Quartile rating: 5.5/10 · 1 rating
Superman returns to discover his 5-year absence has allowed Lex Luthor to walk free, and that those he was closest to felt abandoned and have moved on. Luthor plots his ultimate revenge that could see millions killed and change the face of the planet forever, as well as ridding himself of the Man of Steel.
Superman Returns is a reverent but sluggish homage to the Donner films that struggles to justify its existence as a sequel/reboot. The plot is thin and repetitive — Luthor's real-estate scheme echoes the original too closely — and the emotional beats around Lois Lane's new life and secret child feel underdeveloped rather than resonant. Brandon Routh capably channels Christopher Reeve but the cast is largely serviceable rather than memorable, with Kevin Spacey's Luthor landing as campy without being compellingly menacing. Visually it has polish and some genuinely striking moments (the plane rescue sequence is a highlight) but Singer's direction lacks the kinetic energy the material demands. Novelty is low given how deliberately it retreads the Donner template rather than forging its own identity. The ending resolves the immediate threat but leaves the franchise in an awkward limbo, failing to build satisfying momentum.