2011 Movie News Archives

November 24, 2011: Film Review - "Superman: Requiem"

Superman Requiem By Shawn Morrissey

One of the great privileges of being a Superman fan is that our beloved character has successfully leapt off the pages of comic books and secured a place in multiple entertainment mediums. The most renowned of these is television and film, where Superman has been able to widen his audience and become an international pop culture icon.

In response to the several Superman-related television programs and the acclaimed Christopher Reeve films (well, the first two at least), fan-made films featuring Superman have popped up now and again, and seem to have grown more and more popular. The most recent of these, Superman: Requiem, is heavy on the adoration we all have for the Man of Tomorrow. Unfortunately, what the film has in ambition it lacks in execution.

The most important part of any tale is, of course, the story itself. Sadly, this is Requiem's weakest link. The meat of Requiem's story comes from Superman being tricked into losing his powers via exposure to a manipulated version of kryptonite (strong enough to remove his powers, but not kill him). Alexander Luthor (Lex, Jr.) intends on blackmailing the powerless Superman into revealing the location of plots of land previously owned by the late Lex, Sr. For leverage, Alexander plans on using Lois Lane, now living and working in Europe. Superman is forced to go head-to-head with Alexander sans superpowers (or at least sans some of them). That's about it. The rest is pretty much skin and bones.

The first thing I noticed about Requiem is that it seems like less of a Superman fan-film and more of a Donnerverse fan-film. I don't necessarily subscribe to the idea that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Honestly, more often than not, I find it to be an excuse for lack of creativity. Requiem doesn't give us much to embrace in terms of imagination. The plot lumbers along, connecting important events with scenes or dialogue taken directly from the Reeve Superman films. Now, I understand that this film is intended to be a fan sequel to the Donnerverse, but what we've gotten is a mishmash of elements from those previous films, and little else.

Right from the opening credits, the film takes its cues from things that have come before. Among these imitations is a Clark-to-Supes change in a revolving door. As the Man of Steel pops out of the door he says "Excuse me" to a little girl and her mother. I was expecting the girl to shout "Yo, Jim! That's a bad outfit!" Also recognizable are scenes that include a famous line from Perry White about great reporters (Superman: The Movie); an amnesia kiss (Superman II); Superman sacrificing his connection with his birth-mother Lara in order to regain his powers (SII: Donner Cut, with Jor-El); and breaking the fourth wall at the end. While including these elements may have been well-intended, they are a detriment to the seriousness with which the film can be taken. The most inimical effort Requiem made to relate itself to previous films was using photos of Marggot Kidder and Gene Hackman as Lois Lane and Lex Luthor. Worse still is the use of Kidder's voice from Superman: The Movie saying "Good night". Lois never materializes as a character and we never see the face of the actress playing her. We're told earlier that Clark and Lois have since parted ways, but the filmmakers felt compelled to include her in the film anyway without actually including her. The whole scene feels tacked on and completely removed me from the film.

There are a few other details that didn't sit well with me. For example, Clark carelessly opens his shirt revealing his Supes costume a few times in public. When Clark pulls the sliver of kryptonite from his hand he just lays it on the couch next to him. When testing his powers on the rooftop, Clark doesn't test his invulnerability. The Conner Kent T-shirt was a bit much. And so on.

Regarding the acting, it's hit or miss. Honestly, I think most of it is quite bad, particularly the secondary actors. The best performance comes from Stacy Sobeski who plays Ali Noels, a pointless character who replaces Lois Lane. Paul Khanna, who appears in two Harry Potter movies, plays Alexander Luthor in a wave. At times he's up, at others he's scraping the bottom. Regarding Big Blue, this was a matter of some heated debate. Martin Richardson doesn't appear to be a bad actor, he's just not a very good Superman. Or Clark Kent. He wasn't very convincing as either and I would imagine that for some viewers if you can't believe that the man you're looking at is Superman, then he isn't Superman. Such a movie lives or dies on the strength of the lead actor. In this case, "requiem" is perhaps a fitting title.

Honestly, though, I don't think we can honestly gauge the abilities of any of these actors on their performances here. They had very little to work with. The dialogue, to be blunt, is awful. It's weighty, redundant, and at times hard to sit through. Two examples are the van scene when Luthor and his goons are blathering on about land and inheritance, and the hospital scene when Clark and Ali deliver one slumberous line after another.

Of note, Jack O'Halloran, who played Phantom Zone criminal Non in Superman and Superman II, lends his voice to the film as a shuttle commander. Which is interesting, since Non never spoke a word.

Not much can be said about the special effects. This is a fan-film made on a modest budget and one shouldn't expect glossy Hollywood visuals. With all things considered, the film's effects are suitable, which is helped by the fact that this Superman has lost his ability of flight. There are sound issues, especially in scenes shot outdoors, and the lighting doesn't sit still, but these are minor complaints when we keep in mind the budget.

On the whole, the ambition of this project is evident. There's no doubt that a lot of work went into it, but I can't help but feel that as a result of the efforts to connect Requiem with the Donnerverse, quality and creativity were compromised. There are plenty of shining things that can be said for people who make a film out of pure adoration, knowing they won't make a dime off of it. Unfortunately, in this case, such a glowing example wasn't enough to save the film itself.

Rating: 1 out of 5.

Shawn



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