Superman = Cornflakes: Watch it Again for the First Time

I've always had an appreciation of the past, and what has come before. I even got a degree in history, because I like to know where we've been so I can see where we're going. In recent years, that desire to know where we've been has translated to where we've been cinematically. I used to gloss over the "classics", and jump directly to "new releases" however since I've grown and learned a moderate amount about film and film history, I've attempted to educate myself in the classics. At the insistence of my friend Becca several years ago, I watched Superman, and then immediately watched the 2nd film too.

Yesterday, I went to see the 10PM show of the brand spakin' new Superman Returns. Of course set after the first two films, this movie brings out the best of the Richard Donner films. You can see the appreciation that Bryan Singer has for Richard Donner and his canon. His goal was not reinventing the wheel, it was adding to the Superman legacy while holding to the parameters set by Richard Donner and Christopher Reeves in the 70's, Seeing this movie was like watching Superman again for the first time. It starts out just like the first movie did, the same music, the same style of opening credits, and Marlon Brando. It was beautiful. You could just picture young Bryan Singer eating up Superman (the original film) with a spoon, dreaming of making films like this. That's the prime reason this film was so fun to watch. It was a throw back to the original, not only because of it's untampered with back story from the previous films, but so many scenes from this new movie were carbon copies of the previous films with a "modern" edge to them.

The characters were modernized too, certainly casting was crucial to the film, and there are no complaints from me. The acting was great. Brandon Routh is the epitome of Superman. Chris Reeves wife gave Brandon her blessing and he took the ball and ran with it. His Clark was goofy, clumsy and loveably nerdy, while his Supes was everything you want from the Blue Boy Scout. He was a true gentleman who's tough as nails, can withstand gunfire but quivers like a love struck puppy dog when insight of Lois Lane. What more do you want from Supes? Routh took what Reeves did and made it his own, never demeaning what Reeves did, but adding too it. The same could be said for Kevin Spacey's Lex Luthor. He's a brilliant petty thief in the Donner movies, so he's relatively similar in this Singer version. He's delightful, knowing the precise moment to be chilling, or turning the scene on its ear by being witty, you could even say charming. Spacey delivered. Bosworth was a good Lois, she wasn't as sassy as Margot Kidder was but she (like Kirsten Dunst in the Spider-man movies) doesn't detract from the movie, but isn't the lynch pin of the film either. The unsung heroes of the movie go to Sam Huntington- (Jimmy Olson), Frank Langella (Perry White) and Parker Posey. Huntington played Jimmy Olson note perfect. Everything you could want in a Jimmy was there. He amused as from the start, and made himself endearing as he is the only person who truly even notices Clark Kent. Frank Langella was a delightful Perry White. My single regret is that we couldn't have seen him more in the film. Parker Posey sticks out to me, as an unnoticed stud in the film. Her performance is classic Superman Cinema. She is the Mrs. Teschmacher roll from Superman and she was note perfect. She did the damsel in distress bit, and the unloved, unappreciated henchwoman bit. My only sadness is that it may have been too good; she played the role so well, that casual fans likely didn't give her a second thought because she was so needy and pathetic. People could be lulled into thinking that's her true personality rather than her brilliant acting.

The action movies of this summer have been really good in terms of special effects. This movie is right up there with X-men 3, Cars, and Mission Impossible 3. I'm not here to sift out the minutia and argue about which movie has better special effects, suffice it to say; the action is heart stopping, edge of your seat, action. It must needs be seen in a movie theatre, please don't wait until video; you'll be glad you did.

Good acting, good special effects, and an interesting story make for a good summer blockbuster. However, a little something extra is required to create a transcendent film. With a typical summer movie you're lucky if you remember watching the film 2 days later (if not before) a transcendent film you remember forever, (or at least a week...). This film has significance to me, because it proves you can make a throw back movie, snazz it up a bit, and not only is it successful monetarily but cinematically as well. Furthermore, it's special because it solidifies Bryan Singer as a Peter Jackson-esque director. He flourished with the X-men films as Jackson did with Lord of the Rings, and then proved he can do it again with Superman (again like Jackson did with King Kong.) Not to mention that he was already on the map with the Usual Suspects (as Jackson was for his cult classic Dead Alive and the Michael J. Fox movie Frighteners.). Seriously, go to the movies this summer and you can see history repeat itself before your very eyes.

