(no subject)

[kenjari]

Last night Other Kenjari and I went to see Superman Returns. We both enjoyed it. Bryan Singer has a wonderful handle on the superhero genre. The visual spectacle was terrific - so many great flying scenes and several suspenseful rescues. Perhaps the sheer volume of rescues was a little much, but at least they weren't all the same people being rescued from similar perils. Speaking of which, I loved the way Lois Lane was portrayed.
She was smart, tough, and self-possessed. As a character, she's fully-formed, not just a damsel-in-distress or love interest. Yes, she does have to be rescued, but she is the catalyst for her rescue from Lex Luthor's yacht. And in a beautiful instance of role-reversal, Lois gets to save Superman.
Speaking of Lex Luthor, I thought Kevin Spacey was great. He perfectly emphasized that Luthor's evil does not stem from maliciousness, it stems from callousness: it's not that he wants to kill billions of people, it's that he doesn't care that he will do so. Also, apparently criminal masterminds listen to opera and own pianos. Hmmm.
I also like John Ottman's score. My favorite moment was the use of a choral part during the sequence when Luthor's new land is starting to rise from the sea. It reminded me of the music at the end of Akira, in a completely appropriate way. I wonder if that was a deliberate quote, or just a happy coincidence.
Unfortunately, although I thought Brandon Routh was pretty good in the role, Superman just doesn't interest me that much as a character or superhero. Never has. I guess he's just too clean - not enough conflict, internal or external. Superman's very powerful and very good and everyone loves him. And he doesn't seem to have any significant personal doubt or ambivalence about his role as a "knight in shining armor" superhero. There are only two sources of tension in his life (aside from his opposition to assorted villains): his conflicted relationship with Lois, and his secret identity. That's just not enough for me, and it's why I found Lex Luthor and Lois Lane so much more interesting in the movie.

Comments

[epilimnion.livejournal.com]

I thought the score during the underwater part was rahter Neptune-like. but yeah, good score. I also liked the way parker posey played Lex's girlfriend. A perfect send up of the 1930s pulp novel bimbo who hangs out with criminals.

Also, I realized that in Kavalier and Klay... antarctica=the fortress of solitude.

[kenjari.livejournal.com]

So I wasn't the only one who couldn't keep from thinking about Kavalier and Klay (and the Escapist) during the movie?

But yeah, antarctica is meant to evoke the fortress of solitude, among other things.

[lanapowers.livejournal.com]

Am glad to see not everyone is a Sups fan. Never been that interested in Superman, though I do want to see this movie, if for no other reason than the total art deco background retro thing.

[kenjari.livejournal.com]

Yeah - the movie does indeed have great visuals. I think it's also a significant strength that I liked the movie even though I don't find Superman all that interesting.