IT’S A BIRD… IT’S A PLANE… IT’S A NAKED DUDE IN SUPERMAN RETURNS!

Maybe I'll be in the minority, but I thought that was absolutely gorgeous. Obviously, the narrative holes in this sequence are fortified by Kal-El's brief dialogue with Martha at the start of Superman Returns. But the effects were spectacular, the soundtrack sparse, and the set design truly elegant and eye-catching. His eyes watering when he sees the "Superman" insignia - that's just so wonderfully poetic and gets to the heart of Singer's Superman, as a god who seeks a tradition, who struggles to build a legacy, who feels alone in this world.

I am also a supporter of Superman Returns, and to me, this conveys the same peacefulness and heartbreak of the smaller moments of the film that I adore, like Superman taking flight, or the piano-playing henchman, the sight of a heartbroken Martha amidst the crowds at Superman's hospital, etc. I wish they had the stones to keep this in, though it wouldn't have changed people's minds, considering most people are screaming, "BOOOORING." Which is just, I dunno, a gross attitude to have.

Well it's sure looks good, and it could have been interesting, but why on Earth would Supe's ship not be able to navigate in space? Those rocks weren't speeding along. Kal El is a bit too wide eye'd for me as well; he looks like Superboy.

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Originally Posted by Cylon Baby 

Well it's sure looks good, and it could have been interesting, but why on Earth would Supe's ship not be able to navigate in space? Those rocks weren't speeding along.

As he succumbed to the kryptonite radiation he lost control of the ship and it smashed into things.  Once he'd cut the auto-pilot in to take him back to Earth it was fine.

That's a damn handsome piece of footage but for all the loaded poetic undertones it still feels, like the entire film itself, woefully underwritten. Even in that 5 minutes, the narrative drive is elusive & Singer seems to be relying on unearned emotional beats to drive the action (if that makes sense).

I like Superman Returns and that is a beautiful sequence.  That said, what's the point of it?  He finally returns to Krypton..........................and finds out that it is just one giant lump of kryptonite?  No wonder it was cut.  It looks stunning, but we already knew that bit of info.  Now if he had found someone/something interesting on the planet that had an affect on the story of the film, then the sequence might have actually served a purpose.  Maybe another living Kryptonian, be they good or evil?  An intriguing bit of information about the planet, himself, the universe, or a foe that appears later in the film?  I can buy all of that. 

Spending $10 million to show us that Krypton is just as dead as we always knew it was is moronic and irresponsible...........no matter how wonderful the scene is to watch  Again, this is coming from a fan of the film.

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Originally Posted by S.D. Bob Plissken 
I like Superman Returns and that is a beautiful sequence.  That said, what's the point of it?  He finally returns to Krypton..........................and finds out that it is just one giant lump of kryptonite?  No wonder it was cut.  It looks stunning, but we already knew that bit of info.  Now if he had found someone/something interesting on the planet that had an affect on the story of the film, then the sequence might have actually served a purpose.  Maybe another living Kryptonian, be they good or evil?  An intriguing bit of information about the planet, himself, the universe, or a foe that appears later in the film?  I can buy all of that. 

 

Spending $10 million to show us that Krypton is just as dead as we always knew it was is moronic and irresponsible...........no matter how wonderful the scene is to watch  Again, this is coming from a fan of the film.

Well, it's our intro to the character, and particularly Singer's version. With this sequence, and the following, brief exchange with his mother, it's established, again, that this is a guy seeking a connection to something else, this is a guy who's reached to beyond the cosmos and returned with an empty hand. It's a perfect encapsulation that what's about to follow will be his dejected search for roots on Earth. Honestly, it's pretty heartbreaking.
 

Most importantly, it's an opening that awards Superman more respect and insight than any other superhero film thus far. I'm not surprised that the overly-literal interpretations of Superman Returns extend to criticisms of this footage.

I get what your saying, but it still seems like the sequence (as well as the whole script in general) need another pass in terms of the writing.  Still, I really like the film and would love to know what exactly Singer intended to do in his now unmade sequel.  Hopefully the details will come to light when someone decides to write a book on Superman's cinematic journey on down the line.

It's also a huge chunk of foreshadowing.  The ship establishes the flexibility of the Kryptonian crystal technology and gives the audience information only hinted at by Lex Luthor's short monologue about the crystals after they steal a bunch from the Fortress, and it introduces the idea of the crystals being infected with kryptonite. 

Give me that budget! I'll make 20 flicks! Not a penny would be wasted, I promise!

Pretty footage. Not worth the money. Kept expecting Huey Lewis' "Heart of Rock N Roll" to start up any second.