Here we are, over twenty years later. Nineteen years ago, the last Superman film, Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, was released. As a twelve year-old, I thought that film was pretty good. Time has not been so kind, and now I see that Superman III ("the one with Richard Pryor") and Superman IV are pretty uninspired films, created only to cash in on the first real comic film blockbuster, Superman The Movie. For nineteen years, we fans of The Man of Steel have waited for a new movie. For twenty-six years, since Superman II debuted, we've waited for a Superman film to be released that would return to the glory we know the character possesses.
In the decades since those early films, Hollywood has had many false starts. I won't get into all of them. Of particular note is the film "Superman Lives," which was the brainchild of Batman director Tim Burton. His take on Superman was all set to star ever-balding Nicholas Cage as Clark Kent and Superman(!!!), and was rumored to star Jim Carrey as the super-powered villain, Brainiac. Superman was going to die in this film, only to be resurrected so as to don an all-black costume. According to reports, the studio didn't want Superman to wear his classic costume (it was seen as "too bright") and didn't want him to fly. Think about that: they didn't want Superman to fly. Superman. That's like keeping James Bond away from martinis and barely-clothed women. Or having Darth Vader wearing a sun dress and straw hat instead of his dark armor and mask.
Thankfully, that film was never produced, for various reasons. New versions of the film were considered, with "Charlie's Angels" director McG set to direct. J.J. Abrams, creator of the smash TV series "Alias" and "Lost," wrote a script in which Superman's home planet of Krypton never exploded and Lex Luthor was a Kryptonian himself. Terrible. Then finally, director Bryan Singer, responsible for the only two truly great X-Men films, decided to leave Fox and the X-Men franchise to make Superman.
And here we are. Superman Returns. A "vague" sequel to Superman and Superman II, the only two truly great Superman films. Do you see the irony? Singer leaves one superhero franchise after making two great films to help another superhero franchise that only ever had two great films. It's a beautiful thing.
As my friends and family know, I've been a comic fan all my life. I grew up with those original Superman films, starring Christopher Reeve. Our generation felt a great deal of sorrow when we saw what happened to our Superman. We just didn't think it possible. And when he died, it almost seemed Superman died with him. But as Chris Reeve said in interviews a few years before his death, he was just a temporary custodian of a contemporary myth that was bigger than him. He saw that one day, there'd be another person to wear the S and the cape. Sadly, he didn't live to see that day.
But that day has come. The modern mythology that Superman has become over the last seventy-six years has continued every month in the comics where it began, but the film saga continues.
In just a few days, I'll be seeing this movie, which I've waited for much of my life. The return of the Man of Steel, The Metropolis Marvel, The Last Son of Krypton.
Superman.
Tomorrow, I will have a spoiler-free write up of the film for those of you who might be reluctant to watch it or who want an opinion from someone who knows more about Superman and comic books than most people know about putting on their pants. I might be a little biased in my opinion, but I think the fact of my intense love of the character will enable me to be objective. You be the judge. Until tomorrow, I gotta fly. --The Meaux of Steel
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