Review: Superman Returns

The latest installment of Superman is one of the top superhero films of all time | Andrew Coffin

Superman Returns, and boy does he make an entrance. Fantastically entertaining—and full of delicate balances that allow the film to succeed on adrenaline rushes and romance, whimsy and thought-provoking seriousness—Superman Returns brings the Man of Steel back to theaters after a 19-year hiatus. He was worth the wait.

Superman Returns (rated PG-13 for some intense action violence) offers evidence that, even in the case of big studio blockbusters, the director matters. Brett Ratner was once attached to direct Warner Brothers' resurrection of the Superman franchise. He dropped out, and ended up directing this summer's X-Men: The Last Stand. Bryan Singer, who directed the first two X-Men films, left the third installment to take over Superman Returns. This was not a fair trade. The X-Men series devolved from smart, layered comic adaptations to mindless summer entertainment. And Superman was given new life in, easily, one of the top superhero films of all time.

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