First lukewarm of this flick I've read Chantal...it's mostly getting raves. But if what you say is true, I know definitely go to a Superman movie to see action.

Of course I want good character development too, and I hear Spacey brings a little more of the sinister quality to Lex Luthor (as opposed to Gene Hackman's campy goofiness). Ive also heard Parker Posey is good (she was wonderful as the new office bitch towards the end of Boston Legal last season).

I'm planning on going this weekend. So how bad are the lines Chantal?

-Glen

Sorry about the typos above. I'm up past my Bedtime. So that would be "first lukewarm REVIEW of this flick I've read" and "I know I definitely go to a Superman movie to see action."

Good review though Chantal. Going to bed now. Nighty-night.

-Glen

lukewarm, yeah...

and I feel bad because my husband and I really wanted to LOVE the movie. Don't get me wrong, I liked it, it was good....just not great...certainly not as good as it could have been. I guess the key is to view with not such high expectations.

chantal,

This is where I think we definitely agree... Good, but not great. How about that sound, though? Absolutely fantastic. I can't say enough.

Anyhoo, great review!

Cheers,
-Neil

you're right, the sound was excellent...

thanks for reading, I'm on my way over to read your review.....

Sounds like it may be a good film...3 out of 4 here...4 out of 5 on one of hte other riviews...guess I'll go check it out...thanks Chantal!

I think you'll like it Andy....for some reason my husband and I feel the need to obsess over it. He had to up for work at 5am today but we were up til 2am talking about the film.

The thing is, when we saw Spiderman, we left the theater feeling *thrilled*, like we just witnessed something totally amazing, true movie magic. And I was expecting the same thing from Superman Returns, but it just didn't happen.

Like I said before, perhaps my expectations were too high, but for crying out loud, its SUPERMAN....my expectations should be high, right?
It was a good movie, entertaining, and I'll buy the dvd. But I feel no need to see it in theater again. I just wasn't thrilled.

Should I wear my Superman t-shirt when I go?

For Sure!! I was expecting to see someone in full Superman costume, I brought my camera just in case....but no such luck. Lots of Superman t-shirts though....my hub included!

I saw it last night (In DLP, the BEST way to see it), and it was okay.

The whole angle with the BOY (don't want to give too much away) had me screaming LAME!!!! I'm sorry, it's lame.

And I think it would have been much better to reboot the franchise a la Batman Begins, instead of pretending like Superman III and IV didn't happen and that Superman Returns happens after II.

Ty....I competely agree...the kid angle was dumb. But I didn't want to mention it in the review, giving too much away.

The 'kid' was a totally unecessary story addition.

Chantal, liked your review enough to go see it soon, one nit-pick though-it's kryptoNITE that luthor gets ahold of-not krypton (that's the planet)-time to get ahold of an editor sweetie.

Loved it
love you
Jet

PS I suspect they did some rewrites and re editing when all the rumors on the web turned toward superman being gay.

Now about that bulge?
the did a whole article in entertainment weekly last year about that, concerning how big how obvious etc. I mean after all the guy's wearing tights!

I was wearing my t-shirt one day...walking through the AF exchange out in Phoenix...little kid came around the corner, saw me...his eyes got real big..then, he turned around and ran back down the aisle he had just come from...I heard him say...DAD! DAD! I JUST SAW SUPERMAN!!!

just because I was standing there with my fists on my hips like Superman...it really was classic!

"Chantal, liked your review enough to go see it soon, one nit-pick though-it's kryptoNITE that luthor gets ahold of-not krypton (that's the planet)-time to get ahold of an editor sweetie."

Hey Jet, check out your copy of the Periodic Table, if you have ever seen one. Element 36 is called Krytpon. It is A-OK for Chantal to say Krypton instead of Kryptonite in referring to the substance, even if Superman comics and movies solely use the solid form of it, kryptonite. Either way, radioactive krypton(ite) hurts Superman.

