Underrated Classics: SUPERMAN RETURNS!

Some films I can understand people’s criticisms of – the Star Wars prequels, for example, clearly have their faults but I love them nonetheless. Yet some films really, truly fit into the bracket of Underrated Classics, and Superman Returns is one.

The criticisms levelled at Bryan Singer’s brilliant Superman reinvention range from nonsensical to pathetic fanboy whinings: “not enough action”, “Superman shouldn’t have a son” and “Lois Lane isn’t a mom!” Yet each of these are the kind of reactions that come from expectations that could never be met, or from those who expected an action-packed thrill ride from start to finish.

The thing is, Superman was a character stuck in movie limbo for many years before he Returned, floundering in the wake of Superman IV, one of the worst sequels ever made. Even comics sales had begun to drop, the Man of Steel falling prey to a public feasting on action-packed X- and Spider-Men. Subsequently, rather than retread his X-Men footsteps, Singer decided to approach the heroic symbol of America in a more personal, thoughtful manner. The result is an intimate portrait of comics’ greatest hero, and a beautiful reflection of America’s hopes and dreams.

It isn’t often that a film’s greatest pleasure comes from its cinematography, but rarely has a film ever looked so gorgeous. Red and blue seep through the screen as though everything is wonderfully backlit, with Metropolis never looking more like the idealised New York it was always intended to be. Combine this with John Ottman’s hugely atmospheric score and just sitting back and letting everything wash over you would result in a pretty wonderful film, but it has even more up its red, yellow and blue sleeve.

It’s fairly difficult for anyone to come up with an original development for an invincible man. Pitting Spider-Man against a difficult-to-kill enemy results in fairly decent tension and excitement, but Superman’s weaknesses have to be underneath his impenetrable exterior. His heart is his most human element, and as such is the most interesting to see hurt. This isn’t about what Lex Luthor can do to destroy Superman physically – instead, it is about how a person whose only known role was to act as the ultimate hero for all of humanity suddenly finds that perhaps he is not needed. His long-term love interest is now a family woman, and his desperate attempt to investigate reports that Krypton may still be out there somewhere inadvertently leads to his arch enemy walking free. Superman is a broken man, and a character who suddenly has far more depth and complexity than a secret identity to protect and a feisty reporter to drool over. Singer instead asks us to look inside the Man of Steel as he begins to look inside himself, and the result is as satisfyingly rewarding as any special-effects laden blockbuster of recent years.

Surprisingly, very few people seem to be in agreement with me on this film. While Ang Lee’s much-derided Hulk has since been somewhat reappraised, Bryan Singer’s masterpiece is simply looked upon as a disappointing attempt at relaunching the franchise. On the contrary, not only is Superman Returns a cleverer, more entertaining film than Hulk, it has led Superman into a far more interesting direction than many other superheroes. Zak Snyder’s Man of Steel, overseen by the genius of Chris Nolan is at least guaranteed to look good, and will hopefully develop in the same way as the Bat franchise.  Yet it is a return that would be hard to imagine if it weren’t for Superman’s dazzlingly complex return – a film more subtle than most Oscar-winning dramas and super-hero action extravaganzas combined.