Every Reason Why Superman Returns Didn’t Work

[@MattSaysHello]

I’ve always thought Brandon Routh was a great Clark Kent and Superman.

[@vampricramen]

Even though I didn't like Superman Returns, I was genuinely pleased to see him as Ray Palmer.

[@christophertaylor9100]

I liked him a lot too, the casting was terrific

[@DavidMartinez-ce3lp]

@MattSaysHello agreed, he was fantastic in the role

[@droidfan]

great actor... great range. Comedic timing is impeccable. they did him dirty with that horrible movie.

[@arc4859]

I thought he was a great Clark, but not a great Superman. Just looked a bit too boyish. His Superman was vastly improved in Crisis though

[@TheGreatSatan_]

Him catching the airplane in the stadium is one of my all-time favorite scenes from a superhero movie

[@1suaveguy]

That was the only good part of the movie

[@DavidMartinez-ce3lp]

This movie had great Superman moments, but it didn't have a plot that brought those moments together in a cohesive and satisfying way. The subplot with the love child either needed to be removed or they needed to fully commit by having Clark finally reveal his identity to Lois and take on the responsibility of being a father. You can't make such a big move and try to keep the status quo as well.

[@ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΑ-ε1ω]

jason has two dads what are you talking about clark doesn't need to be with lois to be jason's dad

[@milosstojanovic4623]

Exactly it needed something important to move plot forward, to somehow earn the sequel and earn more money, if it would have earned double the budget, we would have got the sequel.

[@chucklovar6095]

I enjoyed it thoroughly. Andrew Garfield didn't ruin Spider-Man the fans did. So anal retentive. What do you mean the reason it didn't work because it worked for me. I wanted to see what comes next.

[@INFERNO95]

​@@ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΑ-ε1ω Not that way superman work.

[@ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΑ-ε1ω]

@@INFERNO95 contrary to popular belief Clark and Lois don't always end up together and they don't need to be together for Clark to be Jason's dad well other dad

[@maderaartstudios4738]

I'm pretty sure this is the only superhero movie without a big fight scene.

[@A75MComics]

Kumar kicking Superman's ass just made me roll my eyes....

[@SenseiBonaf]

IIRC the 1978 Superman movie doesn't have a big fight scene either.

[@DianaGohan]

@@SenseiBonaf Now technically the original idea that Richard Donner had when filming the original Superman and Superman II back to back was that they were going to be ONE big movie originally thus why Zod, Ursa and Non were introduced in the first movie like that despite otherwise having no part in events as they were going to be the antagonists for the later half. When filming though it was eventually decided that they would have TWO movies and that Superman II would focus on Zod and co as the antagonists so technically the original Superman was planned to have a big fight scene which is more then can be said for Returns.

[@DianaGohan]

There probably are some headier Superhero movies you can say that about (I mean technically isn't "Unbreakable" a "super hero" movie? It and "Split" don't have big fight scenes only in Glass do we really get one) but yeah that's not really the case with the Big two because... like that's the point of those films to have big giant epic spectacle fights or clashes of some kind so NOT having one is kind a deterent to the movie not a positive.

[@kevin10001]

@@DianaGohaneven though Superman the movie was intended to be a 2 part movie but budget issues kept that from happening the Superman the movie we have doesn’t have a big elaborate fight scene and the movie is still good in my opinion

[@robbieracer3294]

Routh's Clark Kent was amazing, he nailed that part. Otherwise, the movie was too boring..

[@kerry-j4m]

AGREED.Boring and TOO bland for me,I don't even have this film on dvd nor have I ever watched it again since I watched it at the cinema.

[@Mechadondada]

Boringman

[@mcurran6505]

The casting was good. The effects were great. The music was spectacular. But the writing and plot just didn't work. The biggest problem with Superman Returns was that it just didn't have the same heart as the 1978 classic (and the Richard Donner cut of the second film).

[@robertbrown3413]

The plot is Lex Luthor and Kryptonite all over again.

[@robertbrown3413]

@@mcurran6505 I did groan 'not that again' sever al times during this movie.

[@din4219]

Also, Brandon Routh and Kate Bosworth had 0 chemistry, Henry Cavill and Amy Adams have the same problem As Richard Donner said "if you make the love story work, the entire picture will fall into place"

[@Panama_Red]

It was a pretty cut-and-paste plot but I liked the idea of Superman having to deal with actual human situations.

[@curtisbme]

The problem was trying to continue the old one instead of doing something new. Didn't need another real estate obsessed Luthor.

[@AlexKluiber]

Maybe I’m a boring person but I didn’t even notice there wasn’t a fight against a big-bad until watching this video. I think this is a hugely underrated movie.

[@milosstojanovic4623]

It was not hugely underrated, but somehow it was not satisfying enough to bring more money and get sequel. And i honestly wanted a sequel.

[@davidmun1601]

Same here.

[@INFERNO95]

It fairly rated.

[@Beer_Dad1975]

Yeah, lots of people at the time were hating on it because "superman didn't punch anyone!" - He didn't punch anyone in the first Donner film either. I think the average moviegoer has degenerated to the point where it is very hard to have a superhero blockbuster that also tries to have some nuance anymore without people saying it is boring and needs more punching.

[@Grand_Edict]

The appeal of Superman or Superhero is the power fantasy. We want to see Unbreakable beings display power in a breakable world To make a movie and not show that power overtly displayed through confrontation is what worked against this movie No one wants to see a movie about restraint. Restraint is for the real world. As divisive as Man Of Steel is, it is remembered for the sheer display of the power

[@litterboxstudios]

It’s a flawed movie that doesn’t let any of its performers really shine, but Routh is a charming Superman who deserved better. And the plane rescue scene is one of the greatest Superman “moments” ever put to film.

