6.4 | / 10 |
Users | 4.2 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 4.1 |
He's back. A hero for our millennium. And not a moment too soon, because during the five years Superman sought his home planet, things changed on his adopted planet. Nations moved on without him. Lois Lane now has a son, a fiancé and a Pulitzer for "Why the World Doesn't Need Superman." And Lex Luthor has a plan that will destroy billions of lives. And the thrills - from a sky-grapple with a tumbling jumbo jet to a continent-convulsing showdown - redefine Wow. "I'm always around," Superman tells Lois. You'll be glad he is.
Starring: Brandon Routh, Kate Bosworth, Kevin Spacey, James Marsden, Parker PoseyAction | 100% |
Adventure | 83% |
Sci-Fi | 67% |
Comic book | 61% |
Fantasy | 55% |
Video codec: VC-1
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: LPCM 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
English: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
French: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
English, English SDH, French, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 2.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 4.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
As I perused Blu-ray.com's ever-shrinking list of backlog titles -- releases that somehow slipped through the cracks without ever receiving an official review -- I realized my eventual write-up would post on July 4th. It occurred to me that I needed to review a film that screamed baseball, fireworks, and warm apple pie... a sliver of American culture so distinct, so iconic that its Blu-ray case could come topped with chintzy plastic flags and no one would bat an eye. I needed a film that dealt with an unwavering moral monolith; a hero whose every deed personifies the hope those with stars in their eyes and stripes on their hearts long to feel (regardless of their Red or Blue-state affiliation). I needed something like director Bryan Singer's Superman Returns. Yes, it's flawed. Yes, the X-Men helmsman spends more time professing his love for Richard Donner's Superman than creating a mythos all his own. And yes, the result is often a dour, humorless affair that meanders towards its inevitable conclusion with the urgency of a ninety-year-old woman at a bake sale. But you know what? I don't care. Singer's Supes is still a pillar of principle and moral fortitude; a superhero who could stand in front of a flag and mean it; a nostalgic icon of a simpler time when good was good, and evil was evil.
You wouldn't look so happy if you were watching your own problematic video transfer...
Ouch. Minted for a 2006 release (when Blu-ray had first emerged from Sony's primordial ooze), Superman Returns' 1080p/VC-1 transfer has lost whatever luster it may have once had. Singer and cinematographer Newton Thomas Sigel's amber-drenched palette remains fairly strong and stable, but inconsistent contrast leveling and dull, muddy skintones continually flatten the image. Dimensionality and detail is hit or miss as well. At times, Routh's pores take center stage... at others, his face looks as if it's been crafted from clay. Likewise, a thrilling high altitude rescue is undermined by soft edges and indistinct textures; an odd development considering the film was shot using the latest and greatest high definition cameras. Moreover, scenes aboard Luthor's war-yacht (or whatever you want to call it) are lifeless, rooftop rendezvous resemble murky bowls of brown gumbo, and underwater sequences exhibit some of the worst artifacting, banding, and source noise I've ever encountered. And that's only the tip of the growing Kryptonian land mass. From a reckless application of noise reduction to a who's who of digital discrepancies, the picture is a mess from beginning to end. As it stands, only a handful of third-act confrontations between Supes and Lex manage to leave a long-lasting impression.
I have no doubt some of the presentation's unsightly misfortunes can be traced to Singer and Sigel's intentions -- overbearing shadows, impenetrable delineation, and limited depth among them -- but it's quite clear that Superman Returns is in desperate need of a fresh restoration; a sharp transfer that will give its iconic hero the sort of stunning Blu-ray homecoming he deserves.
When Superman Returns first arrived on home video in 2006, Warner (at that point struggling to provide comparable sonic experiences between the HD DVD and Blu-ray releases of their films) produced two distinctly different audio mixes: a rousing, lossless Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround track for the HD DVD version, and a generally satisfying 640kbps Dolby Digital 5.1 surround track for the Blu-ray version. While both releases bested their DVD counterparts, the HD DVD's TrueHD track was much more impressive, leaving many a Blu fiend salivating for a taste of lossless goodness all their own. As it turned out, Warner had been cataloging their fans' complaints. In 2008 (some two years later), the studio issued a re-release of the Blu-ray edition that offered not one, but two high-quality audio options: an uncompressed PCM 5.1 surround track and the same TrueHD mix that originally debuted on the 2006 HD DVD.
It's a cinch to identify which Blu-ray release of Superman Returns you're holding in your hand. Not only does the tech spec box on the rear coverart clearly outline the disc's audio tracks, the ISBN and UPC codes are different as well. The lesser edition is associated with ISBN# 1-4198-4481-4 and UPC code 012569829657, and the superior re-release is stamped with ISBN# 1-4198-6004-6 and UPC code 085391177913. So unless you left your glasses at home, it shouldn't be difficult to discern. Just be careful if purchasing a used disc from Amazon or eBay -- make sure the seller has outlined exactly which version of the film they're selling. Not everyone is as honest as you and I.
Anyway, I digress. The PCM 5.1 and Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround tracks offer identical experiences. Dialogue is crisp, clean, and perfectly prioritized, regardless of whether Superman is whispering in Lois' ear or hurtling past a burning aircraft. Better still, rear speaker activity is aggressive, ambience is lively and enveloping, directionality is as precise as they come, and interior acoustics are eerily convincing. I wouldn't go so far as to say I turned my head at every waning shout and clattering pipe, but the soundfield was immersive enough to slap a grin on my face. More importantly, the film's memorable set pieces have been completely set free. The LFE channel boldly peddles its fearsome wares, lending its full support to the deafening impact of every explosion and the unexpectedly weighty whup-whup of Superman's windswept cape. Dynamics are powerful and resonant, fidelity is spot on and, aside from a couple of stocky pans that pop up early in the proceedings, both high-end tracks are remarkable. This edition is, without a doubt, the Blu-ray release of Superman Returns fans and audiophiles will want to make sure is sitting in their shopping cart.
Both the 2006 Blu-ray release and 2008 re-release of Singer's Superman Returns boast the same supplemental package as the 2-disc Special Edition DVD. However, don't make the mistake of shrugging your shoulders at the seemingly shabby list of features adorning the rear coverart: Warner's BD-50 disc includes a massive, all-inclusive, three-hour documentary of legendary proportions. Granted, it's presented in standard definition (God knows what the film itself would have looked like had the documentary been encoded at 1080p), but that's a minor nitpick at best. Hopefully, Warner's inevitable re-re-release will not only right Superman's woefully inept transfer, but upgrade the mammoth doc, drop it on its own disc, and give it more room to breathe.
Superman Returns isn't the crowd-pleasing reinvention many hoped it would be, but it is an above average genre pic that boasts a pair of exceptional performances from Routh and Spacey. Currently, there are two Blu-ray editions available on the market: Warner's original 2006 release (with standard Dolby Digital mix), and a 2008 re-release with lossless and uncompressed audio tracks. Both releases feature the same troubling video transfer and the same enthralling supplemental package. Ultimately, if you have any desire to add Singer's Superman to your collection, be sure you have the right disc in hand.
2006 Original Release
2006
2006
Anthology release w/ bonus Return to Krypton + BS VJournals
2006
1980
1978
1987
1983
Extended and Theatrical versions
2011
2007
2013
The Richard Donner Cut
1980-2006
2013
2005
Cinematic Universe Edition
2019
1941-1943
2003
2016
Cinematic Universe Edition
2012
Cinematic Universe Edition
2015
2011
2023
Cinematic Universe Edition
2018
2007