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I'll just come right out and say it: Superman Returns is my favorite superhero movie. Period. Yes, Batman Begins was great too. I also really enjoy the first two movies from the Superman, Batman, X-men, and Spider-man series. But Superman Returns does it for me in a way no other superhero movie can.

Director Brian Singer took the best elements from Richard Donner's Superman and added his own spin. In addition to the exciting action, Superman is now faced with a stunning emotional challenge. He vanished from Earth for five years to visit the remains of his home planet Krypton and returns to find his love interest Lois Lane has moved on - she is engaged to be married and has had a son. Superman is still in love with Lois, and she still has feelings for him. But this isn't the standard cut-and-dry movie love triangle, with the stereotypical handsome but obnoxious jerk as the "other" guy. Lois's fiance Richard White is also kind, intelligent, and heroic. Sure, he shows some insecurity, but so would I if my fiance's ex was the Man of Steel.

While Superman is facing these emotional challenges, he must also face Lex Luthor's evil scheme to partially rebuild Krypton here on Earth - creating lots of new real estate for Luthor's control while destroying large portions of the existing land.

So the plot is a great mix of classic Superman adventure and deeper emotional conflict. But what about the other elements?

First, there's Superman's new costume. I see this as a big improvement over the older one. The extra-bright red and blue have been muted down to be less cartoony while still portraying the classic colors. The ridiculously huge and bright silk-screened S symbol is now a smaller, more sensible-looking plate. And the cape has the darker red outside with the classic bright red lining the inside.

Now how do the new actors hold up against the classic Donner-era actors?

Okay, Christopher Reeve was THE Superman. He was unbelievably pitch-perfect as both the bumbling nerd Clark and the honest, heroic defender of Truth, Justice, and the American Way. But Brandon Routh is also excellent, capturing much of Reeve's look and mannerisms while adding his own touch.

Kate Bosworth's Lois Lane was much more disappointing. She seems to display outright contempt for Clark, rather than treating him as a harmless farmboy friend. Her anger at Superman for his disappearance falls flat. It's really only during their flight and near-kiss that she seems to come alive.

And then there's Kevin Spacey,

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