Superman is the toughest Superhero to make a good movie from.
Reeve simply made the role his own and even the comics started emulating his look. The facial structure of Superman is iconic and if the guy who plays him looks less than olympian perfect, it looks like a dork in tights with too much hairgel and a cowlick (Superman Returns).
Superman is also difficult to really convey in a movie and his villains have never been used properly.
IMHO, the best way to do a modern Superman film is to make it an allegory to phobia of other cultures/races, alien immigration, etc. because the heart of Lex Luthor (not the stupid real estate tycoon of the 70s movies) is his xenophobia and he hates Superman because he's not human. He doesn't trust Superman's intentions. He's actually an anti-hero who is fighting for mankind. He believes that the human race cannot rise on it's own to greatness if we are always depending on Superman to save us.
|