I meant Krypton

Jet....as far as the Superman-being-gay rumors go, from what I've read, they stemmed primarily from the fact that Bryan Singer, the director, is gay....and you know how dumb people can be....gay director=gay superhero.

Makes me giggle, though, when so many "str8" guys spend so much time LOOKING for something gay about Superman.

Drat!

Nice review, Chantal. Thanks for being mild in your tone, but I know the "real" deal.

Hmm, I was loath to see this movie, as it seemed to me the character has been used so much in the last 30 years or so (on TV especially), what else could they do without it being a retread?? After your review, Chantal, I'm really not any keener to see it lol.

I'm taking my family to see this at the IMAX theater tonight. 3-D, 180 degree screen...should be pretty awesome!

Andy....let me know how it is on IMAX!

Ok, IMAX was pretty cool. There are 4 scenes that were shown in 3-D and they were pretty impressive. In one scene, there actually looked to be things floating right in front of me! Big screen...big sound...what more could you ask for in a superhero movie!?

As far as the movie goes. I liked it. The action was great, the story line had a couple of plot twists that I wasn't expecting, although, I think I had the biggest plot twist figured out about 5 minutes into the movie. My daughter remarked that Superman sure did seem to get himself in trouble a lot!

I don't like Supermans' new superhero costume...that diamond tread looking S on his chest didn't cut it for me. His costume reminded me of one of the older Superman movies were there was a bad Superman with a dingy looking suit on...remember that?

Lastly, does Kryptonite kill him or not?!?!

Andy...the IMAX sounds pretty cool...I'm glad you enjoyed it....so what was the plot twist you had figured out....the kid?

And your daughter is right....whats up with Superman needing so much help all the time? That part really bothered me and my husband. If he's SUPERman, what the heck is he doing in the h*******?? (don't wanna give it away for anyone else)

One other thing too Chantal...did it seem to you that he looked like a cartoon character a couple of times when he shouldn't have?

You're right about the plot twist I had figured out...

"things floating right in front of me! Big screen...big sound...what more could you ask for in a superhero movie!?"

Oh Andy.... c'mon!

did it seem to you that he looked like a cartoon character a couple of times when he shouldn't have?

Duh?

re #25...YES, Andy....thats what I meant when I wrote that the CGI was a bit overdone....he didn't even look REAL at times. I'm glad you noticed that too. I thought that was really weird.

you think it was weird for you? Try it in 3-D!

The bulge Chantel get to the bulge! Did his costume have nipples like Batman's?

no nipples lol...and the bulge was only slightly impressive....I read somewhere that his real bulge was looking *too big* in the costume, so they had to re-work that part of the costume to keep it under control.....I'm thinking drag-queen style lol

Damn-I was hoping the plot twist was him having to save a bunch of bath house gays Jerry Falwell.

I guess I'll go back to pasting Andy Marsh's head on really hunky guy's porn bodies now...

maybe that will be in Part 2.....keep the hope alive, Jet! lol

Ah then the plot twist could be Lois Lane is really Louis Lane in drag!

LOL

Now if we could only get him to go after the evil scientist who re-awoke me a couple of days ago.

Yeeeee ewwwww ah haaaaa haaaaa!

there was one other thing that bothered me...when Perry White said..."does he still stand for truth, justice and that other stuff?"

I guess "The American way" is just to PC for a movie anymore???

yeah Andy, apparently it is...especially when you're trying to appeal to an international audience.

Jet - that's why I won't give you a picture of my entire body...sometimes you scare me man!!!

Of for god's sake Andy, I was pulling your leg not your dick... sheesh.

Besides I can put your head on any body I want and make it look very convincing-just ask Chantal about me putting a woman in a trailer she'd never been in and making it look convincing.

Stop being such a scaredy cat.

I know you're straight, so I know where your dick's been and I don't want it in my mouth after that-yuck-thank you

Love hugs and kisses
Jet

You crack me up man!

yeah Andy....he's good ;)

lol

Andy, Chantal;

I liked the movie, but it wasn't great. On a scale of 1-10 (5 being average), I'd give it a 6 or 7. Let's put it this way, my step-son liked it better than I.