[@roberttreacy8271]

Fun fact: The last line of Superman IV is “See you in twenty”. That scene was filmed in 1986. Coincidentally, the next Superman movie, Superman Returns, was released twenty years later.

[@renobutters]

"I'll see you in 25 years." (Twin Peaks, 1992 AND 2017)

[@RedTail1-1]

Y'all gotta stop adding fun fact to comments. It does nothing except notify readers that you're gonna tell them something that they likely already know and is probably not entertaining at all. If you can remove something from a comment and nothing at all changes, it doesn't need to be there in the first place. Whenever I see fun fact I always just stop reading and move on. This time though I decided to rant about it because that gets pretty damn obnoxious when every video has half a dozen comments out of the first 20 or so using it.

[@Raidraptor_-_Ultimate_Falcon]

@@RedTail1-1 Then just, I don't know, IGNORE IT. FFS, you made an incredibly obnoxious and rude comment to a neat tidbit. Move on, loser.

[@glennac]

@@RedTail1-1 Yeah, it’s time has past much like “First!” So overused and meaningless. 🙄

[@shirubionicle]

Superman Returns ignores the events of Superman 3 & 4 tho

[@generalsagmandia8239]

I'll make this really easy 1. Boring 2. Love Story 3. Same reused plot from Superman 1 (Lex wants land, Supes saves people from natural disasters, etc.) 4. Not enough action scenes 5. No powerful threat 6. His pull out game isn't Super

[@MindOverMatt3rPodcast]

Saved 8 minutes 51 seconds

[@abigailslade3824]

I always felt sorry for Routh I think he did a fine job.

[@bobross1829]

Yes. He was very good and the film not doing well was 100% not his fault at all. But I think Hollywood just used him as the fall guy because that is easier than blaming all the other decisions.

[@davebaconusa1062]

Not shooting a fight scene is super easy, barely an inconvenience.

[@Warmaker01]

Wow! Wow! Wow!... WOW!

[@franklinmcmillan3733]

Brandon Routh playing Superman is TIGHT!

[@NitsuaEsahc]

I love seeing Ryan George references in the comment section of videos talking about movies 🤣🤣

[@LastKingOfAtlantis]

I loved this when it came out and still do, such a shame it didn’t lead to more.

[@kevin10001]

Being connected to the reeve franchise is probably why that happened cause it was never going to relieve the magic of that franchise

[@milosstojanovic4623]

@@kevin10001 i never thought about it as sequel to Reevs franchise. It could continue regardless from Reevs movies and do its own thing. But it did not have enough impact, nor plot that will provide anything to have sequel to, especially with new Lex plan to make Kryptonite island 🤦‍♂ If they teased some bigger Superman enemy for a sequel, and write entire story around that and remove Lex plot it would have definitely get a sequel.

[@dhenderson1810]

​@@milosstojanovic4623One thing this did better was having Luthor bald the whole time. Not cover it with a hairpiece or have hair like other movies did.

[@Vidiot-Savant]

Superman leaving his son with Lois and Richard at the end didn't bother me so much, because I could see what they were setting up. Superman himself is a child of two fathers in Jor El and Jonathon Kent, so they were mirroring that with Jason. Richard is his adopted father that will teach him how to be a man, and Superman is his Kryptonian father that will someday teach him how to be Super. As George Lucas once said; "It's like poetry. It rhymes."

[@chaosgyro]

Except that Jor-El had the excuse of being dead at the time. Clark is just a deadbeat dad.

[@Vidiot-Savant]

@@chaosgyro "I'm always around, Lois." He didn't just bolt. He still intends to be there for Jason when he needs him, but he didn't want to break up his family.

[@retropyro]

@@chaosgyro How is he a deadbeat?

[@jasoncarmona4882]

Finally, someone understood the film. 💯👏👏👏

[@INFERNO95]

Nobody was gonna accept superman and Louis not being together.

[@milosstojanovic4623]

Brandon was great in the role. And with podcast with Rosenbaum (Lex from Smallville) he was disappointed to not have second movie or trilogy, he was really into the role, i completely respect him because he likes Superman character and was into the role. Superman returns is not at all bad movie, but it lack proper memorable ending, it was not blockbuster, very slow paced. But i honestly expected at some point in time after the movie, a proper sequel, or for them to continue story with his son.

[@Odysseus38]

1:18 they had Henry Cavill all the way back in 2004?!?!?!?! They could have rode that fucker as superman to this day!!! He hasnt aged at all

[@menkros1]

They dropped the ball

[@roberttreacy8271]

Also, Amy Adams auditioned to play Lois Lane in Superman Returns.

[@Vidiot-Savant]

Christian Bale auditioned to play Robin in BATMAN FOREVER.

[@dlxmarks]

Cavill was 21 in 2004 so I think he could have pulled it off. Tho I still think the _Superman Returns_ concept just didn't work and would have locked him out from the role later. And hurt his career. So probably it's best things were as they happened.

[@dani3po]

Why do you think it would have been a good idea? Cavill is a mediocre actor with a career full of failures.

[@connorberry6377]

“I’m always around” is one of my favourite lines, it feels so true to Superman and what makes him special

[@marcen12]

This movie was to the Hulk 2003 as Man of Steel was to The Incredible Hulk. Superman Returns and Hulk 03 were more reactionary and went for character based drama while MoS and TIH went for action.

