More on SR

Well, after allowing the high of watching a great Superman movie to subside, I was able to rethink and re-evaluate my opinion on the film.

Verdict?

Still great.

MUSIC:
This was what scared me the most. When it was announced thta John Ottman, and not John Williams, would do the music for the film, I was sad and terrified in equal measures. Ottman, a film editor by training, had always proclaimed a love for music like John Williams' and James Horner's. But his works so far (Fantastic Four, X-Men 2, Hide and Seek, House of Wax, etc), while competent, where nowhere near as grand or as excellent as any of John Williams' or James Horner's. They always sounded like... pale imitations.

It was therefore a great reassurance when Bryan Singer came out and emphatically confirmed that John Ottman would use John Williams' music.

From there, I was marginally more hopeful but still trepidatious. And then I watched the movie.

I don't buy CD's willy-nilly anymore. I save my CD purchases for music that is not just exceptional... I save my money for music that is near-perfect.

After the movie, I ran out and bought the soundtrack to Superman Returns.

I am still not 100% convinced of John Ottman's skill with creating original music, but what he did near-perfectly was come up with a score that integrated John WIlliams' classic themes with new music that brought the Superman mythos forward.

All my favorite Williams themes were there (Main theme, Love theme, growing up theme) and Ottman came up with some pretty good ones on his own too. But what Ottman did exceptionally well was in playing with our expectations of music in film and relating that with what was happening in the story.

Take for example the obligatory Superman and Lois flying scene. In the original score, in the original film, John Williams gave us a piece that mirrored the images on screen. When Superman appears on Lois' terrace, we hear playful traces of the love theme flitting in and out... mirroring the playful flirtation playing out in the scene. Then, when Superman and Lois fly off, we hear the love theme in all its grandeur, signifying that, by taking that leap with superman, Lois was opening herself up to falling in love with the big guy. The Love theme played over the rest of the flight, lush and romantic, and ended when they landed. And as Superman said goodbye, the love them trailed of and became more subtle, more subdued... holding the promise for more to come as the relationship developed.

In Superman Returns, Ottman did something similar yet satisfyingly different. When Superman lands and starts speaking to Lois, the music played is a mournful, more subdued version of the love theme. The tones are in a minor key, and there is an overwhelming feeling of sadness to the music... mirroring the conflicted lovers trying to hash out their differences. And when Superman takes Losi flying, we are treated to a lsuh build up of the love theme... except it isn't. The love theme quickly becomes a mournful "what could have been" theme. A sad haunting melody reiminiscent of Phantm of the Opera's Learn to be Lonely" played over the remainder of the scene. But as Superman flew Lois home, you could feel the mournfulness begin to dissipate. Minor tones became major tones and sorrow became love as Lois slowly began to enjoy her midnight flight. And as the couple slowly approached the magnificent art deco construct of the Daily Planet, we are finally treated to a full and lu rendition of Superman and Lois' love theme.
Or at least 30 seconds of it.

For as Lois and Superman land, they stare into each other's eyes and lean in for a kiss. At that moment, the Love theme cuts off in a heartbreaking wrench into the minor key... a musical metaphor of the love that Superman and Lois feel for each other- a love that can no longer be.

And that... that is the only time we hear the Love Theme.

Brilliant.

Cinematography:
There's not much I can say about this. It was brilliant. Every shot had meaning and no shot was wasted. Superman looked appropriately grand, Lex looked appropriately evil, and Lois looked strong and beautiful, big forehead and all. The angles the director of photography chose were brilliant. Upshots of Superman to show his majesty; downshots of Lex to show that, no matter how brilliant or powerful he is, he is just a small, small man; and medium, normal shots of Clark to show his... normalcy.

And I don't know if this was the writing team, the director, or the cinematographer, but the film was full of iconic shots that MADE this movie. Supermn carrying the Daily Planet Globe - Atlas shouldering the weight of the world. Superman carrying the car - a tip of the hat to the cover of Action Comics 1. Superman falling form the sky, his arms spread out to his side as if on a cross.

Iconic shots for the ultimate icon.

Brilliant.

SCRIPT:
I can't comment on this. I was dismayed to find out that much of the film's opening was shot but cut. Therefore, most of the setup for the film, most of the foreshadowing, will only be available to those who read the novelization or the shooting script. I cannot comment on this because, as a writer, I don't feel it's fair to the film's screenwriters.

What I CAN comment on is the dialogue.

Not brilliant. But good.

Well there you have it. That was MY review of a film I had been waiting years to see.

I loved it.

But that's the last I'll write about it, I think. Tune in next time for a look at another creation I recently discovered:

Firefly.