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Ithaca, 28 June 06 -- This is, if nothing else, a Superman fan's film. "Superman Returns" begins with an updating of the cosmic opening credits sequence from the 1978 Richard Donner film, and proceeds with two and a half hours of nods to nearly seventy years of Superman tradition. There's homage to just about every incarnation of the Man of Steel's deep oeuvre, and they still manage to fit a story in between the throwaway lines and the cameos.

"Superman Returns" chronicles, well, the return of our caped visitor from another planet after an unexplained, five-year absence. I'm not sure "I had to go see the remains of my dead home planet for myself" would hold up well to close scrutiny as an excuse for vanishing without so much as a word, never mind the hard-to-miss overlap of Clark Kent's absence from work visiting llamas, but the filmmakers don't dwell on it -- they just get it out there and get back to the story.

Lex's Scheme

He's back just in time; Lex Luthor, played with gleeful abandon by a superb Kevin Spacey, has concocted yet another scheme to take over the world. As in the last go-round, it's all about real estate, and I loved the convenient pull-down maps Luthor used to show Lois the various stages of world domination, reminiscent of "Zorro" more than anything else. Why no glowing holographic computer animation of his evil plot? More fun to watch him dramatically pull map after map down from the ceiling.

Luthor's plot even featured a daft clone of Valerie Perrine's over-the-top Miss Teschmacher, to the point that I was half expecting Parker Posey's Kitty to exclaim, "But, Lex, my mother lives in Hackensack!" Her presence was worthwhile, though, if for no other reason than her line about sea monkeys, a cute nod to 1970s comics and their omnipresent ads for such silly items. The basement train set's demise offered a delightful remake of the '79 film's earthquake scenes, and I loved the way Kevin Spacey stepped back behind his frozen cronies, as if to say, "Never mind bravery; I'm the smart one. I'll be over here."

Brandon Routh fills the uniform

So how's the big guy? Newcomer Brandon Routh fills the updated uniform admirably, if not with the stunning ease of Christopher Reeve. Unlike George Reeves, whose TV portrayal of the dual character differed mainly in attire, Routh's predecessor on the silver screen managed to be both Superman and the mild-mannered Kent, so much so that he didn't need the change of clothes to switch roles. His most masterful performance came in "Superman II" when, still in Clark's sweater, Reeve pulled off the glasses, stood up a little straighter, and straightened his jaw and brow to become the Man of Steel. Without a spoken word, a ripped-open shirt, or a phone booth, Reeve transformed.

Routh, on the other hand, is a far better Superman than he is Clark Kent. Early production photos really didn't do justice to the way the newcomer has stepped into the role of the Man of Steel. His stance mimics that of the vintage comic art even better than Reeve's, and his mop of windswept hair seems to land effortlessly with the trademark curl across his forehead.

I even like the new, textured costume, despite the dramatically darker red that others seem to despise. "Smallville" can joke about "the hottie in primary colors," but this new film leaves behind the old tradition for both Clark and Superman to stick to simple and bright, born, at least in the comics, of a limitation to the chemical treatment that allowed Superman to compress his street clothes into a hidden pocket of the cape. Clark Kent's new wardrobe even includes some earth tones, though his clothing budget must be pretty high, what with all the clothes he drops down elevator shafts on his way to a crisis.

Reeve really fleshed out his performance of Clark Kent in the second film, so I'm happy to give Routh another chance to polish his. I'm already satisfied with his Superman, a perfect blend of youthful modesty, innocence, and power, and found myself wondering, once or twice, if Routh were somehow lip-synching lines recorded almost thirty years ago by his predecessor.

Bosworth and Beyond

Routh's rooftop scene with Kate Bosworth as Lois Lane marked the first moment I believed her in that role. She's the most clearly too young, of the ensemble, to have just had five years go by; Sam Huntington, playing the fresh-faced Jimmy Olson, is older. Worse, she suffers the movie's biggest lapse in continuity -- she doesn't appear to be injured, even a little, by her rattling experience aboard a Boeing 777 that NASA's using as a launch pad for an experimental shuttle. (My suspension of disbelief isn't that generous.) The actress, who reportedly modeled her portrayal on old Katharine Hepburn films, was more convincing as concerned mom and deserted lover than as intrepid reporter. I hope she, too, has a chance to grow into this role and flesh it out in an upcoming film.

I would love to have seen the cameo director Bryan Singer planned for Christopher Reeve before the talented actor's death, but I was delighted with Jack Larson's appearance in the film. He enjoyed few roles after being typecast as Jimmy Olson in the 1950s TV series, but this isn't his first cameo in the genre. He also appeared in an episode of the Gerard Christopher "Superboy" TV series, and even reprised his role as Jimmy in an episode of "Lois & Clark." And it was only after the fact that I realized Noel Neill, the '50s Lois who also had a cameo in the '78 film, had played Luthor's dying widow patron.

James Marsden may have illuminated his portrayal as Richard White, Perry's nephew and Lois's boyfriend, with a taste of his own superhero résumé -- Marsden has starred as Cyclops, one of the reluctant heroes of the three "X-Men" movies. He did well with the difficult role of "the other guy," with whom Lois has been biding her time, and I was actually quite impressed with the new character's presence as an unexpected foil for Clark's romantic side -- and as his own brand of hero.

The new kid in town, Tristan Lake Leabu, made his acting debut as Lois's son, Jason, and acquitted himself well, even if he seems a hair old for the role of a five-year-old. (The filmmakers are to be forgiven; the role called for deeper acting than a real five-year-old could have delivered.) And Frank Langella worked for me as Perry White, even when flashing a brief, uncharacteristic smile.

This film deserves a Big Screen

Increasingly frustrated with Ithaca's aging movie theatres, I happily agreed to a friend's suggestion that we drive the two hours northwest to Rochester for the pre-opening-night IMAX 3D showing. Not only was I happy to receive a limited edition "Daily Planet" newspaper marking the event, I was also blown away by the picture quality of the 15/70 format on the massive IMAX screen. Between the huge, crystal-clear picture and the stunning sound, seeing the movie at Tinseltown's IMAX instead of Ithaca's Regal was like the difference between a 50-inch HDTV and your grandmother's 10-inch black-and-white Zenith.

I was less impressed by the 3D effect. 3D filmmaking has come a long way since the early days of two-toned lenses, and the brief segments of 3D-enhanced footage were quite impressive. But the distraction of putting on the glasses for these periods and then taking them off again, combined with the poor condition of the glasses themselves, detracted from the experience. It's still more a novelty than anything else, and I'd like to get my vote on record -- I'd rather stick to the big, beautiful two-dimensional IMAX format for Hollywood movies, where you can see every hair on Superman's head and the perfect absence of hair on Luthor's, and save the 3D effect for shorter IMAX features.

Singer, whose regular video blogs at Bluetights.net marked a refreshing change of pace from the usual tight-lipped production, clearly loves Superman, and obviously respects the franchise and his role in continuing the legend. His reverence shows in everything from the inside jokes to the generous use of Marlon Brando's lines from the '70s and the musical tributes, throughout, to the last set of films and their John Williams score. I think that's one reason this feels like just one episode of an ongoing story. I'm looking forward to the next episode.