And I also noticed some closeups where his head looked cartoonish, or computerized. What is CGI?

Computer Generated Imaging...exactly what we were talking about MCH. Where he looked cartoonish...when he should have looked real...

I'd agree...good but not great. First feature movie I've ever seen at an IMAX theater though...I think it was probably a good one for a first time experience.

Speaking of computer generated images-Andy check your e-mail!

Andy won't respond to that picture I made for him, I guess I'll have to post it on my own blog...

I checked it this morning...it's very....scary!

We had to go to the sneak peek early preview too, I couldn't wait. While I was at times slightly disappointed, overall I was entertained, and like you, thought Posey would have indeed made a better Lois than Kate. We saw lots of Superman shirts and my daughter was delighted over one couple in their Superman suits. Theaters in the 'gay-borhood' good for dress-up dramatics.

Routh is a gorgeous Superman, but that hair curl, guess it's Singer's touch, a little over the top -it just did not move - even after his fall into the ocean. Dipped in lacquer. Regarding the suit, and comments about the evil Superman, that's what I thought too, just not your regular man 'o steele duds.

Writers were lazy regarding the supporting characters; it would have improved the story to have had stronger support characters.

I have read the criticisms of Superman's lack of dialogue; he's a superhero not a superorator. I thought his script was fine. Kevin Spacey was fun as Lex Luthor, although with current times, I had expected more current themes. Producers stuck to tried (trite) and true. AM radio conservative talk jocks were up in arms over the alteration of the phrase, "Truth, Justice, and the American Way". I thought it humorous how seriously some of them were regarding the interpretation over the exclusion of "...and the American Way", going so far as to refuse to see the movie over the bastardation of the Superman creedo via the hands of the Left.

Reviewers have criticized Superman for 'abandoning' his child; please he and Lois did the deed and he flew to Krypton, how'd he know? That brought up the other question, did he remove the suit during or...is there a secret exit? Also neglecting his duties regarding his no-show in court and so Lex gets his get out of jail free card again, the man was flying into space in quest of his planet. Sheesh. Even Superman can't be two places at once. But the absence of five years, that's a lot of space travelling, and his return simultaneously with Clark Kent's return not stirring up any interest in the reporting room of The Daily Planet - that was an issue that needed reworking.

Oh well, I just have to add, "It's a bird! No, it's a plane! No, it's Superman!"

Jewels - I thought that was pretty cool how they got the it's a bird line into the movie too! I also was pleasantly surprised to hear Perry say..."Great Caesers ghost!" And it did bother me a bit that they took out the ...and the American Way out of his creed...but PCBS bothers me...and that's all that is.

My kids didn't get why I laughed at that...but I watched a lot of black and white Superman when I was a kid!

Andy, I loved that part too! Let's hope the "Superman curse" doesn't follow Routh. Superman was my childhood hero; I too have watched his shows since the B/W days and throughout the years, all the actors that have come to play him.

Jewels.....
Thanks for such a great and detailed comment....

The fact that Clark came back to work the SAME day that Superman returned, and no one noticed(?!?!?!?!!!!) really bugs me too. I can buy that Superman is from outer space, that he can fly, leap tall buildings in a single bound, blah blah blah....but I can't buy that everyone around Clark is so dense they never noticed the "coincidence".

I agree that the writers were lazy with some of the characters, in fact, I think the writers were lazy overall. I think they thought that Superman returning was enough to carry a story, but they greatly underestimated their audience. My 10 yr old son LOVED the movie...but we're not all 10 anymore.

I'm back guys. Jewel I liked your review. I guess we all need to wait and see if anyone else makes an attempt at making a Superman movie. Remember the collection of Batman movies that came out??

I can't remember, did I wish Chantal Stone a happy birthday today?