The ICON of the SUPERS RETURNS

Faster than a speeding bullet--- HE HAS FINALLY RETURNED. I am one of the lucky few who got the chance to watch it in advance. I won two tickets to the advance screening of Superman Returns through pinoy exchange (yeah lucky me Ü).

I am a self-confessed comic-book to movie fan. I have already watched a dozen of these comic book movie adaptations and only a few has fallen short of my expectations (of course we all know about X-Men 3, Fantastic Four, Dare Devil to give names to the few). Just a little side story before going for my ultimate review... You see, the night of the advance screening (June 27), it was raining heavily. Jelson picked me up at the office at about 6:30pm and since the theater is at Galleria, I didn't think that going there via private transpo will get us there by 7:30pm. Therefore, we took the fastest transportation in the Philippines to date--- MRT. I completely forgot how far the Ortigas station was from Galleria. By the time Jelson and I made it to the newly built escalator outside Robinsons, we were half drenched (oh, did I forget to mention that neither of us had any umbrella?). I was about to ask Jelson if this movie was going to be worth the trouble that we went through but opted otherwise because I might spoil the night for us to even start a discussion. Maybe this question is best answered later.

The movie was opened by a very short paragraph to where the movie will be starting (since it is entitled Superman Returns, we need to know where he is returning from, right?). As soon as the opening bars of the London Symphony Orchestra's Superman Theme filled the theater, I felt like I was time travelling back to my childhood days when I was watching Superman via our betamax. The parade of the planets that go with each beat of the music was very reminiscent of what is to be expected of all Superman movies. The entire OBB has left me in awe, complete with my jaw open, and I am not exagerrating here. Nostalgic is the best term to describe the feeling.

Brandon Routh was surprisingly so convincing as Clark Kent (I don't want to compare him to the Clark of Smallville since I really do not watch it) that you would really think that Christopher Reeves has descended upon him and tasked him to play the role. Donning the blue and red costume and seeing once again the superhero who made us believe that a man can fly made me shiver all the more.

Just a few comments on the plot. If you haven't watched the movie I suggest you stop reading from this point onward. The character of Superman was and is loved by (as Lex Luthor said in the movie empathically) BILLIONS. I am deeply affected by the storyline. Superman has been humanized from being the man of steel to being--- a MAN. This shouldn't be a surprise to me since most comic book adapted movies has been giving this humanization effect on our superheroes especially after the 9/11. Yes. Case in point, try to recall how different Spiderman (which was made prior to 9/11) and Spiderman 2 are. Peter Parker even delivered a very poignant line to MJ that would justify what I'm pointing here---"I'm different now. Punch me and I'll bleed". But that's Marvel, let's go back to the DC headliner. The plot merely highlighted the lovestory angle of Lois and Superman. Yes, 5 years is a long period of waiting, but that doesn't mean that only the world of Lois was affected, how about Lex Luthor? I was waiting for some uberly evil plan of Superman's most celebrated enemy but there was just none. The only thing that made me stay and watch out for Lex Luthor's character is Kevin Spacey's a superb acting. But why oh why did this Kitty in the movie have to be so irritating? She ruins the scene where Kevin Spacey delivers great acting.

The scene that depicted the biggest humanization of Superman is falling from space into a park and having to be admitted in a local hospital. It was gloomy, emotional, and too painful to watch. I can't begin to imagine why it had to be that way. He is the man of steel. I was shaking my head as I watch that scene. It was like telling a child that the man you look up to is not real. But that's comic book superhero's reality setting in. They have weaknesses and sadly, in this movie, it was (for me) excruciatingly displayed.

Another part of the movie that I just couldn't agree with Bryan Singer is Superman having a child. I just think that if he was trying to rebuild the franchise (we all know it has been quite sometime since the blue and red suit has been seen on the big screen) it was just too soon.

Still, you have to hand it to this director (who by the way left X-Men 3 to rot in the pits of worst storylines ever in favor of this movie--- really can't help dissing the last installment of the X-men movie) for putting Superman back in the scene. Singer was very triumphant in re-making the image of the man of steel as iconic.

To answer my question earlier--- Was the movie worth it? YES. Because once you see the bird, no the plane, no--- SUPERMAN fly, you are reminded that yes, he is the ICON of them all.