[@rhatikeo]

and i love Hulk 03 the seriousness of it is so intense its perfect imo

[@dhenderson1810]

"The Incredible Hulk" TV series was more character based drama.

[@marcen12]

@@dhenderson1810 Didn't really hold over after 03 Hulk.

[@paulholgate4664]

Except Hulk had lots of action and fighting the army in the desert was very reminiscent of the early Hulk comics.

[@anonimuslsz]

I think they forgot how important the character Lois lane was to the script she had way more personality in the old movies and she complimented superman perfectly

[@MasterMayhem78]

She was horrible in this movie. Terrible actress

[@MadameTamma]

I think they were trying to make her too pretty and well put together. Lois is beautiful, confident to the point of nearly being a fem fatal that has a way of making Clark feel out of his depth in the same way a nerdy little freshman looks up to the popular girl, but she's also a goofy mess in a lot of ways too. So single mindedly pursuing her work and discovering more about Superman, she'd walk into traffic without paying attention. Bosworth just does not capture that.

[@milosstojanovic4623]

@@MadameTamma Thats why Erica Durance from Smallville is the best Lois for me, Terry was also very good.

[@patdawg1980]

Yeah she wasn't a very good Lois

[@tskmaster3837]

5:18 What? No, the true plot hole is that both Superman and Clark Kent disappear for five years but then reappear at the same time with no questions answered. It's a bad story and that's before we get to the point where I kept muttering "Don't make him a super deadbeat dad, don't do it, don't you dare..."

[@calvinhandley2373]

The Super Baby Daddy aspect of the plot was the worst. Kate Bosworth was hard to like as Lois Lane.

[@dhenderson1810]

​@@calvinhandley2373 At least she colored her hair for the role. Amy Adams looked nothing like Lois Lane from the comics.

[@arandil1]

So… Lex boinks a jillionaire widow for her bucks… somehow finds her and she has no one looking out for her? Ok, comic hijinks… so we are not being too realistic… he manages to make his way back to the Fortress, and his plan is just a straight rehash of the Superman I plan… they recycled the dialogue word for word a few times… surely this will end in the revelation that Lois has known all along and Lex will finally bring out the classic exo suit…. nope… back to step one again, but now with low rent Superboy on deck. Routh deserved a sequel…

[@Sandeep6]

It failed because it has a boring story and in the film everything from the start to the end, everyone were like they have depressing lives. The entirety of themovie has a sad tone.

[@janepatton8100]

Huh... 🤔? There was comedy everywhere in that movie. It aimed to be consistent with the comical 80s movies.

[@arc4859]

That’s what I thought too. People say Man of Steel is depressing, but I think it’s way more hopeful and inspiring than Superman Returns

[@ClarkBK67]

I agree it was sad, at least for anyone invested in Superman/Lois romance. More Casablanca than Philadelphia Story.

[@oliviastratton2169]

​@@janepatton8100Comedy doesn't counteract the depressing decision to make Superman a Deadbeat Dad.

[@janepatton8100]

@oliviastratton2169 Technically, Superman doesn't have a job, so how would he pay child support. Therefore, he has to be a deadbeat.

[@Asian-Hawaiian-Orian]

This dude was a perfect pick to play superman. Too bad the writing and all the other actors sucked absolute dog crap.

[@marcen12]

The acting was not bad, it was just ok.

[@punsized2296]

Maybe I'm crazy. But I thought Kevin Spacey's Lex Luthor was the best thing about this movie.

[@Asian-Hawaiian-Orian]

@@punsized2296 That is true, he did do a good job. But unfortunately he runs into the same thing in the movie. That the writing around his character is so terrible. He thinks he could make a giant Island that kills people with a tidal wave, then people will buy this land that's made of stone? You can't farm on it, you can't build anything on it lol

[@LeonardoKlotz]

Still felt like a fresh take on the old-school superhero genre The kind of take you don't get to see nowadays because of how hard everyone is in turning everything into a franchise

[@davidm4566]

Routh is a great actor. His take on agent Shaw on Chuck tv show was nuanced and fantastic.

[@maderaartstudios4738]

I think we learned from Superman Returns and TASM2 that people don't like their superheroes to be stalkers...

[@SirsasthNigam.]

Peter is not even attempting to help Harry at all He never even speaks to Harry again up until he become Goblin This Spidey is far too cool to be Peter Parker *Andrew 's Spider-man is good with women, never gets bullied by Flash and doesn't do science to solve his problems* *Tobey 's Spider-man is far too melodramatic turning into a quivering sobbing mess in every other scene and his quips aren't as funny as Andrews* *This is why I think Tom's Peter is best of both worlds -- A nerdy genius who is terrible with women and funny when he needs to be and actually does Science* -Th3Birdman EWW CinemaSins TASM2 the real failing of this film is that Peter is not using SCIENCE to help a friend , which is how most Spider-Man conflicts are solved Electro is probably the most fleshed out character in TASM2 not named "Parker" If you think there’s anything wrong with Gwen Stacy 's death scene, you just don't have a heart -Th3Birdman EWW CinemaSins TASM2

[@ninjanibba4259]

@@SirsasthNigam.why are you quoting this hack?

[@chaosgyro]

​@@SirsasthNigam. Try having a thought of your own. It hurts the first few times, but it's a good burn.

