 Superman Returns ends the summer blockbuster season in spectacular style, zooming back into the cinemas almost 20 years after Christopher Reeve squeezed into red and blue spandex for the last time. Bryan Singer's flamboyant re-invention of The Man Of Steel puts Mission: Impossible III and Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest in the shade. The action sequences, laden with special effects, are exhilarating and brilliantly orchestrated but the intense emotions of the film set it apart. Not since Spider-Man have we witnessed a comic book adaptation that quickens the pulse while making us care so deeply about the protagonists. The heart-rending story of Superman's forbidden love for Lois Lane propels the film to its rousing finale. Screenwriters Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris don't quite deliver the knockout emotional blow, but they come close. Perhaps they are holding something back for the sequel, which could intensify the superhero's suffering as he wrestles with his true feelings for Lois while honouring his responsibilities to a world that can never truly understand him. The story begins five years after the events of Superman II. The Man of Steel (Brandon Routh) returns to Earth and his adopted mother, having searched the galaxy for survivors of his home planet, Krypton. In his guise as clumsy reporter Clark Kent, Superman secures his old position under bombastic editor Perry White (Frank Langella) at The Daily Planet, where he learns that ace reporter Lois Lane (Kate Bosworth) has won the Pulitzer Prize for her essay Why The World Doesn't Need Superman. More pressingly, she now has a young son and a fiancé, Richard, who is Perry's nephew. Arch-nemesis Lex Luthor (Kevin Spacey) is soon up to no good, threatening world peace with his latest dastardly scheme, aided by sidekick Kitty Kowalski (Parker Posey) and various henchmen. When Lois is caught up in a mid-air disaster, caused by Lex's dastardly meddling, Superman flies to the rescue, re-igniting long dormant passions. Perry immediately assigns Lois to cover the return of the Man of Steel. "Three things sell newspapers: tragedy, sex and Superman," argues Perry. "People are sick of tragedy, we know you can't write a damn about sex... " So Lois reacquaints herself with Superman, leaving her fiancé feeling deeply insecure. Superman Returns holds us spellbound for more than two and a half hours, and when the end credits roll, we hanker for more. Physically, Routh fits the part beautifully and recalls the young Reeve with his classic good looks. He also brings sensitivity to the role, illuminating the terrible burden that Superman must bear alone: "You wrote that the world doesn't need a saviour," he tells Lois, "but every day I hear people crying for one." Screen chemistry smoulders with Bosworth. Supporting performances are colourful, particularly Spacey and Posey who bicker relentlessly. The screenwriters remain faithful to the legacy of the old films and with Singer at the helm, Superman soars to new heights. | 
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