Readers are invited to submit their own short review of "Superman Returns." Tell us what you liked or didn't like about the movie. Did it meet your expectations? Was it thrilling or a snoozer?

Guidelines

Try to keep your review a reasonable length. Include your name and home town. Reviews will be posted in the order in which they are received. Send your review to postscript@post-gazette.com.

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Not worth the time

I've been a Superman fan for quite sometime and have been waiting 10+ years for this movie. I'd wait another 10 to see a real movie about Superman.

Let's see, while in the theater I nearly fell a sleep, my girlfriend fell asleep, and I heard snoring through out. Where is all the action?? 2 1/2 hrs with maybe 20 minutes total of action. drama drama drama. I seen more action in the Spiderman 3 trailer.

The graphics were great, the acting was par, the story ... still trying to figure that one out. there really wasn't one. I'm not even sure where the climax was supposed to be, and just when you think it's time to finally go home ... there's another half hour. They could have waited another year or two and used all the characters in the Smallville series and made a great movie.

All in all, this movie is dissapointing, a sleeper, and not worth your time.

Save your money, do something else!!!

-- David M., South Side

Not quite there

Superman Returns was a success in terms of a lot of the little things it did right, but it misses the mark on the big picture.

Most of the characterizations were quite good, but many of the performances seemed more like attempts to mimic the performances from the earlier films rather than be standout performances on their own. The love triangle in this film is handled better than any I've ever seen in a summer movie, giving Lois a genuine difficult choice to make between two equally good men.

The major problem with this movie is the fact that it spends far too much time exploring themes, and not nearly enough time on the plot.

There is too much time spent trying to draw parallels between the Superman mythos, and the story of Jesus. Most of the last twenty minutes of the film are devoted to hammering this point home rather than attempting to finish off the story arc, which is quite thin to begin with. This leads to a drawn out anticlimactic conclusion, which is further enhanced by some of the stronger scenes (especially the airplane rescue scene) near the beginning of the movie.

When it hits its mark, Superman Returns offers some truly great moments, but as a whole it was a bit of a disappointment.

-- David Cable, Bethel Park

Superman: Yes, Lois: No

I was very excited to see this movie, but I was disappointed and would only give the movie a mediocre rating. Half way through the movie my 11-year-old daughter looked at me and said this is a boring movie. This is the same daughter that loves Harry Potter and X-Men. Parents you should take your younger kids to see cars, teenagers should see "Click" not "Superman."

This is sad because the movie had some of the most amazing clips I have ever seen in a movie. I thought Superman was super in just about every way. But why do you try to humanize the man of steel? The whole Louis Lane I love you, do you love me, you never called, there was no cell phone coverage on Krypton so I couldn't call, Oh I have a boy friend now, and did you notice my 5 year old son looks like you, dynamic should have been play down if not removed all together.

I wanted an action movie not a love story and this movie needed more action. After all it is called Superman Returns not Lois Lanes ex-boyfriend comes home.

-- Joe Janocsko, Whitehall

Great flick

I loved this movie, which is worth every one of four stars. In fact, "Superman Returns" is almost reverent. The action may have been limited, but that also made this something much more substantive. It was filled with romance and nostalgia while also putting virtue on a platform at a time when inspiration is in short supply in other films. It put a lump in my throat. Superman is still the best thing to ever happen to comics and beyond. There's something wonderful about an alien having such compassion for his adopted planet. Great, great flick. Thank you Bryan Singer!

-- Chris, Cranberry

Even Lex Luthor was bored

I have waited years for Superman to return, but after watching this movie I wish the Kryptonite would have done him in. What a disappointment! Over 2 1/2 hours long -- even Lex Luthor looked like he was getting bored. Anyone who thinks this movie was loaded with action must reconsider or be forced to watch this monstrosity again with their eyes taped open.

-- John Spinks, Upper Saint Clair

Boringman

2 hrs and 45 minutes -- what were they thinking! You better bring your sleeping bag to this dud of a movie -- they should rename "Superman" to "Boringman" or better yet "Super Boringman." Please wake me once this clunker is over.

-- Tony Lewis, Pittsburgh

Brandon Routh: 'A great Superman'

After having to sit and wait an extra hour (the film did not arrive at our theater in time due to flash floods), I was VERY happy that I waited! The airplane scene in the beginning blew me away! Brandon Routh played a great Superman, and the rest of the casting was excellent as well. There was a LOT of connection to the first 2 Superman movies, especially the original. The movie was not perfect, as there were some parts that left me thinking "Huh, wait what just happened?". But under the pressure they were under, and the shoes they were filling, they came through with flying colors. :) What do you know? A man can fly!

-- Corey Thomas, Jersey Shore, Pa.

More mature Man of Steel

The first two Superman movies with Christopher Reeve as the man from Krypton suffered from a dual identity. They wanted to be both humorous and serious. What was a minor flaw in the first two movies became psychotic in the last two of the series. The new movie, "Superman Returns," pretends the two campy movies never were filmed and approaches the material with a more serious attitude.

Homages to Christopher Reeve and the first two movies appear throughout the "Superman Returns," from the lush musical score that uses the original theme to Brandon Routh, who at times echos Christopher Reeve and at times reflects Tom Welling from TV's "Smallville." The feeling of familiarity and continuity reminds the viewer of what made those first two movies so special. Still, enough time in this long movie is devoted to filling the new viewers in on the past that they need not feel left out.

The story begins with the return of Superman, who went into space to search for his past. Having failed, he returns to Earth where five years have passed; the world and Lois have moved on. Lois is engaged, has a small child, and won a Pulitzer for explaining why the world doesn't need Superman. At the same time, Lex Luthor is in search of more "beachfront property," no matter the cost to others. These twin tasks tear at the Man of Steel as never before in the series. Can he really return? Will Superman's heart be up to the tasks before him?

This is a movie that comic fans have been looking forward to and will love. The human elements will make this movie accessible to the regular public. The PG-13 rating, however, is well earned. The "Christ-figure" elements of the movie have been noted repeatedly, and some of those elements are reminiscent of "The Passion of the Christ," making this movie unsuitable for younger children.

-- Rob Carr, Pittsburgh

Doing the franchise proud

I've been waiting for John William's theme to play on the big screen for what seemed to be an eternity. I smiled when the Superman theme song hit. And the blue cast credits were also great.

The film was very loyal to past Superman projects, from Noel Neill and Jack Larson's cameos to direct lines from the original flick.

Anyone who complains about a lack of action really must reconsider. Or watch the movie again.

I had some small complaints, but Bryan Singer did the franchise -- and the character -- proud!

-- Tom L., Carrick

1 star out of 4

I was very disappointed. I saw an advanced screening of the movie last night and thought it did not have enough action in it. Way too much time sent on character development -- if I wanted that stuff I would go see a chick flick. Also, I was hoping that Batman and Wonder Woman would show-up, but no luck.

-- Ron M., Bethel Park

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