It's only been a few days since I went to watch Superman Returns on the big screen, but already I'm eager to see it again. I have to admit that as exciting as the movie was for me, it was slightly underwhelming, not because the movie was bad, but because I have been anticipating the movie for over a year now and the excitement built up so much that there was probably no way that any Superman movie would have met my high expectations.



But let me just say that the movie is really good. Definitely on par with Superman II, which is arguably the best Superman movie from the Christopher Reeve era. You probably don't need me to tell you that, just ask anyone who's seen the movie, and I'm sure the box office numbers speak for themselves. The new movie also pays tribute to the old Superman movies as well, which I thought was a great touch by director Bryan Singer. The movie begins with the credits flying through space just like the past Superman movies did as well. As the Superman theme came on, I felt as if I was once again 7 years old watching the Superman IV in the theaters with my parents. At the end of the movie, the audience is left with a few images of Superman flying through space. The scene is almost identical to Christopher Reeve's Superman at the end of Superman: The Movie.

This is one of those movies that anyone can go to and get excited about. It's got action, drama, suspense, romance, and even a bit of comedy in it. The movie stays true to the comics and so even die-hard fans will enjoy it. You can see the relationships and interactions between the primary characters are faithfully preserved but slightly updated for the modern age. Lex Luthor still has that dry sarcasm in his dialogue towards Superman but seems all the more confident even having been defeated many times in the past. Lois Lane is still in love with "you-know-who" but has that internal struggle of being a mom and a fiancee. Jimmy Olsen and Clark Kent still share that collegiate friendship, but for some reason Olsen seems more nerdy these days. Perhaps its the bow-tie.

Either way, the movie did not disappoint. And while I didn't go to the movies dressed up in a cape and tights, I did go wearing my newly received S-shirt (Thanks, Paul). It's great to be a kid again.

One more thing, check out this picture I found of the new Superman suit in glorious close-up detail. Overkill? Maybe.