Films That Can Be Salvaged Part 3: Superman Returns (2006)

Films That Can Be Salvaged is an ongoing series where I prescribe some changes, be it cosmetic or invasive surgery, to help elevate a film’s potential. This week: Superman Returns.

The Rundown: After many canceled production attempts to return Superman to the big screen, Bryan Singer took the Director’s relay torch from Tim Burton and Kevin Smith and crossed the finish line with 2006′s Superman Returns. The film was good, not great, and ended up banking almost exactly what Batman Begins made the year before. Despite the comparable box office gross, Warner Bros. declined to green-light a sequel.

What made it great: Brandon Routh surpassed everyone’s expectations (and silenced doubts) for being an unknown cast into the title role of a major tentpole film. So much so, fans are campaigning to have him cast in the upcoming reboot of the Superman franchise (slated for 2012). Also, the production values made this a very slick-looking film.

What can be fixed: I had no issues with the cast at all. And this wasn’t a horrible film like 1997′s Batman and Robin, a film by which I measure all bad Superhero films, so I usually don’t condemn too many. There are a few things that can help elevate this film.

Remove the homage. That means no John Williams original Superman score, and as very few references to the Reeves quadrilogy as possible. The exercise of injecting the sound and feel of the prior Superman franchise invited too many comparisons, and sort of blurred the lines between sequel and reboot. I think it’s great to recognize the past, but not to emulate it. If you look at the recent Star Trek film, they had their own theme music (the credits revealed the original score), and just the right mix of old and new to establish itself as a new unique identity.

Loose the cheese. The cannibalistic Pomeranian that started the film? The gag seemed to belong to another genre of film entirely. There are other bits of humor between Lex and his minions that seemed to undermine the threat they were trying to portray as well.

You chickened out! I thought the 5-year gap in which Superman left earth was an interesting time frame, meaning he’d be barely absent when the Sept 11th attacks occurred. I would have liked to have seen him struggle with that event. It was sort of hinted when Clark was flipping through the news on TV and he was rather shaken with all that has transpired in his absence. I think spelling out the event in some form would have added some real-world weight to the film. I’d like to think they were going for this, but backed out and decided to hint at it, and then made the opening plane rescue as an audience-grabbing gesture that alluded to 9/11.

That controversial son. I do like it when films try to do something not quite seen before in the comics. This seemed like a fresh angle for the Man of Steel to cope with, but it wasn’t handled right, and the ‘big surprise’ the kid was in fact Supe’s was anything but. With some skillful editing, the kid can be entirely portrayed as Lois and her husband’s, or merely reduced to a cameo. I’m not entirely sure in this area myself, but there is room for improvement here.

Lex Luthor on a deserted island to finish the film? Seemed very cartoon-ish to me. When Darth Vader careened into space at the end of the first Star Wars, I didn’t need to be explicitly told where he ended up. I guess everything has to spelled-out for audiences these days.

More action. Even Routh has been quoted as saying for the (now-dead) sequel, he’d get to punch someone or something. This film sort of missed that defining strike. I’m not one to prescribe a massive re-shoot to fix a film, but there has to be way to insert some sort of action. Take that “get-shot-in-the-eyeball” scene on the rooftop, which cut away from Supes and the Robber looking at each after this gunshot took place. I’d add a close-up of Supes grabbing the gun at lightning speed and crumpling it to bits. Something that clearly says that was a bad move.

I think these edits would make Superman Returns its own franchise, and trim the fat. It would also better position this film for a sequel, but that ship has already sailed.