Superman Returns

And so I have returned to my native land -- a place of fields and farms not unlike the Smallville towne of yore. While here, I have taken it upon myself to attend the local cinema for a showing of a certain moving picture. I believe you know it as Superman Returns.

What can I say about this film? I can say this: I absolutely loved it. Almost everything about it was flat out perfect.

Brandon Routh as Superman? He's got it down. Not only was he able to channel Superman's charm, wit, and presence effectively, he was also able to accurately portray Clark Kent as a bumbling midwesterner who gets flustered around girls he likes (trust me on this; I am a bumbling midwesterner who gets flustered around girls he likes).

Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor? Pitch perfect. Never has Lex Luthor been so real on screen. Spacey hits all the right notes -- his Luthor possesses the perfect combination of menace and charm. You despise him, yet you cannot look away.

Kate Bosworth as Lois Lane? The film's weakest link, in my opinion. She doesn't give a stellar performance, but she's not awful either. There are even moments were she seems as though she might be the Lois I know and love. But those are few and far between.

In other notes: the story was epic and awe-inspiring, the effects were dazzling, and the score was uplifting and appropriate.

Superman Returns was my first opportunity seeing a Superman film on the big screen. I was too young, even when the last of the Christopher Reeve films was released. But today I saw Superman return. And I can't remember the last time I was this emotionally effected by a movie. Seeing Superman -- honest to God Superman! -- is something that just a few years ago I thought I'd never get the chance to see. But I saw it today, and I am not ashamed to say that I wept at the occasion. The effect on me was that powerful.

He was the first and he will always be the greatest. And I will always believe that a man can fly. How could live my life otherwise?