[@doc8013]

​@@SirsasthNigam.Wait, why are you using a horrible YT channel to make a point? I don't get it.

[@badabing8884]

Singer should have included the deleted scene of Clarke returning to his home planet to find nothing there. That was a key scene that would have made his disappearance more sense.

[@jshplock]

1:45 I mean Christopher Nolan wasn’t an A-list director at that time. Batman really propelled him into that echelon

[@rvrmdude]

Wrong

[@doc8013]

​@@rvrmdudehe's not wrong. Nolan was far from A-list when he directed Batman Begins.

[@Oonagh72]

I loved this movie. I really wanted a sequel. Brandon Routh made a sense. He was still able to be affable Superman/Clark Kent, but he was also able to be sad. Henry Caville was pretty to look at, but he always looked just mad.

[@MikeHaslerVideos]

Cavill acts in his mind but it rarely shows on his face. It took me years to realize that’s the reason I find him dull.

[@oliviastratton2169]

I watched this in theaters as a kid. Having seen and loved the first two Christopher Reeve Superman movies beforehand, here's what I remember hating: 1. Ruining his relationship with Lois. Lois being angry and bitter at Superman wasn't fun to watch. Having her be justified because he knocked her up and then ditched her without an explanation for ten years only made it worse. Superman, Deadbeat Dad was not what I wanted to see. 2. Him flying the kryptonite island into space broke my suspension of disbelief. Even as a kid I thought: "Wait, a tiny chunk completely disabled him in the original movie, now he can carry a whole island of it into space? Way to completely nerf kryptonite!" I didn't need action or fight scenes. But I did need likable characters and consistent world building.

[@Cakebattered]

Margot Kidder's Lois Lane was not likeable? Margot Kidder's Lois Lane was essentially the prototype for Candace Bergen's Murphy Brown TV character. So Lois's actions in Superman Returns are character accurate, using Margot Kidder's Lois as canon.

[@oliviastratton2169]

@Cakebattered I don't know who Candace Bergen or Murphy Brown are, but I've always found Margot Kidder's Lois Lane immensely likeable. At least in the first film, which is the one "Superman Returns" was trying to ride the coattails of. Also, I didn't say Lois' actions or feelings were unrealistic in "Superman Returns". I specifically said they were justified. I just argued that they were not fun to watch. Most Superman stories have Lois being pretty cynical when she meets Clark/Superman. But through getting to know him, she opens up and becomes more trusting. It's usually a winning formula. But she's usually that way because of prior life experiences. It doesn't work if she's bitter at Superman personally because he genuinely wronged her.

[@bobjordan69]

Even at the time I thought Kevin Spacey was a poor choice for Luther. Not Jesse Eisenberg bad mind

[@Cycle.every.day.]

The lense filters were horrible , dark dulled colour pallets throughout.

[@DJHoward82]

Thought Superman Returns was ok in general. I definitely think that it would've been better off as a separate movie rather than being connected to Superman 1&2. I think Brandon Routh did a good job in the role and I'm glad he got a chance at redemption reprising it in the CW crossover. You could've kept the name and sort of the similar plot whilst teasing who's Lois sons father was but having it be revealed that the things happening around him that makes him seem like CK son are just coincidental. Add more action, replace Parker Posey's character with more of a Mercy Graves character.

[@Kopaka-ep7ug]

Superman had the heart that Man of Steel was missing. Man of Steel had the action Superman Returns was missing.

[@matthewmccarty6508]

Perfect Assessment

[@DOG-mm3sg]

I wholeheartedly agree. Although, ( and many many many people will disagree) I loved MoS, I thought it was the best, because of the action set pieces., it was missing something.

[@totallyawesome80s55]

I still remember the exact moment I fell in love with this movie... I was cautiously optimistic when I started watching it, and I liked the opening credits and the beginning of the story. But that moment when the airplane is going down, and Lois sees the red/blue flash speed past the window, and you see her reaction...THAT was it! All of a sudden it was a Superman movie!

[@Tom-_-Hanks]

I guess I'm just one of the few that enjoyed SUPERMAN RETURNS a lot. I really wanted a sequel. Thanks, thumbs up, have a great day.

[@sambafreak13]

ditto

[@johna9016]

Same

[@Tom-_-Hanks]

I remember that there were a lot of people that really didn't like all the destruction and deaths caused by the fighting in the dceu.

[@Tom-_-Hanks]

I watched SUPERMAN RETURNS again and I still love it. I introduced a friend to it and he loves it too. I think the music was really really good.

[@claudiahenry4183]

In 2006, I saw it in the theater 11 times - 3 or 4 in IMAX! ❤

[@ClarkBK67]

I liked Brandon Routh as Superman. There was a lot I liked about this film. The worst part was the villain. Lex Luther doing another real estate scheme was uninspiring. And a rerun of the plot of Superman 1. Why? They should have found a better criminal plot and probably a new villain. Brainiac would have been cool. Did they ever introduce Kandor into that universe? I don’t think so. Would have made a nice bookend with the film opening up with his quest to find his roots and connections. Could have ended with him learning more about Krypton via Kandor.

[@ZedemMonk]

Issue with SR was that the overarching plot did not mirror the interpersonal drama experienced by Kal-el as he cannot take back what was his in his relationships the way he needs to do with Luther. Additionally, because it was a retcon sequel to a movie series from 30 years earlier it had a big hill to climb for most audience members that may not have seen at all or recently the films it was sequalizing particularly in the era before streaming, so there is a feeling of missing some important plot details at the start of the film.

