Superman Returns
Warner Bros. Pictures | Release Date: June 28, 2006 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
72
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 40 Critic Reviews
Positive:
29
Mixed:
11
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
60
Los Angeles TimesKenneth Turan
Star Routh's presence and the joys of flight keep Superman Returns alive, but all those missteps dog its heels, holding it back like little touches of Kryptonite in the night. Read full review
60
SlateDana Stevens
The film's most striking repeated effect, in which the caped hero dangles dejectedly in space as the Earth turns below him, emphasizes the passivity and loneliness of the character: This Superman's version of flight seems almost indistinguishable from a helpless freefall. Fair enough, but what's he got to be so existentially glum about? Read full review
60
Chicago ReaderJ.R. Jones
Singer draws heavily on the 1978 hit that launched the Warner Brothers franchise, with Brandon Routh dully impersonating Christopher Reeve as the Man of Steel, Kevin Spacey getting all the good lines as the villainous Lex Luthor, and stock footage of Marlon Brando proving that death isn't always a good career move. Read full review
58
Baltimore SunMichael Sragow
Contains a dozen winning moments of humor, uplift or exhilaration. But are they enough to justify a 154-minute running time? Read full review
58
Portland OregonianShawn Levy
A dull, uninspiring film that combines pedestrian acting, lackluster special effects and deadly pace with a pseudo-religious theme. Read full review
50
The New YorkerAnthony Lane
Picture my disappointment as I realized that, for all the pizzazz of Superman Returns, its global weapon of choice would not be terrorism, or nuclear piracy, or dirty bombs. It would be real estate. What does Warner Bros. have in mind for the next installment? Superman overhauls corporate pension plans? Luthor screws Medicare? Read full review
50
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
When the hero, his alter ego, his girlfriend and the villain all seem to lack any joy in being themselves, why should we feel joy at watching them? Read full review
50
San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalle
The movie consistently delivers in lots of little ways, but in a big way only once, in a spectacular sequence that begins with a series of earthquakes and culminates in an airline catastrophe. Read full review
50
The New York TimesManohla Dargis
It's hard to see what the point is beyond the usual grandiosity that comes whenever B-movie material is pumped up with ambition and money. Read full review
50
Film ThreatPete Vonder Haar
I wanted to like Superman Returns, but Singer and company are so concerned about doing justice to Superman’s past, they fail to generate much interest in what, if any, future the franchise might have. Read full review
40
New York Magazine (Vulture)David Edelstein
The bigger problem is that Singer’s weighty rhythms are disastrous for Superman, and the movie actually gets heavier in its last half-hour. Read full review
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