Sometimes, we can use a hero or two – even fictitious ones. And the return of the man of steel - - in slightly darker colors - - is quite welcome if one can judge by the multiple moviegoers who applauded at Superman’s first save-the-day moment of Director Bryan Singer’s film. Though not joining in the applause, I did get it and it was wonderful to see this giant, evil obstacle overcome by a force stronger and better, conquered by something good. Upon meeting in 1931, one wonders if Superman creators Jerome Siegel (writer) and Joe Shuster (illustrator) ever imagined how popular and long-lasting their dual-identity character would become and remain. Singer’s version looks a bit different from the simpler glory days of Kirk Alyn, the first silver-screen Superman in ’48; the 1950s’ George Reeves (movie and television); and even the Christopher Reeve era of the ‘80s. But regardless of the style, from Siegel and Shuster’s minds, to comic books, to small and large screens, Superman continues to stand for many things to many people and just makes us feel hopeful.

Superman Returns, starring Brandon Routh, picks up with the dark-haired one returning to Earth after a futile, five-year search for remains of Krypton, his homeland. Quite out of character, it seems that he just left without so much as a good-bye even to his one and only feisty brunette, Lois Lane (Kate) who is thrilled and incensed to have him back in her life, actually saving her life. As expected, central to the story are the usual good vs. evil questions, as well as the concept of frailty existing within the powerful i.e. the whole kryptonite thing. Then there is also the weighing of passionate love vs. comfortable love. After all, how can one not be in love with such a strikingly handsome alien? But then again, he is an alien with the full-time job of saving earthlings from villains and sometimes even from themselves, so there isn’t much time for traditional courting. Most interesting is Superman’s return to a somewhat changed world best exemplified by Lois’ life which includes a Pulitzer for her piece on why the world does not need Superman, a fiancé’ played by the consistently ineffectual James Marsden, and an illegitimate kid.

Unchanged is the battle with arch enemy Lex Luthor (Kevin), who is accompanied by a frighteningly coiffed Kitty Kowalski (Parker) and a host of nameless ex-cons. Luthor plans on using technology and a splash of kryptonite to destroy Superman, billions of the world’s population and much of the land mass, to basically start over and rule everything. It is way over the top, but that quality is necessary for movies such as this. Unfortunately, the showdown between the two seems a little anti-climatic, at best, but that is most likely because their battle is not the story’s focal point.

The true pitfalls of this still-entertaining movie are that X-Men screenwriters Dan Harris and Michael Dougherty did not know when to stop writing and Bryan Singer failed to listen to the voice in his head that surely said ‘this film has at least 20 minutes of cinematic lethargy that should have found a home on the editing-room floor’. However, the effects are fantastic as we watch the powerful Superman and the seemingly bungling Clark Kent try to find their respective places as Metropolis hero and reporter.

Superman Returns is worth seeing. It won’t quite make you believe in flying men, but it might give you that deep-down feeling that heroes always give us and if nothing else, this movie is visually quite beautiful. So far, this is the best big-budget film of the 2006 summer.