[@Odysseus38]

"That god awful superman movie with Brandon routh" - Patrick Stewart

[@Extinguisher10]

Picard knows his shit

[@EnjoySackLunch]

@@Extinguisher10Picard is a make believe character

[@Extinguisher10]

@@EnjoySackLunch Lol! Thank you for informing me of something I totally didn't know!

[@EnjoySackLunch]

@@Extinguisher10 anytime.

[@chaosgyro]

​@Extinguisher10 Picard is awesome. Patrick Stewart, on the other hand, is just an old, washed up, angry communist that we'd do better to ignore.

[@sweeneagle16]

S was too small. And that was the first time I felt Lex fatigue. There are so many villains to choose from for Superman and it’s always Lex or Zod.

[@patrickmcevoy5080]

The "S" being tiny was a really dumb choice - and so was making it more brown than red. These little thing matter!

[@ThaSpeedsterZ]

Loved this superman. I got what they were going for. The more emotional side of superman that 21st century comics explored. The last action scene wasn't executed right but Routh was excellent.

[@MrGeekFreek]

It's kind of hard to take this Superman seriously because this is the Superman that was beaten up by Kumar.

[@sambafreak13]

Still my favorite Superman movie. I was so sad we never got a sequel with Routh.

[@TheNITRO68]

Brandon hands down nails it and he showed great homage to the late Chris Reeves I always go back and watch it ...

[@georgeplimpton9429]

Routh did a GREAT job with a lousy story. And he should have gotten a second movie that was actually interesting.

[@kj6446]

Petty I know, but it always bugged me that this was supposed to be the same superman as Christopher Reeve, but he parts his hair on the opposite side!

[@TroubleCauser22]

I find it absolutely insane that in this day and age where every superhero film has the same CGI ending battle, and the heroes never actually save anybody, people are criticising Supernan Returns for not having a big fight scene, yet he spends a lot of time saving people.....as Superman should!

[@myretronation]

John Ottman's score is a masterpiece, probably my favorite modern movie soundtrack

[@Zombiesnyder13]

Even if Bryan Singer had stayed to direct "X-Men: The Last Stand" Things would've ended up in a feud between Singer and AVI ARAD The same kind of feud that made Sam Raimi lose interest in making SPIDER-MAN 3

[@Vidiot-Savant]

Given what we now know about Singer and his behavior behind the scenes on X2, I don't think he left X3 so much as he was asked, very forcefully, to leave X3.

[@chidmania8485]

Lois knew very well that Superman was her son's father. She was the one that told him when he was supposedly in a coma

[@gpcbr1000]

I thought Superman returns had some good action scenes in it. Of course it could’ve been a little bit better. I think this guy and Kevin Spacey played their respective parts really well. I would’ve went and saw a sequel with the same characters.

[@mdpeterson27]

Great video You left out Brandon Routh seemed to be the only actor playing the character from a previous movie. Kevin Spacey who is normally a brilliant actor. Was playing a 1950’s cartoon villain. And everyone else was forgettable

[@chrisszostek6700]

7:38 somehow ? Most agree it’s just boring

[@mikebasil4832]

Superman Returns didn't really work for me either. But I had no regrets seeing it in the cinema at the time. As well intentioned as it was in continuing what the original films started, I now find the diverging reboots like Lois & Clark, Smallville, Man Of Steel and now Superman & Lois to be more significantly impressive. Although Christopher Reeve will always be my Superman.

[@billlange9408]

I love this movie. I know it's not the best, but I remember seeing the trailer for the first time and seeing that 'Kent' mailbox and hearing John Williams score and watering up. I thought this was a delightful take on Superman, and Routh was really a solid Reeve stand in. I'm glad they dropped 3 and 4 from this universes timeline as well. I watch this one every few years and enjoy it each time. Seeing Routh get a chance to play Superman again in the Arrowverse was a delight. I'd love to see him get another crack at a superhero film.

[@milkiassamuel780]

It is a shame because Brandon Routh had the range to be a great Superman, as proven by his performance as Kingdom Come Superman in the CW Crisis On Infinite Earths adaptation. Nevertheless, sadly, Superman Returns was just a decent Superman movie when it had a lot of potential and good ideas to do something new, the character in live action. As bland as Superman Returns can be it does have good moments like when Superman saves the plane or fighting the crooks as bullets dent at his eyes, plus I love the art deco style and look the Daily Planet and Metropolis. However, the problem with this movie was that they needed to be more obsessed with making this movie a spiritual sequel to the Christopher Reeves Superman movie without trying to find its own identity. Thy really could've chosen to do a fully rebooted take on Superman where they could've dont their own thing and instead utilised so many unexplored and more interesting elements from Superman's lore like exploring his personal and social struggles about being an immigrant from the stars, his huge roster of underrated villains other than Lex Luthor (even though Lex is a fantastic villain when written well), I mean they could've done Brainiac, Metallo, Parasite, Lobo, Livewire etc... there's just a lot of missed opportunity with Superman Returns. But regardless, we fortunately have great shows like My Adventures With Superman and CW's Superman and Lois (currently running its final season), and it seems like James Gunn's upcoming Superman movie next year seems to finally tackle all those ideas in an interesting and fresh new way that indeed shows what makes Superman so special and arguably the greatest superhero (at least to me) and why his hope and altruistic heart matters in today's world.

[@RedTail1-1]

What is "art deco" style?...

