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Superman Returns

Superman Returns

Science Fiction · Action · Adventure · 2006

Superman returns to discover his 5-year absence has allowed Lex Luthor to walk free, and that those he was closest to felt abandoned and have moved on. Luthor plots his ultimate revenge that could see millions killed and change the face of the planet forever, as well as ridding himself of the Man of Steel.

Movie details

Superman Returns

“Look up in the sky!”

2006 Science Fiction · Action · Adventure 2h 34m

Critical arithmetic

The consensus, allegedly.

IMDb

6.1 / 10

302.2K votes

Rotten Tomatoes

72 %

Tomatometer

Metacritic

72 / 100

Metascore

TMDB

5.8 / 10

Community rating

External scores via OMDb · CC BY-NC 4.0. Values normalized for display; availability varies by title.

Superman returns to discover his 5-year absence has allowed Lex Luthor to walk free, and that those he was closest to felt abandoned and have moved on. Luthor plots his ultimate revenge that could see millions killed and change the face of the planet forever, as well as ridding himself of the Man of Steel.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Superman Returns?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Bryan Singer

Written by

Michael Dougherty · Dan Harris · Bryan Singer

Brandon Routh

Brandon Routh

Clark Kent / Superman

Kate Bosworth

Kate Bosworth

Lois Lane

Kevin Spacey

Kevin Spacey

Lex Luthor

James Marsden

James Marsden

Richard White

Parker Posey

Parker Posey

Kitty Kowalski

Frank Langella

Frank Langella

Perry White

Sam Huntington

Sam Huntington

Jimmy Olsen

Court is in session

Put Superman Returns on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Adrenaline Seeker

“Momentum is a formal choice.”

The velocity sharpens instinct and tension, making every beat land before self-importance can settle in.

The prosecution The Auteur Devotee

“Speed as an alibi.”

The film races past its weak spots and hopes acceleration will keep the audience from inspecting the evidence.