Superman never made any money / Saving the world from Solomon Grundy

I took the boy and one of his friends to see Superman last night, at the big Loew’s theater nearby. In the interest of getting home at a semi-decent hour for nine-year-olds on a weeknight, we skipped having dinner at home and went for the chicken tenders, curly fries, and Sprite combo at the theater. Which is now, I found out too late, $10. FOR ONE MEAL! I didn’t eat, but had a Diet Coke, and this was easily a $50 Thursday night. Ouch. No wonder I usually stick to popcorn and matinees.

Never mind that, though, because the movie was worth it. I’m a sucker for the super heroes. (Although I never cared all that much for Batman. I’ll root for him, sure, but he’s little more than a rich guy with gadgets and a cool car, as far as I can see. Dark Knight? Whatever. I get that he’s avenging his parents . . . but . . . he’s just too suave. And brooding. And not brooding in a good way.) ANYWAY. I’m a sucker for the super heroes. I love me some Spiderman, and the Xmen, and the various heroes I’ve met through “graphic novels” (comics) as a grown up.

Superman, though, is just so beautiful. And good. And kind. He’s everything a little girl thinks her dad is, and everything she thinks grown men should be. Of all of the super heroes, he’s the one I wish were really real. I always say I’d choose Marvel Comics over DC in a story-by-story fight for my interest, but Superman breaks my heart because he’ll never exist.

The kid who plays Superman in this movie is scarily like Christopher Reeve in a lot of ways. I’m almost glad Dana Reeve is dead, because I can’t imagine how she’d be tortured by this movie. I can’t imagine what it’ll be like for their son, if he sees it. Brandon Routh is the actor, and I haven’t seen an interview or even read anything about him, but he’s perfect. You can see Reeve in his eyes, in his jaw, in his cheekbones. It might not be in his face all at once, but it’s always there. His Clark Kent grin is beautiful. His longing looks at Lois are beautiful. His teary eyes are beautiful. (Oh, and did you see “I, Robot” with Will Smith? Do you remember swooning over Will Smith in the shower, or was that just me? We get a look at Superman’s naked torso here, and I felt similar stirrings.)

Kate Bosworth is a fine Lois (although less urgent and raspy than Margot Kidder), and Kevin Spacey is a SPOT ON Lex Luthor. He’s smart and serious about his dreadful scheme, and nasty and cold and, and funny here and there without being too campy. And Parker Posey doesn’t get enough to do as his chick, but I like her anyway. Also, one of Luthor’s posse is Kal Penn, from Harold and Kumar go to White Castle. It was nice to see him, even as a bad guy.

There’s a new (to me, at least) character, Richard, who is Lois’s live-in boyfriend and (assumed) baby daddy. He’s handsome and kind, and a pilot. He’s a sort of Superman Lite, I guess. He’s a good character, especially as he’s allowed to be jealous of Superman without having to go the normal comic book route of having that jealousy turn him into a villain.

Some of the sets are lovely, and some of the cinematography totally rocks. There are some winking, knowing moments, but they’re tasteful and fun—not ironic or mocking. There were moments when I wanted to pump my fist and give a big, “Whoooooo!” I didn’t, but the whole theater applauded at the end.

Go. Give yourself over to pure goodness. What the world needs now is not love, sweet love. We need Superman, and for 120 minutes, we have him.