[@mssolihin1]

Damn I ain't reading all that lol

[@wiseguymaybe]

I'm sorry, my opinion is, besides Roth, a lot of miscasting in this movie. Kate Bosworth just isn't Lois Lane any more than Amy Adams was in Man Of Steel. And I'm sorry, but Kevin Spacey just didn't capture the character of Lex Luthor like Gene Hackman. There just was a lot of miscasting. However still beats the more dark slow moving Man Of Steel. At least in this one I didn't almost fall asleep. And having the worst Jonathan, Costner, Pa Kent, "I don't know if you should have saved that bus load of children or not," crap. still puts The Return Of Superman up better than MOS.

[@BenjaminChaminade]

This movie was about Superman becoming a professional mover. People, plane, boat, island, you name it.

[@es1vo]

Brandon Routh is my favorite Superman. His film is the epitome of Superman stories. He’s everything Superman needs to be.

[@MartinJones-f1x]

I think a Superman film, perhaps heavily influenced by the Donner films, is the way to go with Superman. The John Williams music is so wonderful that it should should always be used.The problem with Superman Returns was that it didn't do anything new with the franchise. Though the casting of Kevin Spscey was an inspired choice for Lex Luthor .The character has been too overused in Superman films .Really, the film needed the introduction of Bainiac .There were many things to like about Superman Retuns despite my criticisms

[@johnragsdale3744]

0:17 I was just about to say that when I read the title brandon routh killed it as kingdom come superman

[@sefy76]

So, here's my take on why the film is the most horrible (yet still less then Snyder's utter mutilation of the character): 1a. Who's Sequel? does it follow Donner? if yes, he turned back time, so he never slept with Lois and therefor no Superman Kid! 1b. is it Lester's Canon Thetrical Superman? then they had sex after he gave up his powers, so he wouldn't have a "Super Kid" 2a. Following their decision to follow Donner's and invent a Super Kid that shouldn't exist, they turned Superman into a Rapist! 2b. Not only Singer's Superman is now a Rapist, he is also a Stalker and Deserter (point 3 below) with low self image and self esteem 3. Following Donner's Superman, he already KNEW everything about Krypton, there was no need for him to desert earth to look for survivors! 4. At the End of Superman II, he specifically tells the President that he will NOT fail him again, and then he leaves the planet? seriously?! 5. Donner's Superman didn't save people and then listen how much they cheer for him, he saved cause he could, cause it was right. not be liked. 6. Movie was Dark, how is it a continuation of Reeve's?! the colors are all wrong, there's no matching continuation to the style of Donner in any way! 7. Why was Superman's testimony even needed?? Lex was already convicted and in prison at the end of #1 and was in jail in #2, doesn't make sense! There is absolutely nothing good about this movie, and the worst part that Snyder saw how horrible it was and said: Oh I can make it even worse! hold my beer!

[@carlrood4457]

Just because he lost his powers due to the red solar radiation, doesn't mean he still wasn't genetically Kryptonian. He could still pass on those genes.

[@janepatton8100]

That was a very silly analysis.

[@nathanphillips7787]

I don't think the how of the Super kid is as important as the why. There's no good story reason for this other than to show Superman as being an absentee father. Superman was raised by adoptive parents, because his Kryptonian parents cared for him. Superman's kid is raised by human parents because Superman abandoned Earth. Bryan Singer was adopted and was a fan of Superman. I think the kid is a self insertion character. Along with Marsden's character, they made it a movie that isn't about Superman.

[@Walupeach4528]

I'd say Man of Steel was decent, few writing issues but mostly decent, kinda reminded me of the Batman with how he evolves into his comic portrayal through his mistakes. Batman v Superman on the other hand....

[@stevenpurtee5062]

I can't argue with any of this. I still love the movie, however.

[@waitwhat6059]

I used to think Lois was pregnant at the end of S2 when, after the kiss, she’s dizzy, has to sit down and craves a hamburger at 9am. 😮 I think this belongs in the realm of fanfic, but wouldn’t it be ironic if the star reporter, who recklessly goes after the truth, doesn’t know how she got pregnant. Of course she might assume the worst happened to her and thus this takes a dark turn you can’t suggest in a Superman film. However, Clark would definitely be in a pickle having erased her memory but knowing their child is on the way.

[@Knowledge01]

i hated that they gave superman a bastard child ...and i didnt like clark kent drinking beer

[@doc8013]

Lol you didn't like Clark drinking beer? Huh?

[@Knowledge01]

@doc8013 no. Clark Kent is mild mannered. He's clumsy and bumbling. He's not cool, he's not hip, and he doesnt go to the bar or drink beer.

[@doc8013]

@@Knowledge01 drinking a beer doesn't make you "hip" lol. He wasn't going to a bar on his own to chill and shoot darts and get buzzed, he went with Jimmy on Jimmy's suggestion. Clark has done that many times in the past in many different mediums.

[@Knowledge01]

@doc8013 wasn't the clark from the movies

[@Knowledge01]

Not that part. He was a good clark.

[@Maulbert]

1:32 Nolan was not an A-List director when he got the Batman job. His highest grossing film was Insomnia at $67 million. Batman Begins was when he became A-List, and honestly, it wasn't until The Dark Knight that he started getting carte blanche to make what he wanted.

[@ciroaltabas]

I thought that Lois seemed shocked, and understandably so, by the fact that her son had just smashed a villain with a piano, rather than realizing who his biological father is (which I'm pretty sure she knew all along)

[@joey_m305]

She must have. There is no memory erasing kiss because this is a sequel to the Donner Superman II cut rather than the theatrical version.

