Posted on 06/28/2006 4:41:44 PM PDT by Para-Ord.45
So Lois Lane is a single mother . . . and a slut. That's the most disturbing part of "Superman Returns," heavily marketed to kids and in theaters tonight.
Or is that "Lois and Her Feelings," co-starring Supe? That's what this dull, 2-hour 33-minute long latest rendition in the Superman series seemed like.
A better version would have been more relevant. It's great that new Superman Brandon Routh saluted America's troops as "the real Super Heroes," a tie-in with Warner Brothers Pictures' effort to send a million plus postcards of support to troops overseas.
But put your money where your mouth is. In World War II, Superman's comic book inventors had him fighting the Nazis. Today, they won't dare show him fighting contemporary Nazis--Islamofascists. Lex Luthor working with Al-Qaeda terrorists, with both evil forces getting defeated--that would have been dynamic and exciting, a great plot. But, unfortunately, too politically incorrect, current, and exciting for the Hollywood culturatti.
Some have asked whether Superman is still relevant post-9/11. He would be . . . if he was fighting the post-9/11 enemy and being a man while doing so.
Instead, we got a dumbed down, girlie-man version of Superman in "Superman Returns." Like every sensitive, slacker metrosexual, Supe's gone off for five years to "discover himself." In the meantime, the dullest Lois Lane ever has a child out of wedlock. Nice message to send to your kids who will be begging to see this. No smoking lectures by Superman and plugs for tofu sandwiches got a lot of play though. Script-writers were more concerned with that kind of health than the splendid problems single motherhood brings.
In what is more reminiscent of a Maury Povich "Who's the Daddy?" show than a Superman plot, Lois apparently slept around and thinks the cutesy kid--very annoying and distracting in the film--is her fiance's child, not that of the other guy she was simultaneously sleeping with--the Man of Steel.
Hard to still call him that, because in this film he's far less muscular. Even the formerly bright red of his cape is now a muted, dingy brownish-burgundy. All masculinity is toned down, in favor of the testosterone of career woman Lois, who doesn't believe in marriage. Too busy riding the space shuttle.
That hardly makes her spectacular. Kate Bosworth has nothing on Margot Kidder (aside from her far-left wackoism) or even Terry Hatcher. Their renditions of Ms. Lane were far superior. Bosworth's is as ho-hum as the lady at the supermarket looking for her Clairol fix. The only thing that seems apropos is Lane's Pulitzer Prize for her "Why the World Doesn't Need Superman." It's the work of unethical journalism--a "hell hath no fury like a woman scorned" by a jilted lover against her boyfriend.
In the real world's Daily Planet a/k/a The New York Times, the "Pulitzer-level" stuff is "Why Al-Qaeda is Less Dangerous to the World Than President Bush."
And by the way, there's no Internet in this movie--a glaring absence when Lois' editor is lecturing about what sells newspapers. Uh, nothing sells newspapers these days. They're in rapid decline.
There are no memorable lines like the ones Margot Kidder's Lois uttered to Christopher Reeve's Supe: "You've got me? Who's got you?"
More like, who's got this movie?
With a $300 million budget, Warner Brothers must have a hit with this film. There's so much marketing hype and so many product tie-ins, it will be hard for it to fail. And with newcomer Brandon Routh's spot on impersonation of Christopher Reeve playing Clark Kent/Supe, he's not as difficult to adjust to as Bosworth's Lois. His imitation invites the comparison, and he doesn't live up to it. Christopher Reeve can smile from the grave that he died undefeated champion of Superman portrayals.
"Supe Returns" writers also paid too much attention to the accuracy of minute and unimportant details, such as the fact that Kryptonite was found in Addis Ababa. But who cares about those things?
Is that more important than the messages projected to America's kids--especially girls who may want to emulate Lois Lane? And is it more important than an exciting, believable, and relevant plot? Hardly.
Still, aside from it's dullness and the poor examples it sets for kids, "Superman Returns" is a fun, escapist film.
But nothing to write home--or even, Krypton--about.
Most of these people are pissed off about it being in color.
Funny how in the TV show he stood up to the bullets but always ducked when they threw the gun at him.
I may be one of the few, but I think that Kate Bosworth is incredibly beautiful, even if she can't act.
" I went straight to the writers, Mike Dougherty and Dan Harris:
Mike: "When it comes to the American way, that's tricky."
Dan: "I don't think 'the American way' means what it meant in 1945."
Mike: "He's not just for Metropolis, and not just for America."
Dan: "He's an alien, from Krypton; he has come to Earth to be kind of a savior for this world, not our country … And he has no papers."
Mike: "What would happen with the immigration laws we have now?"
Dan: "I'd like to see someone kick him out!" "
HOLLYWEIRD AT IT`S FINEST
LOL!
Kidder was a 'barf-alert' moment for me. She looked and seemed more like a mother than a wife. That was a casting call I'll never understand.
Thanks for the comments.
Kate was aloof a little in her role but name a female reporter who isn't. Helen Thomas doesn't count. LOL!
I've always preferred Batman to Superman. Even when DC comics were a dime apiece.
Never thought much of Christopher Reeve's Superman/Clark Kent when placed opposite The Adventures of Superman. Though the 90's Warner Brothers Animated Series is quite good. The voice actors are dead-on, especially Clancy Brown as Lex Luthor.
When all is said and done, George Reeves will always be Superman!
Jack.
Yep. And to me Adam West will always be Batman!
Work with me here, people...
I can tolerate that. When I need a B&W fix I can just watch my Richard Greene "The Adventures of Robin Hood" DVDs, or perhaps my Richard Boone "Have Gun, Will Travel".
I will probably see this movie, but I agree with Schlussel's point about the Lois Lane/child out of wedlock character. They could have written the part where she was divorced, or even widowed (for that extra pathos bump), but they chose not to. It was totally unnecessary and was done solely and deliberately to further an agenda.
Spidey rules, Jack!!
:)
Yeah...like acknowledging the reality of the millions of single/unwed mothers in our society today.
Imagine that!
A movie actually bothering to deal with realities we'd rather ignore!
Reality...just another liberal agenda.
Like Batman Beyond. He minces around like a ballet dancer.
You know, Hollywood could mess up a free lunch.
If they had just done this movie in the same way that Reeve's movies were made, and used, "TRUTH, JUSTICE, AND THE AMERICAN WAY", they'd have had a mega hit. Young parents have no options these days, even the cartoon movies are socialist propaganda. Tofu sandwiches? This PC clunker goes on my "must miss" list.
LOL.
Truth Justice--and all that stuff.
Bwahahahahaahaha talk about writers with no balls. they cant even say AMERICA.
Magneto was a member of the X-Men for a time in the comics. So blame Stan Lee for that one.
Bryan Singer is an incredibly gifted director, and I can't wait to see this movie.
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