Lois was never meant to look like a supermodel, she meant to be distinctively average or somewhat above average in her looks. If Lois was cast that way, I would had been disappointed.
Kate Bosworth may be a little young. However, I’ve always hated Margo Kidder in the originals. I love the first the films that this new one is to be a sequeal but Margot Kidder was the big mistake of those films. I have no idea why Superman was in love with her.
I think the (non-superhero) love interest of a superhero must be the hardest to cast. Look at Katie Holmes or Kim Bassinger in Batman Begins and Batman. As far at the OP goes, did you like Batman Begins? That movie survives despite the miscasting of Miss Holmes, so this movie can still work with Kate Bosworth.
You have got to be kidding. Superman-scissorhands? That has to be joke based purely on hearing that it was Burton directing. That CAN’T be real, right?
I think I’ve been spoiled by the comics, but honestly, I just don’t find Superman to be all that interesting a character on his own in the superverse (essentially as a sort of Superman Prime). He’s far far more interesting when paired up with Batman, the League, and so on. Superman vs. a bunch of normal people plus some devious tricks and traps built by… normal people just doesn’t do it for me. Luthor is a great character, but he is ALSO far more interesting when he’s just a regular powerful genius human who somehow ends up the alpha-dog over other supervillans. The DC comics universe in general is a lot richer with its large cast of characters.
Superman all on his own is just sort of played out and bland. I think the Dini cartoons did a great job with him as a character, especially more planative episodes like the one where he got sent to the future with Vandal Savage. But going back to the Reeve model universe just seems like too much of the same vanilla.
I’ve heard this complaint several times about the casting of Routh, and I don’t really think it’s fair. I keep hearing about how Superman is supposed to be huge. Not just Mr. Olympia Arnold huge, but with straight up impossible-to-be-human muscles. Why is that? Because that’s how he was drawn in the comics?
Every comic I’ve seen has three male body types:
[ol]
[li]huge and muscular[/li][li]grotesquely fat[/li][li]pencil thin[/li][/ol]
It stands to reason that Superman would have body type #1. But let’s face it, Commisioner Gordon was drawn the same way. Besides, it’s just not reasonable to expect Singer to be able to cast someone with that body, the good looks required of Superman, plus good acting skills.
Personally, I like the idea that he’s normal sized. It makes his superhuman strength that much more impressive. Just MHO.
I agree about his muscles. After all, when you’re that strong, how do you exercise?
My (tiny) complaints:
I dislike the casting of Jimmy Olsen. How many people in the “present” where Superman is set would wear a bowtie? Honestly? That and I can’t look at him without being reminded of Not Another Teen Movie and his interaction with Lacey Chabert.
Frank Langella as Perry White? Eh. Michael McKean would have been better, only since he blew me away as Perry on Smallville. I’ve been spoiled by J.K. Simmons.
Kate Bosworth looks too fragile to be a tough reporter. I would have liked Selma Blair.
The costume: why, exactly, does he need little S’s on the bottom of his shoes? Where did this costume come from? Martha Kent certainally didn’t make it.
aside from this stuff, I’m fine. 
[Obvious Superman 4 reference]
Uh…“no pain, no gain”?
[OS4R]
Superman exercising depends on what power-level we’re talking about. If he’s the near god-like level of the early comics, then the only way to do it is by using self-resistance (flexing/pushing against himself). Even super-godlike superman seems to get winded from time to time, so I assume he can get cardio workouts done (even though that wouldn’t make much sense in terms of anatomy).
If he’s the more conventional “super-strong, but not necessarily able to benchpress planets” kind, then he can work out by lifting ridiculously large things, like glaciers up at his fortress.
Supermen of ANY stripe seem to have the “grunt” when doing something particularly impressive, so we can probably assume they are exerting SOME effort that counts as exercise, even if its ultimately able to exert more power than a human muscle ever could. Later explanations of superman’s power seem to imply that it comes from a metal field around his body that does most of the “superwork” but we can assume that his actual muscles can get enough done on their own not to atrophy.
There’s a bit in the comics where Lois comes over to Clark’s apartment, sees the workout set he’s got for cover, and comments on how wimpy his weights are.
Clark didn’t really have a clue as to what a normal person his size would be able to lift.
I attended a press screening of the movie. I walked in just hoping it wouldn’t suck. I came out loving it. Routh does an excellent job in my opinion. He absolutely nails Reeve’s Kent – that stammering, shrinking hesitation that makes it easier to believe nobody notices this 6’3" handsome, blue-eyed, broad-shouldered reporter looks an awful lot like Superman. (In fact, someone does kinda notice, but doesn’t tell anyone …)
I’m not getting all the complaints about Routh’s physique. You’d rather they hire a WWE wrestler for the role? He’s pretty buff, and when he puts on the suit he is Superman. When I saw the first pics of him in costume I was pretty “meh” but after seeing the movie I’m anything but “meh”.
Bosworth also does an excellent Lois. She’s not irritating or shrill, she’s conflicted, she has a personality and she’s always willing to go after her story. Spacey’s AngryBitterLex is delicious. Huntington’s Jimmy Olsen, bowtie aside, is pretty damn good. There’s a few holes in the movie here and there, but they never ruined my enjoyment.
