Superman

Alright, alright...so its been awhile. I get...lazy, and don't blog. I apologize profusely.

But...let me tell you about the best movie I have seen in some time. One disclaimer before I start in on this wonderful movie. Yes, it is about Superman (****),and yes, I am a huuuuuuge Superman Freak. The first comic I ever bought with my own money was a Superman comic when I was 6 years old. He is my hero. But, that being said, if this movie had suxed, I would have torn it a new one because of my love for Supes. Just cause I love him does not mean I love all things with his name on it.

Flash back to 1987. We get the abortion known as Superman and the Search for Peace(-100000 stars). Basically its about Superman destroying all the nuclear weapons, and in the process creating his arch nemisis, Glowy Gold Guy. I think thats what his name was, I don't remember, as the trauma of the movie made me forget. It was poorly written, poorly acted, was edited by a dylexic drunk monkey (actually, that would have been better), and killed Superman as a franchise for years to come. This movie so so bad, ITS NOT AVAILIBLE ON DVD. I think its what actually killed Christ Reeve and made Margot Kidder Crazy. UGH UGH UGH.

19 years later, we are redeemed. Superman Returns is the direct sequal to Superman II (***). After fighting Zod, Supes travels into space to see if he can find any remnants of his home planet Krypton. He returns five years later to an earth that has moved on. Lois Lane (played glowingly by Kate Bosworth), his love, has moved on and had has a son with another man. He struggles to find his place in this world, and wonders if he even has one.

Something that hasn't changed is his Arch Rival, Lex Luthor (magnificently done by Kevin Spacey). Lex has weasled his way out of prison and stolen an old womans fortune to finally get his dream...Lexland. To do this, he travels to the north and steals the crystals from Supes' Fortress of Solitude, and creates a plot to grow a new continent that will be all his. Parker Posey plays Lex's....um...well girlfriend would mean he had feelings for her...so...female henchwoman? And is totally underused, but when she is, its wonderful.

Beyond that, this one of the best shot movies I have seen in some time. Incredible action sequences with Superman saving the shuttle kept me on the edge of my seat. In 1977 when the first one came out, the tag was "You will believe a man can fly"...here, you not only believe can fly, but you wish you could as well. All through the movie are homages to the original movies, from the same font used in the opening credits, to the use of dialouge directly from the movies. Most importanly, the Superman theme created by the genius that is John Williams is here, and added to. Without that, it would not have worked. Bryan Singer, who redeemed comic book heros with his Xmen and Xmen 2, knows what he is doing, and does it very very well here. I was in love with this movie from the start.

What I cannot wait for is to see it in Imax 3d, which I will when i go to Vegas Next week. YES!!!