A Look Back at “Superman Returns” and “Man of Steel”

The “Superman” reboot has finally hit the big screen and is a must see for Superman and DC fans alike. And, to coincide with the new movie, It’s also time to wrap up my “Superman” franchise review series with 2006s “Superman Returns” and the heavily decisive 2013 movie “Man of Steel.”

In the 2006 movie “Superman Returns,” while Lex Luthor plots to destroy him once and for all, the Man of Steel returns after a long absence to a much changed world. Lois Lane has moved on with her life, and society has learned to survive without him.

Superman must find a way to reconnect with her and find his p[lace in a world that may no longer need him.

After the not so great third and fourth installments, the “Superman” series took a bit of a rest - well a roughly two decade rest. While “Superman Returns” wasn’t necessarily a really great installment of the series, it was a decent attempt to bring the franchise back.

The 2006 “Superman” adventure drew heavily on the 1978 and 1981 movies and you can tell the love for the franchise that the filmmakers had with its numerous callbacks to those films and the positive, uplifting feel this movie had. Brandon Routh’s portrayal of Superman/Kent is one of the best aspects of the movie and really nailed the role perfectly - especially in the emotional scenes.

This movie also delivers some exciting action pieces, especially the first major action scene featuring a plane rescue. Now, while this movie’s action is great, “Superman Returns” could’ve added a bit more action throughout. The movie also did a decent job bringing the tone of the original Reeve films back, The movie’s pace can be quite sluggish at times and can be a little predictable, as it sort of rehashes elements of the first two films.

In 2013s “Man of Steel,” with the imminent destruction of Krypton, their home planet,

Jor-El and his wife seek to preserve their race by sending their infant son to Earth. The child’s spacecraft lands at the farm of Jonathan and Martha Kent, who name him Clark and raise him as their own son.

Though his extraordinary abilities have led to the adult Clark living on the fringe of society, he finds he must become a hero to save those he loves from a dire threat.

Just like “Superman Returns,” this 2013 movie also did have a mixed reception with critics and audiences alike. For the most part, I thought that it was an all right “Superman” adventure. The action sequences, especially the battles between Superman and Zod, are visually incredible and quite intense. “Man of Steel” also deviated from the campy feel of the previous entries and ended up being the darkest entry of the series.

While it was fine to see a grittier, darker take on Superman, it did actually get a bit too much. For the most part, the dark, somber tone was a change to get used to. Yet, it could’ve really used just a bit of humor to sometimes break the gritty tension. So, even though “Man of Steel” was darker than the other movies in the franchise and was flawed, it was still an ambitious attempt to bring him back to the big screen.

You can catch the entire “Superman” franchise and many other DC favorites of HBO Max and make sure to catch the latest iteration of “Superman” in theaters now!

Let me know on my Wyoming County Press Examiner reviews page on Facebook your favorite installment of the Superman franchise!

• Brandon Routh, Kate Bosworth, and Kevin Spacey signed on without having read the script.

• The last line of Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987) is Superman saying to Luthor, "See you in twenty." That scene was filmed in 1986. Coincidentally, twenty years later, this film was released.

• When Bryan Singer became interested in possibly hiring Brandon Routh, he arranged for them to meet in a coffee shop. When they met at their table, Routh stumbled and spilled hot coffee all over the table. Although he panicked, thinking he had just lost the part, Singer laughed and said it actually helped him get the part. The incident convinced Singer that Routh could pull off the clumsy, bumbling Clark Kent.

• Bryan Singer is on record as saying Superman Returns is a loose follow-up to Superman (1978) and Superman II (1980), but does not follow those movies' continuity strictly. It ignores Superman III (1983) and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987). However, there is a reference to Supergirl (1984), which was released between the later two: a radio announcer reports Superman is off on a space mission to a far away galaxy.

• Though it performed below box office expectations, not only did it out-gross Batman Begins (2005), but it was the second-highest-grossing DC Comics film ever made at the time, after Batman (1989).

• Dedicated to Christopher Reeve and Dana Reeve.

• Henry Cavill refused to take steroids to muscle up for the role. He also refused any digital touch-ups or enhancement to his body in his shirtless scenes. He said it would have been dishonest of him to use trickery while playing Superman, and he wanted to push his body to the limits, to develop his physique into one that was worthy of the character.

• The film released in June 2013, the 75th anniversary of Superman's debut in Action Comics #1.

• The majority of the action scenes use a CGI cape for Superman, and CGI armor for the other Kryptonians.

• Bryan Singer and Brandon Routh expressed interest in reprising their positions from Superman Returns (2006) on this film. Singer had originally outlined several sequels to follow his story, and Routh was contracted as well. When Warner Bros. announced this film as a "clean reboot" from Singer's film, Routh still expressed interest in returning, before Zack Snyder declared that this movie would have no ties to any previous cinematic incarnation of the character.

• Most of the U.S. military personnel that appear in the film are actual soldiers, Coast Guardsmen, and airmen, including the Army Rangers that appear during the Smallville battle. Most of the equipment and vehicles on-screen are also the real article, including M1A1 Abrams tanks and Little Bird helicopters. The services that provided support are the Army, Air Force, and Coast Guard.

• When Henry Cavill first got the call from Zack Snyder, to tell him that he had got the part of Superman, he missed the call because he was playing World of Warcraft.

• To completely distinguish this film as a new film separate from previous ones, the iconic "Superman Theme" by John Williams wasn't heard. This is the first Warner Bros. Superman film to not incorporate Williams' score.