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'Superman Returns' shows the original's excellence
by Eleanor Ringel Gillespie

It's a bird! It's a plane! It's ... not Christopher Reeve. And that's just about the only negative in "Superman Returns," a handsome, high-flying picture with epic ambitions. Directed by Bryan Singer, who jumped ship from the "X-Men" movies to breathe new life into one of our most iconic superheroes, the film is the sort of satisfying blockbuster Hollywood does best. Read the full review

TO SUM UP
Following a mysterious absence of several years, the Man of Steel comes back to Earth. While an old enemy plots to render him powerless once and for all, the woman he loves, Lois Lane, has moved on with her life.

FILM FACTS ...

Warner Bros. Pictures

'Superman Returns'

Director: Bryan Singer
Starring: Brandon Routh, Kate Bosworth, James Marsden, Kevin Spacey, Parker Posey
Run time: 154 minutes
Release date: June 28, 2006
Rating: PG-13 for some intense action violence
See showtimes

Up, up and away!
• The Superman quiz tests your super skills.
• Stills from the movie give you a preview of the action.
• The many faces of Superman through the years.

On the web
Official movie site
View the trailer
Trailers require Quicktime

READ THE REVIEW

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: B+
"Superman Returns respects its legacy and, just as importantly, respects itself. "

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Austin American-Statesman: 2 of 5 stars
"Not only is joy and fun lacking in this superhero tale, but so is toughness, a dramatic urgency for the stakes on screen. It feels flabby and toothless."

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The Palm Beach Post: A-
"This is old-school, straightforward, red-blooded Supey..."

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Waco Tribune-Herald: 2 of 4 stars
"... infrequent humor, sputtering romantic chemistry and slick but largely unremarkable special effects may have even audiences asking: So what?"