Trailer Review: "Superman Returns"

by Jeff McGinnis, Lead Usher

A little taste of what is gonna be going on around here. The Trailer Reviews will have a much more structured formula than my movie reviews, you will note.

The Title: “Superman Returns”

The Formula: The Superman Movies - III & IV + Bryan Singer

The Stars: Brandon Routh (don’t worry, no one else has heard of him, either), Kevin Spacey, Kate Bosworth

The Director: Bryan Singer

The Rating: None yet listed on the trailer. MPAA has rated it PG-13, according to IMDB.

The Trailer Type: Teaser, which is all we’ve had for the past five months.

The Plot: The trailer reveals tantalizingly little about the storyline, just iconic shots of the Man of Steel and various trademark visuals of Supes’ universe.

The Line: “For this reason above all, their capacity for good, I have sent them you…my only son.” -Jor-El (Marlon Brando), in recycled dialogue from the original film.

The Moments: A breathtaking shot of Superman soaring in front of the sun, as well as Supes hovering over the Earth.

The Sights: The visuals seem to be leaning toward a slightly darker color palate than the original films, but then most films being made nowadays do. Most all the effects look great at this early stage. But those trunks on Supes still look too darn small.

The Sounds: Borrowing the musical score and narration from the original films was a hotly debated idea, but it works marvelously in this trailer. Williams’s music and Brando’s dialogue give the visuals a built-in weight and history, giving the filmmakers an automatic advantage in establishing their universe, as opposed to having to start from scratch (as “Batman Begins”’s filmmakers did, and marvelously).

The Good Stuff: The trailer evokes a powerful emotional reaction in those familiar with the Superman mythos - that only covers, what, 99.9% of the population? By not revealing too much of what is to come, it also makes more information hotly anticipated.

The Problems: The lack of info also leaves viewers uncertain as to what exactly the story here is supposed to be, but hey, it’s just the teaser.

The Tagline: Shot of the “S” Logo, followed by “RETURNS SUMMER 2006.” No credits.

The Release Date: None listed in the trailer, it will be arriving June 30, 2006.

The Verdict: The one that puts the “tease” in teaser, we get no sign of Kevin Spacey and barely any sign of Kate Bosworth, but what is there is there - and HOW. It’s impossible for someone with even the slightest affinity for the character to finish watching the trailer without a big ol’ grin on your face, even if you’re left with little idea what any of it means or what direction they are going. All you know is, they seem to know the notes. All that’s left is, do they know the music?

The Score: **** (out of four)