After years of struggling to get the project off the ground, Superman Returns finally made it to release at the hands of Bryan Singer. It’s been 20 years since the comic book icon made his last appearance on screen, and with new technology in tow, this film truly comes alive to live up to the definition of epic. While overlong, there’s a lot of lost time to make up for and it's acceptable ride through comic book lore.
Brandon Routh will never replace the late Christopher Reeve as the Man of Steel, though he truly makes this role his own. A few minutes into the film and all of the complaints and over-reactive fans are silenced. Once into the trademark suit and into the sky, he truly is Superman.
With excellent dialogue, Returns quickly brings non-fans up to speed, assuming the original films were never viewed. This leaves it plenty of time to build up its own story, one that features Kevin Spacey wonderfully capturing villain Lex Luthor while still giving the character a style all his own. Luthor’s plan is to create a new land mass, replacing current ones at the cost of millions of lives.
Created partially from Kryptonite, the land grows into a pointy, jagged stretch of solid ground. It’s a wonderful design, adding to the menace Spacey is already projecting through his character. His plan of course leads to some epic action scenes, and the bloated $270 million budget works to craft some truly miraculous visuals.
With a 20-year time span, the plot does require a bit of adjustment. It’s a stretch to think that Lex Luthor managed to hatch this scheme at the exact same time as Superman’s reappearance on Earth. He may be maniacal, but to believe he’s stupid (or flat out unlucky) enough to try this now is a rather gaping hole in the plot. Also, Lois Lane (Kate Bosworth) and anyone associated with her falls into a typical Superman trap of not figuring out that Clark Kent is the superhero. Routh looks the same whether as a reporter or dressed in tights.
Once the movie begins rolling and Superman is able to begin his world-saving ways, none of that truly matters. This is a grand adventure, filled with priceless touches, nods to the originals, the right dose of comedy, and awe-inspiring effects. With about a half-hour cut, this is close to a classic. 
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