Superman Returns Superman Returns - Recommended. Is it good? Yes. Is it great? No. Is it as good as the 1978 original? No. Should you see it in the theater? Yes. Should children younger than 13 see the film? No.

What did I like? The special effects were seamless. Brandon Routh was a great Clark Kent. When the opening titles and the Superman music played, I got the same feeling in my gut as when the opening titles rolled on Star Wars: Episode I in 1999. Something deep inside that said, "Yes!" It was as if a long lost friend had finally come to vist, after decades of silence.

Another cool part: Within the first 20 minutes, Bryan Singer illustrates how silly the 'Clark doesn't know how to fly' storyline of the WB's Smallville is. Of course Clark knows he can fly. In fact, he figured it out in elementary school. Nice.

My favorite sequence was without a doubt the Space Shuttle/Airplane sequence. Heart-pounding suspense and incredible special effects make this the single most impressive sequence in my book. My second favorite sequence was the rooftop encounter with the trigger-happy robber.

I have a few criticisms of the film. First, the tone of the film. This is a much darker, more somber story. Why? Most scenes were at night. Why? Second, the love triangle involving Clark/Superman, Lois and her new boyfriend (meant to give the old story a new twist, I suppose) was a waste of time. I wanted more of Superman saving people and wanted a few more sequences of Clark and Superman interchanging in rapid succession to keep the illusion going that they are two different people. Third, Kevin Spacey's take on Lex Luthor was competely humorless. He tried to be funny in a couple of spots, but he mostly comes across as evil.