Why the World Needs Superman

If you're reading this and you haven't seen "Superman Returns," go now. Log off the computer, take some of that sick time you've been saving from work, and catch a matinee in your local multiplex. You'll thank me when you get back I promise.

Not a Superman fan? Well, did you ever lie on your back as a child and dream of flying? Did you watch movies and wish you could save the girl and beat the bad guy? Did you daydream in class about the adventures you'd have if you ever got the chance? This movie is for you. There are two sections of this post. The first is for those that haven't seen the film, no spoilers just overall impressions on Singer's job with the Big Blue Boy Scout. The second section (which will be adequately marked) will feature my take on the story itself, including (necessarily) some spoilers. Again spoiler territory will be marked, and I beg you not to peak at that until you've seen the film.

1987 brought us the last image of Superman on film, although the quality of that final impression has been justly questioned. "Superman IV: The Quest for Peace" was a terrible movie. The first two Christopher Reeve Superman films however, were transcendent. They are largely responsible for the world's knowledge and love for the Last Son of Krypton. Bryan Singer understands that and uses it to full advantage.

When I heard that the first two Superman films would form a "vague backstory" for the new chapter, I didn't understand. I do now. Those films are much bigger than just the character of Superman. Superman is just another superhero, a character for dime comics and newspaper strips. But the film representation of Superman, as embodied by Christopher Reeve, was something else. Donner in those first two films captured the Messianic qualities of the character that his creators had never imagined. The world needs a savior. Donner knew it. Singer knows it. And he delivers in spades.

The film is beautiful. If you have the choice to see this film in a state-of-the-art high tech theater, or a discount establishment, do yourself the favor and splurge. It's worth the extra two bucks. Singer's previous films had mood by the bucketload but never before has the visual sophistication matched the emotional levels. Here there are moments that literally take your breath away. From the first big action set piece, to the final image the screen is full of life and (most importantly) light. Singer has had a habit of relying on the darkness but with "Returns" he fully embraces the light. Newton Thomas Sigel is again Singer's Cinematographer so new blood isn't to blame for the switch in focus. I imagine the subject just cried out for it. Superman is powered by our Sun after all, it only makes sense that some of that light would come out on film.

The performances are all solid, Frank Langella and Sam Huntington do superb jobs bringing to life Perry White, and Jimmy Olsen respectively. Both roles are iconic and have been done well before, but the actors live up to them nicely. James Marsden is fine in the thankless job of Lois Lane's other man, and Kate Bosworth brings her "A" game to the role of Lois. What you really want to know about though is the big two. Kevin Spacey isn't doing a Gene Hackman impression with his Lex Luthor, but he is genuinely funny at times. He is also frightening. Perhaps no other actor and role are more intertwined in the history of film than Christopher Reeve and Superman, but Brandon Routh, the young, mostly unknown, former Soap Opera star, fills out the tights nicely. Yes, I'm speaking figuratively. He doesn't make you forget Christopher Reeve, but why would you want to. If anything this film is about remembering. Remembering what it was like the first time you saw a plane take off. The first time you read a comic. The first time you saw a movie. The first time you watched Superman fly into the sunset. If that sounds like something you want to remember, then do yourself a favor. Go now. Superman has returned. Rating A+

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Now that you've seen the film (and you better have seen the film), let's discuss a few critical points. One really. The kid. Tristan Lake Leabu is the little boys name, and to me he just carried his first film. In the first few minutes of the film, we hear Marlon Brando's monologue..."My life will be seen through your eyes, and your life through mine. The Son becomes the Father and Father becomes Son"... That's what this movie is about, and it's all on the shoulders of Tristan Lake Leabu. There he is on Luthor's yacht, helpless, gasping for breath, watching his mother's murder with no chance to stop it... but he does have a chance. He doesn't have to gasp for breath, he doesn't have to watch his mother die. He can be the hero. He was born to be the hero.

