DVD
Review: Superman Returns 2-Disc Special Edition
Reviewed
by Craig Byrne
The
two-disc "special edition" of this summer's Superman
Returns film hits stores on November 28. (Click
here to pre-order your copy through Amazon.com at a reduced
price and support KryptonSite!) The 2-disc set features
the movie and some extra special features, though one will notice
some things are lacking.
The
Feature:
The
movie itself looks great on DVD. Obviously, Superman Returns
was a movie much better suited to see in a theater, because
of the "big" scope and nature of the film, but if
you've got a big enough TV, this will still look really good.
I
was against Superman Returns when it was first announced
because of my obvious loyalty to Smallville the TV series,
and my feeling that two different versions of the same story
could not exist simultaneously. I was happy to see that Superman
Returns was its own story, which didn't take away from my enjoyment
and buzz of Smallville the show at all.
Brandon
Routh may not have been as iconically "Superman" looking
as Christopher Reeve was back in the day, but then again, who
would be? I have to say though that Routh did a good job in
his first major movie role, especially in his portrayal of a
nerdy Clark Kent. It's not as nebbish as Christopher Reeve was
or as "cool" as Dean Cain was, but it really worked.
I had a lot of fun with scenes involving Routh, especially in
ones where people would make Clark vs. Superman comparisons.
I
expected to hate the character of Richard White for his role
in being the guy in the middle, but they really didn't allow
us to hate Richard now, did they? It's interesting that in many
ways Richard was a Superman himself, just without powers.
I
loved that Noel Neill and Jack Larson were given cameo roles,
and that Neill's especially was something very important. It
was quite cool that footage of Marlon Brando was used in the
movie, and there is a special feature on the DVD about how exactly
that was done. Having Glenn Ford's photo on the mantle as Jonathan
Kent was also a VERY nice touch.
I
really have no opinion either way on Kate Bosworth as Lois Lane.
Nothing bad to say, but nothing too incredible to say either.
Of all of the "new versions" of classic characters,
hers was the most incosequential. She didn't have the "go-getting"
feel of Margot Kidder or the combination of sass and beauty
that Teri Hatcher had... she was just kind of there.
One
person who totally made the movie for me was Kevin Spacey as
Lex Luthor. What was even greater is I could easily see Michael
Rosenbaum's Lex becoming this guy. It's a bit comical but not
as over-the-top as Gene Hackman was. With great foils like the
always wonderful Parker Posey as Kitty Kowalski, Spacey really
brought his A-game. I loved it. I keep hoping that Smallville
will eventually surround their Lex Luthor with idiots,
because an exasperated Lex is a lot of fun.
Though
he's not in the movie much, I also really enjoyed Sam Huntington
as Jimmy Olsen. It wasn't exactly the same as the other incarnations
of Jimmy over the years, as Sam gave it his own spin, but he
did a great job.
The
production design and the costume design - not just for Superman,
but across the board - were fantastic. Some of the best in the
business clearly worked on this movie, and it showed.
The
bad part of the movie itself? I'll be honest: After the second
or third time, the movie gets a bit boring. It's not as unwatchable
as Superman IV, but it still isn't something I'd want
to watch too many times.
The
Extras:
Forget
the words "Special Edition," because you know as well
as I do that Warner Home Video will probably release a really
special edition in a year or two.
While
there are deleted scenes on this DVD, the main deleted bits
that I had wanted to see - including the gray-suited Superman
in space - are missing. Since this stuff is in the trailer and
promotional photos, they're going to release it eventually.
I just think it's lame that they didn't release it now.
There
are some good deleted scenes, but that was ruined a little bit
for me knowing that it wasn't all there.
There
are some extras about the production of the film and what went
into the making of it, and while fascinating, you might get
bored with that, too, if you have to watch it all in one sitting,
especially if you've gotten so accustomed to seeing these featurettes
that it becomes old hat.
Also
included is a look at how they "resurrected" Marlon
Brando for Jor-El. Very cool stuff.
The
DVD "special features" menu screen kind of annoys
me, for the same reason a lot of the publicity photos from the
film bugged me - the menu treats things as if Bryan Singer (the
director) was one of the stars of the movie. It seems at every
turn Warner Bros. did what they could to pander to Singer's
ego, which got a bit old. Singer was not the draw that brought
me in to this movie; the draw itself was that it was Superman.
Seriously, I don't see Smallville's creators hopping
into every promo shot. Richard Donner didn't do it, either.
Some
of the movie's trailers are also included, as is an advertisement
for the Christopher
Reeve Superman Collection - which is a set I am definitely
including on my Christmas list.
There
are other extras that are out there that are clearly missing.
What about Bryan Singer's Journals that were broadcast on BlueTights.net?
And all this time that went into these documentaries yet NO
ONE sat down to do a DVD commentary? I just think it's kind
of lame, expecting fans to "double dip" here.
The
Final Verdict:
It's
a good DVD, and it'll be a great gift for a Superman fan, but
a completist will have to know that a much better version of
Superman Returns with more bonus features will inevitably
be coming out in a year or two. The DVD set as it is will at
least provide you with a good movie and a few hours of extra
material, to tide you over until that inevitable "extended"
cut comes out.
Order
your copy of Superman Returns on DVD today!
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