real estate swindle sounds a lot like the 1978 original's plot, or maybe Al Gore's documentary.

Ah, but the film's freshest addition is director Bryan Singer, who begged off completing his X-Men trilogy to make Superman Returns. Singer hasn't made a bad movie yet, starting with his brilliant The Usual Suspects and continuing through the underrated Apt Pupil and two X-Men flicks. He is a comic book fanatic equally interested in the words and pictures, making character development as vital as the wow factor.

Superman's absence is explained in the film as an expedition to find the remnants of his home planet, Krypton. Lois (Kate Bosworth) has moved on with her life, raising a son (who could be the father?) and planning to marry the son (James Marsden) of Daily Planet managing editor Perry White (Frank Langella). Can Superman stop Luthor, win back Lois and stop the unsubstantiated Internet buzz that Routh plays the role as a gay man?

You'll see Wednesday when Superman Returns debuts. A review will be published Tuesday in Floridian.

[Last modified June 21, 2006, 10:07:45]