Superman Returns

The people swarming from all corners was a bit discouraging... I hate crowds. But I had the feeling that it might be worth it... And it was. The whole cinema was full... but not of a tiny specific group of nerds that wanted to see the man in tights... no... There were young people, and old people. There were nerds, and parents, and professionals and groupies... It struck me as odd that such a diverse crowd would meet in such an unlikely place and didn't really mind the clashes on... living perspectives... A bunch of kids were placed by their parents at the front seats, and I foresaw a movie with brats jumping and arguing and fussing with popcorn... Groundel had minions of the Colombian armada flanking his right side (who knows, perhaps his long lost rich father is trying to make contact...)... I had airheads flanking my right side... And a mix of married airheads and college brats lined up in the back seats... I foresaw disaster... A very bad idea to go see a movie that everyone wanted to see on its so-called premier... Then the lights went out... The DC logo appears... A light of hope (since the last time, meaning V for Vendetta, was a sincere treat from DC Comics)... And then the music hits you. The same old music that we all know by heart ever since we listened to it at the opening of the original Superman movie... The music takes you. The dance of images takes you deep into space, and the music alone gives you a certainty that it will all be good after all... Enjoy the moment. I know I did.

I expected the people to be annoying, the kids to bother... None of that. From beginning to end the movie grabs your attention. Everyone, from kids to grannies, were entranced by the magic that unfolded... Almost as if time stopped. You won't want the spell to end...

The unfolding drama is just the right amount, the unfolding action is just the right amount... You get no surprises if you are an avid comic book fan... But you do not mind, because you are feasting your eyes and your senses in what the character of Superman is all about... the way he was meant to be. Lex Luthor keeps his ecclectic nature... but with a villains finesse that almost makes you cry. Lois Lane is not just a pretty face, and shows it. Superman is simply himself... nothing more, nothing less... And that deserves an ovation. He was portrayed as I always imagined him. The classis father-son dilemma and conflict is touched with simplicity and depht. The transition from Smallville to Christopher Reeve's legacy were all reflected in the movie as a praise, taking nothing away from them, but adding some dimentions that all fans needed to see. The smile facing the worst odds is genuine and strong... gentle and fierce. It ends leaving you wanting a bit more of this fantastic tale... in which a superhero is very much needed as well as the superhero needs the humans courage.

If you never expected to see Superman at his most vulnerable moment, an almost hopeless state... You'll see it here. His death recreated the covers of the Death of Superman comics series... Lovely detail. How to help an alien entity with human technology? Laugh at it... but human ignorance and ingenuity will move you. And the final visit to see his son, very much into his character... His words to Lois, a bit cold... but then he finally acknowledges the reasons behind her actions, and his smile promises many things... Like a sequel... Duh!

Marvel better come up with something good, because the Xmen3 movie sucked badly... Of course, their bets go towards Spiderman 3 (guest starring Green Goblin and Sandman, plus a bit of Venom) and they better be good at it... So far from DC it has been 2 aces out of 2 comic book adaptations. Third is a charm?

Go watch Superman Returns. You will return to those years in which you saw him for the first time on the big screen... And then you will get to know him a bit more... Again. You will discover that age can never destroy the kid inside you. And that kid may want to stay... So far it's been the best movie this year.. But be wary, matey... the pirates are around the corner...

10-4