The cape, by the way, is red – but it’s a darker red than usual, and a heavier material. I actually like this suit better than previous ones because it actually looks like some kind of alien material, rather than just spandex. Although it does look like he has lifts in his boots.
I don’t understand this point. Why wouldn’t, say, 30-year old, age-appropriate actors be able to do a couple of sequels? The mid-late 30’s are not one foot in the grave or anything. Take a look at Hollywood’s darlings currently in their mid-30’s (Jennifer Aniston? Cameron Diaz? or, geez, Demi Moore?) - don’t tell me they’re too withered to be playing believeable superhero love interests now. Surely there are plenty of 30-ish actresses who would age just as well.
The age of its stars is the biggest barrier for me going into the movie. I’m happy to give Bryan Singer the benefit of the doubt (he’s certainly earned it), but I just can’t see those actors without thinking they should be bartending at the Bait Shop. Especially Bosworth. Maybe she’s great, but is there no working actress in the 28-31 age range who could play a great Lois Lane? Really?
I suppose they needed a “name” since Mr. Routh is basically an unknown, but to have the casting so obviously be for this reason than for seeking the very best person for the part bothers me. It takes too much suspension of disbelief to look at her and think: “star career reporter with a son.” I’m hoping she and Singer are talented enough to make me forget her age, but I can’t shake the thought that this is basically a big “fuck you” to actresses over 25 - “better pack it in and move to a home, grandma! No room for you in the Hollywood Blockbuster!”
Superman, however, can get away (barely) with being youthful, as it sort of makes sense that he probably doesn’t age - or certainly not as quickly as the rest of us. However, he does look a lot younger than Christopher Reeve did back in the day, even if they are the same age.
The costume stuff doesn’t bother me at all. Who gives a crap, as long as it looks good in action?
Spacey as Lex Luthor? I’m so there.
I’m certainly going to see it. Kate Bosworth just better be fucking outstanding.
Did I just say “metal field”? I must have been thinking about SUPERMANSCISSORHANDS again. I meant, MENTAL field.
Good or not, I saw Routh today on ET and all he did was a Christopher Reeve imitation. He deserves some sort of punishment.
hh
Pre- or post-accident? 
Hee. Worst job in the world–attendant at Superman’s health club.
Superman: “Hey, guys-wanna throw a couple more tons on the barbell for me?”
Attendant: “<whisper>Hey, Joe – where’d we put that Kryptonite?”
*What?! * It’s a word!
scrotumy (adj., comp. scrotier; superl. scrotiest.) 1. of or pertaining to scrota; like a scrotum; scrotal. (Colloq.)
- (n.) an extremely illegal maneuver in Rugby.
–Camford International English Dictionary (Exclusive Terrifel-Only Edition)
I trust there’ll be no further misgivings in this matter.
This is encouraging, and exactly what I was hoping to hear. I’m a bit uncertain exactly how well superhero movies lend themselves to “lyrical” directing, but I guess we’ll find out. For me, the word “lyrical” in this context evokes unwelcome memories of Margot Kidder’s weird prose-poetry interlude (“Can you read my mind?”), but that’s probably not what the reviewers were hoping to convey. At least I hope not.
I freely admit that my own criticisms are superficial, because so far I’ve only seen promotional stills and such from the movie. However, I think that the overall look of a comic-book movie is generally important, since comics are themselves a highly visual medium. My concern is not that Brandon Routh doesn’t look exactly like Chris Reeve; I’m concerned because he looks like a piece of string wearing a cape. Seriously, I’m in no kind of physical shape, and I’m still pretty sure I could take him in a fight. I think that Superman should at least have a build that suggests strength; as I understand it, that’s why Chris Reeve was encouraged to bulk up for the role. Ideally, I’d think that Superman would be more of a mesomorphic body type, whereas Routh appears ectomorphic nearly to the point of two-dimensionality. The various tweaks to the costume only serve to emphasize this feature. I have no problem believing that this man could fly; he’d be carried off by a stiff breeze. But if the reviews are positive so far, then presumably he doesn’t look too silly on screen, which is a relief.
Interestingly, in all the brouhaha over Bryan Singer signing on as director of the film, I somehow failed to register the fact that he’s gay. I’ll definitely have to revise my opinion of the *X-Men ** movies with this information in mind.
Agreed. Frankly at this point I was more perturbed by the peculiar hybrid nature of the film, as I’m still not sure I see the necessity of grafting the story on as a quasi-sequel to a couple of twenty-year-old movies. From what I’ve heard, they didn’t seem to save much screen time by doing so, since they went ahead and reshot new “origin” material anyway. So what’s with the stock footage of Marlon Brando, etc? It just seems weird, is all.
What, are you kidding? Where’s the fun in that?
Thanks for the links! My enthusiasm is waxing! Curiously, though, it appears that Jeffrey Wells illustrated his review of **Superman Returns ** with an image that isn’t from the movie at all. The guy in that picture actually seems to have shoulders, and the movie version of the costume doesn’t have the yellow ‘S’ shield on the cape. Unless I’m very much mistaken, that figure looks like it was taken from an Alex Ross painting. Honestly, what’s up with that? Hey Jeff: perhaps you could try illustrating your glowing reviews with pictures that represent the actual movie?!
*joke
Complaining about an actor’s look is one thing, but these comments are just silly. Routh is a big, strong guy. If you think he’s a skinny weakling, your standard must be Hulk Hogan.