Here's an interesting thread I came across about deleted scenes from the movie -- and there are tons of them (most of which were in the trailers!).
I figure Brando's "involvement" bit the cutting room floor since there was next to nothing of him in the released version.
http://www.bluetights.net/theplanet/sho ... ge=1&pp=15
SUPERMAN RETURNS Thread (Olde Spoiler Warnin' Ahead)
Just got back from seeing it- I thought it was okay but I just cannot help but be reminded how incredibly lucky I was to be a kid and see SUPERMAN THE MOVIE when it was released. I agree with your review Andy- Reeve did an incredible job playing Clark Kent/Superman and gaining sympathy and "bonding" with the audience. While Roth didn't do a bad job (in my opinion), he didn't get the same sympathy form me that Reeve did.
This film was more like an homage to the original SUPERMAN- and as you stated in your review, there wasn't much humor at all (it played more like the character should have been Batman), and the sets looked more Batman-ish. I think Superman needs more light and color- it was actually too dark (literally and figuratively) for me.
Spacey was okay, but he takes himself too seriously. He reminded me too much of John Doe in SEVEN- one of the things Hackman brought to Lex Luthor was the ability to like him even though he was evil- he had a sense of humor.
Great point about Lois not knowing who the father of Jason is- silly really. But in SUPERMAN II, didn't Supe/Clark give her a "super-kiss", making her forget that she and the Man of Steel slept together and (according to this film, I assume) conceived Jason? That's probably the way around that one.
The music- I don't remember an original theme in it at all. That could mean a couple of things: either the Williams themes are that much better than the new themees or I am too intimately familiar with Williams' score to have cared about Ottman's. There was one scene that annoyed me musically: when everyone was waiting outside the hospital for Supe and Lois and Jason walk by, we see a shot of Martha Kent. Then, all of a sudden, we hear the "Leaving Home" theme- unnecessary!!! I felt at times that Ottman just "patched on" one of Williams' themes to fill in a hole or be leitmotivic for the sake of doing so- kind of like "let's give the fans a throwback to the original here". I honestly don't remember anything about the score.
In closing, I appreciate that Singer et. al. were trying to make an updated film while retaining enough elements from the original to make it an homage. But ultimately I don't think it worked as well as it could have. It's biggest flaw may be that it was too dark and as others have said (and I agree with it), Superman needs humor and a lightness to it. This isn't Batman, after all. I may be very biased in that I am extremely fond of the original, but so be it. The original cannot be topped. It's not bad but it's style is too much like that of other super-hero films of this day and age and it needed to be something else.
This film was more like an homage to the original SUPERMAN- and as you stated in your review, there wasn't much humor at all (it played more like the character should have been Batman), and the sets looked more Batman-ish. I think Superman needs more light and color- it was actually too dark (literally and figuratively) for me.
Spacey was okay, but he takes himself too seriously. He reminded me too much of John Doe in SEVEN- one of the things Hackman brought to Lex Luthor was the ability to like him even though he was evil- he had a sense of humor.
Great point about Lois not knowing who the father of Jason is- silly really. But in SUPERMAN II, didn't Supe/Clark give her a "super-kiss", making her forget that she and the Man of Steel slept together and (according to this film, I assume) conceived Jason? That's probably the way around that one.
The music- I don't remember an original theme in it at all. That could mean a couple of things: either the Williams themes are that much better than the new themees or I am too intimately familiar with Williams' score to have cared about Ottman's. There was one scene that annoyed me musically: when everyone was waiting outside the hospital for Supe and Lois and Jason walk by, we see a shot of Martha Kent. Then, all of a sudden, we hear the "Leaving Home" theme- unnecessary!!! I felt at times that Ottman just "patched on" one of Williams' themes to fill in a hole or be leitmotivic for the sake of doing so- kind of like "let's give the fans a throwback to the original here". I honestly don't remember anything about the score.
In closing, I appreciate that Singer et. al. were trying to make an updated film while retaining enough elements from the original to make it an homage. But ultimately I don't think it worked as well as it could have. It's biggest flaw may be that it was too dark and as others have said (and I agree with it), Superman needs humor and a lightness to it. This isn't Batman, after all. I may be very biased in that I am extremely fond of the original, but so be it. The original cannot be topped. It's not bad but it's style is too much like that of other super-hero films of this day and age and it needed to be something else.
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AndyDursin
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Unquestionably right on Michael! The more I think about it, the more SUPERMAN RETURNS came off as a homage movie made by younger filmmakers lacking an identifiable point of view of their own. But when you open up the door to the original movies you also invite comparisons, and we know how the movie fared on that level.In closing, I appreciate that Singer et. al. were trying to make an updated film while retaining enough elements from the original to make it an homage. But ultimately I don't think it worked as well as it could have. It's biggest flaw may be that it was too dark and as others have said (and I agree with it), Superman needs humor and a lightness to it. This isn't Batman, after all. I may be very biased in that I am extremely fond of the original, but so be it. The original cannot be topped. It's not bad but it's style is too much like that of other super-hero films of this day and age and it needed to be something else.
Even in terms of a comic book movie I don't think this movie ranked with the better genre efforts of the last few years (SPIDER-MAN 1 & 2, BATMAN BEGINS...heck I even liked FANTASTIC FOUR and DAREDEVIL better -- they might not have been so ambitious but they felt more satisfying to me).
I thought the same thing but it still doesn't make any sense. If she has no memory of their liason then what's she to assume -- that Supes raped her or something and made her forget it? (not to be graphic but this IS a movie that shows the Man of Steel flying to her house and using his X-ray vision to stalk her!). It's creepy either way.Great point about Lois not knowing who the father of Jason is- silly really. But in SUPERMAN II, didn't Supe/Clark give her a "super-kiss", making her forget that she and the Man of Steel slept together and (according to this film, I assume) conceived Jason? That's probably the way around that one.
I also liked the first two Spider-Man films (and BTW, I did see the trailer for SPIDER-MAN 3 and it looks good....despite having 3 villains in it....my Quick-Time wasn't working so I didn't see the trailer until yesterday).
BATMAN BEGINS breathed fresh air into that series and I thoroughly enjoyed that film- and darkness works in that one!!
BATMAN BEGINS breathed fresh air into that series and I thoroughly enjoyed that film- and darkness works in that one!!