[@mpeterson78]

The main failure of this movie is taking Singer away from X3 and leaving it to Brett Ratner instead to mess it up. Singer's X3 could have been really good, coming off the success of X2.

[@Cakebattered]

Someone should make a video about that.

[@docdoc2011]

Love love love Superman Returns. The amephesia, the characters, the story. Too bad most people rejected it for its lack of action. The quality of this film is so much better than most of the superhero films that came after.

[@stevenlitvintchouk3131]

No, I rejected it for its horrible miscasting of the supporting cast: Kate Bosworth and Kevin Spacey.

[@nathanphillips7787]

I get trying to show how a truly brave familily man, played by Marsden, is as cool as or better than a deadbeat Kryptonian, but Superman isn't a deadbeat Kryptonian. Showing how Lois doesn't really need a savior..ok. she never did, but she liked Superman. This movie seemed to be about how flawed Superman is, and how little people who know him best like him. If that was supposed to make us fans, it did, but for the previous Superman films.

[@cooldojobro]

I'll save you 8 minutes. You named one reason not Every reason why Superman Returns didn't work. It didn't make enough money.

[@Kal-elego]

The Video Game adaptation was really cool and I find it a bit better than the movie itself (In fact they had many Superman Villains you’d battle like Mongul,Bizarro,Metallo,etc)

[@nsbd90now]

Superman in this movie seemed like a creepy peeping tom stalker type.

[@gabrielhardman1992]

The statement that the plane/shuttle rescue was recycled from the earlier production is inaccurate. There was a scene where he saves a plane in the McG version that was prevised but there are only a couple shots that we adapted from that version. The Flyby scene didn't have the space shuttle element so all of that was new for SR. I was there, I storyboarded and supervised the previs for this sequence in SR.

[@RSpracticalshooting]

I rewatched it not long ago. It works until the final act. It just went on way too long and Lois was horribly cast. Also, the Superman having a secret kid thing could've been left out. It had a great tone though and gave us a true representation of Superman, not the broody bullshit from Snyder.

[@stevenlitvintchouk3131]

I was wondering if someone else would mention that! When the movie was filmed, Kate Bosworth (cast as Lois Lane) was only 22 years old. She didn't look or act like the hard-driving Daily Planet reporter. Besides, in the movie, her son is about 7 years old, which would mean that in the events portrayed in Superman II, she was just 15 years old. Ridiculous.

[@RSpracticalshooting]

@@stevenlitvintchouk3131 She was just not good at all and it frankly ruined the film.

[@nbt2310]

They offered Josh Hartnett $100 million! for a trilogy of McG/JJ Abrams Superman films. What a wild time it was.

[@johndebono1870]

You get into part of the reason why Superman Returns didn't work, but the larger one is that Batman Begins worked because it presented Batman with a 2000s/post 9/11 sensibility without losing sight of it being a popcorn movie. Being so referential to the Donner movies made Superman Returns feel immediately dated and doesn't give a compelling answer to "Why not just watch the Donner films again"?

[@pablocasas5906]

By sheer coincidence today's the birthday of Mario Arvizu, the Mexican dub voice actor who dubbed Brandon Routh as Superman in Returns, and since then he has voiced Superman in other projects like the Injustice video games, LEGO Batman 3 and LEGO Dimensions, I really like Arvizu's voice as Superman, it really fits the character, he has also voiced other characters like Skipper the penguin from Madagascar, Ratchet in Transformers Prime and Galvatron in Age of Extinction, and also dubbed Idris Elba as Heimdall and Julian McMahon as Doctor Doom. Mario Arvizu is my second favorite Neutral Spanish voice for Superman, the one I consider the best is Luis Miguel Pérez from Venezuela, who voiced him in the Justice League cartoon and some other animated projects.

[@DavidMartinez-ce3lp]

That's awesome!

[@pablocasas5906]

@@DavidMartinez-ce3lp another interesting bit of trivia from Superman Returns' Neutral Spanish dub is that the voice actress who dubbed Kate Bosworth as Lois Lane, Erica Edwards, went to voice the same character in other projects like Man of Steel (Erica dubbed Amy Adams in all her appearences), in Smallville from seasons 8 to 10, LEGO Dimensions, DC League of Super-Pets and Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League

[@DavidMartinez-ce3lp]

@pablocasas5906 wow, very interesting!

[@nilehoruseus]

For real Superman does not get in a fight with anyone I wish they brought in Mongul or Metallo in this movie and Superman could have fought them and just take Luthor to Prison after stopping his plan if he didn’t go into a coma

[@breadordecide]

I think Lois was shocked the kid had powers not that it wad clark’s.

[@WadeWilson-p6l]

Sam Raimi's Spider-Man marked a turning point in the superhero genre by focusing on the superhero's personal lives or internal struggles instead of action and fighting, greatly influencing comic book adaptations of the 2000s (like X-Men sequels or Nolan's Batman), and Superman Returns was no exception. I personally liked that Superman's personal life was explored but I also felt that the loose ends weren't tied up very well, like what will happen to Lois and her son or what happened to Luthor at the end, along with the fact that it didn't have the "final fight" which was its main criticism. However, it's one of my favorite DC movies.

[@007Julie]

I remember when Brandon was making the rounds promoting the movie and a host from the Today show asked along the lines of, “are you ready for your life to change forever?” They thought this movie was going to be as important as the first Christopher Reeve movie was and make Brandon an instant icon. I feel so bad for Brandon, the movie was good and it had the feeling of the previous Superman movies. I’d rather watch this movie 10 times back to back than any of the Zach Snider dark, violent feast movies.