None of us dreamed as children of working a nine to five, pushing papers and filling out forms. No one ever longed for the day they could report a one-third percentage increase in sales to the home office. We dreamed of saving the day, righting wrongs, being stronger than we were. We dreamed of Superman. Brian Singer has done a wonderful thing with this film. He has given us room to dream. I for one plan to enjoy it. 'Till next time, I'll see you at the movies.

A Peak Under the Hood

The following is a transcript of a conversation between John Lasseter (head of Pixar, and Disney Animation) and his wife roughly three years ago:

John: I just love this movie. We should remake it, you know make it a little more appealing to kids.

Mrs. Lasseter: You want to remake Doc Hollywood?

John: Yeah, but we'll cast it with...cars.

Mrs. Lasseter: Why in God's name would that make sense?

John: Well, the main character could be a...racecar instead of a Doctor. It's genius! Let me call the guys.

It's not everyday that we get to see behind the scenes of the Hollywood process, but this particular conversation really helps shed some light on Pixar's latest opus, "Cars." I made the statement in a post a few weeks ago that Pixar had never made less than a perfect film. That's not to say that their films are the best ever made, but they are as good as they could possibly be. The studio seems to wring every last bit of goodness out of an idea. I for one don't feel that the streak has ended. "Cars" is a perfectly enjoyable movie, for kids and adults alike.

I thought I was being particularly witty with my "Doc Hollywood" comparison, until I Googled "cars doc hollywood" and found dozens of reviews with the exact same joke. But it's perfectly fitting. Let's break it down:

Main Character: Young hotshot, on his way to fortune and fame in Los Angeles
Setup: Main character causes a wreck and is sentenced to community service in small town, USA
Love Interest: Sexy, big city girl that fell for the small town, and its small town ways and never looked back
Lovable Local Yokels: Check
Grumpy old Doctor: Check
Resolution: Hotshot main character learns that fast-paced big city life isn't for him and settles in the small town, winning over the love interest in the process

Honestly, I'm a little surprised someone hasn't sued yet. But, in Pixar's defense, it was a good story the first time, and it loses little in the retelling. All the lead actors, Owen Wilson, Paul Newman, Bonnie Hunt, Larry the Cable Guy, Cheech Marin, Tony Shalhoub etc. are excellent. Funny, sweet, personable, it's the performances that make it okay to watch anthropomorphic cars for two hours. The actors are superb, especially Shalhoub, but the real star is Pixar Animation. These guys are consistently building on their experience and talents and are swiftly approaching photo realism, especially for backgrounds. The desert vistas on display look very much like the backgrounds for another Disney animated film, "Dinosaurs." In that film Disney filmed live backgrounds and then animated the characters over the film. Here everything is computer animated, but you'd be hard pressed to tell it. The light is what really captures your attention here. Neon bouncing off a chrome bumper, or the sun setting over the desert, the moon during the pasture scenes, all breathtaking. Visually Pixar has outdone themselves.

If I was ranking the Pixar films (and I'd hate to do it) I'd place this one above "Finding Nemo" and "Toy Story" but behind the rest of their films. I do have odd tastes here though compared to most critics. I loved "A Bug's Life" while most put it at the bottom of the list. For those checking the scorecard, great story (even if it is recycled from Michael J. Fox's library), solid performances from an all-star cast, breathtaking visuals (that only make you salivate at what Pixar has in store for us in the future), but overall not a homerun. An okay Pixar movie is still an Incredible (no pun intended) film by any other standards. Rating: B+

A New Beginning

Hello, Blogosphere. Here's yet another entry into the electronic world from the Drunken Rogue. This time I have company, the Raging Romanian, Tom Thumb. We'll be serving up a weekly dose of movie reviews for your perusal and enjoyment. You can expect at least one new film review a week from each of us and one bonus DVD review from the site. That is not to say that we won't occasionally put out more, but to give us a respectable mark to aspire to. We both have our own style and opinions, which should provide some entertainment, especially when we disagree.

If you like our writing please feel free to check out our other pages listed in the links section, alongside some of our favorite sites not written by us. Enjoy, and we'll see you at the movies.