[@exiledfrommyself]

I loved "Superman Returns". The only thing I didn't like is that they didn't expand more on the kid.

[@zero11010]

I prefer Man of Steel immensely to what they did in Superman Returns. It’s been decades since I’ve watched the first two Superman movies. Even as a kid I didn’t like 3 and 4. I didn’t care for Superman Returns at all. It felt boring and I had a huge problem with a continent of Kryptonite being a thing he can lift and fly away with. The fresh take of Man of Steel was interesting to me. I had zero issues with the Zod scene people cried about. Brightburn was an OUTSTANDING new take on the character, too.

[@timfurnier7061]

You didn't really offer much to resolve the question the title of your video proffered. I'm left wondering what I even watched. There wasn't much there.

[@tobynormoyle637]

Interesting that the neck snap was shown as a negative from Man of Steel. That was the second time DC super hero finally did what was necessary.

[@motormuttldn]

The casting for Superman was near perfect. Unfortunately the story was ultimately boring

[@rome8180]

Everyone in the comments seems to like the Brandon Routh casting. But for me, he lacks the wholesome charisma of Christopher Reeve. There is something more intense and a little creepy in his eyes. I actually think Routh would make a better villain than hero, and in fact he has played a villain very well in a couple of things I can think of (namely Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and the TV show Chuck).

[@PricefieldPunk]

He played the perfect character of fallen hero turned villain in Chuck.

[@JamesLawner]

Biggest mistake this movie made was trying to be an “homage-sequel” to the old movies when this should’ve been a brand-new story.

[@JurassicTrek]

I love this movie, and I always have. I love that it exists. I long for the return of a ‘noble’ Superman. Too bad the fantastic Henry Cavill was hamstrung by Sack Znyder.

[@oliviastratton2169]

Noble? Superman Returns made him into a Deadbeat Dad!

[@joshuasteward6097]

​@@oliviastratton2169that is fans reading something into it they didn't intend.

[@oliviastratton2169]

@@joshuasteward6097 They wrote that Superman had a son that he wasn't around to raise or support. That's the definition of a Deadbeat Dad. How am I reading anything into it?

[@billybarnett2846]

Springer smoked weed and watched Superman every time was busy in his trailer when he was filming X2. The costume was another problem. Die-hards picked it apart. Linking it to the first two movies. We all thought he was making a new take on the franchise.

[@MiguelNdiweni]

Superman returns should have been a reboot setting the man of steel in a new universe where he has been a hero for a few years like a year three or four story, Lois doesn't know his identity yet and also the main villain could have been Brainic or Zod it could have started the dceu/dcu in the 2000s

[@johnwells5414]

That would have been awesome! I completely agree with you

[@MiguelNdiweni]

@johnwells5414 Thanks but. Superman unlike Batman reinventing him is a challenge

[@JohnMartin-kf2sm]

I think in an alternate universe where Christopher Reeve never had his accident, and in the late 90’s they got him, Kidder, Hackman, and the rest of the gang together for another Superman movie. If the result was an exact copy of this movie, it would have been considered a triumph. One of the all time great redemption sequels.

[@adlersadie1579]

I remember watching it as a kid and expecting a similar experience to reeve's superman. I just ended up falling asleep 20 minutes in 😂

[@TravisRichey]

Crazy timing I was just re-watching the airplane rescue scene yesterday! Good analysis, I was always curious why this failed so hard ~Trav

[@gamerzilla6113]

At least he became Atom

[@mcurran6505]

At least Routh had a second chance as Superman on Arrowverse's Crisis on Infinite Earths. And he was excellent.

[@maxordman4100]

I definitely prefer Brandon Routh as the Atom. His Clark Kent was okay but he’ll always be Ray plamer to me. It’s still nice to revisit the intital aspects and hope created by this movie. I’m never going to be a huge fan of it but at the very least I’m thankful that this movie gave Brandon his foot in the door for later roles!

[@F.C.N.77]

It didn’t work Because lex was the villain and lex is a boring villain, they gave superman a human boring villain.

[@dw1419]

"Lex is a boring villain" Justice League Unlimited and the good seasons of Smallville would like a word.

[@khizeryusufzai2185]

Lex isn’t a boring villain

[@itsgoff]

Anyway, so when are we going to see Brandon Routh as Superman on the big screen again?

[@VelvetThunder-s4x]

Pretend I wrote something funny

[@613trapman5]

Haha good one man!

[@khizeryusufzai2185]

😂😂😂

[@unfilteredlens]

The airplane sequence is arguably the best Superman action ever orchestrated onscreen. It's a dynamic sequence, perfectly edited and scored, and it ends triumphantly on a baseball field. It's quintessential Superman, and captures everything we love about the character. It's a Superman who wouldn't stand there and watch his Dad die in a tornado like a cuck.

[@kerry-j4m]

Man of Steel blows that airplane sequence to &&&&,MOS shows Superman's true speed,strength and especially his up-dated heat vision for a modern audience. His flying ability gets up-dated also,showing SUPES blasting off like a rocket into space,plus the flying sequences are-GREAT-too.

[@unfilteredlens]

@ Not at all. The “action sequences” were cartoony and had zero consequences. Indestructible people punching each other again and again has no tension.

[@colinpee]

This movie ended up being a mess, but the airplane rescue is incredible; top 5 superhero movie sequence ever