Line #34 Film/SupermanReturns


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/supermanreturns_350_9159.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:''[[Film/SupermanTheMovie You'll believe a man can fly]] [[TagLine again.]]'']]
3
4	->''"Even though you have been raised as a human being, you are not one of them. They can be a great people, Kal-El, they wish to be. They only lack the light to show the way. For this reason, and above all, their capacity for good, I have sent them you, my only son."''
5	-->-- '''Jor-El''', the film's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CuJ08nwJpA teaser trailer]]
6
7	By 2006, Creator/DCComics was in a period of success. ''Series/{{Smallville}}'' was in its sixth season keeping the ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'' franchise alive on TV, ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'' was keeping the ''Franchise/DCAnimatedUniverse'' alive, and ''Film/BatmanBegins'' from only a year before had reinvigorated the Batman film franchise. Taking advantage of this popularity, it was decided that after nineteen years in limbo, the ''Film/{{Superman\|FilmSeries}}'' film franchise should be revived as well. Creator/BryanSinger, who directed the first two of the ''Film/XMenFilmSeries'', crafted ''Returns'' as both a sequel and an homage to ''Film/SupermanTheMovie'' and ''Film/SupermanII'' -- while also [[CanonDiscontinuity ignoring]] ''Film/SupermanIII'', ''Film/SupermanIVTheQuestForPeace'', and (probably) ''Film/{{Supergirl\|1984}}''.
8
9	Set five years after the events of ''Superman II'', Superman (Creator/BrandonRouth) returns to Earth after leaving to search for remnants of Krypton in deep space; in the time between Superman's departure and return, ComicBook/LoisLane (Creator/KateBosworth) won a Pulitzer Prize for the article "[[WomanScorned Why the World Doesn't Need Superman]]" (ouch!), and the world has moved on in his absence. Superman has to deal with the ambivalent reaction toward his return, work on mending his relationship with Lois, and foil the latest deranged scheme by a resurfacing ComicBook/LexLuthor (Creator/KevinSpacey).
10
11	Unfortunately, the film failed to capture the same audience as ''Batman Begins'' and underperformed. It would be another seven years before ''Superman'' returned to the big screen with ''Film/ManOfSteel'' in 2013, introducing Creator/HenryCavill in the role and starting the Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse.
12
13	Brandon Routh reprised the role of Superman in the Franchise/{{Arrowverse}}'s CrisisCrossover adaptation of ''Series/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths2019'', appearing alongside his regular role of [[ComicBook/TheAtom Ray Palmer / The Atom]] from ''Series/LegendsOfTomorrow''. This [[https://d13ezvd6yrslxm.cloudfront.net/wp/wp-content/images/crisisoninfiniteearths-superman-kingdomcome-brandonrouth-700x1050.jpg incarnation and suit]] was based on ''ComicBook/KingdomCome'', but at the same time remained the same character in the film, meaning [[TheOtherDarrin the same one that was played by]] Creator/ChristopherReeve.
14	----
15	!!This film contains examples of:
16
17	* AesopAmnesia: Superman in ''Superman II'' promises that he'd never abandon the world after vanishing for at most two weeks. Then goes off for five ''years'' to search for a planet his own ''father'' swore up and down was destroyed in the first film. Oh, and he does this before showing up in court, allowing Lex to be acquitted because Supes was a no show.
18	* ApocalypseHow:
19	** ApocalypseHow/ClassX2 in the prologue. Krypton is [[ApocalypseWow spectacularly]] destroyed by a supernova (as established by ''Film/SupermanTheMovie'').
20	** Luthor's plan would have resulted in a ApocalypseHow/Class2, with much of the Earth flooded by his new continent.
21	* ArtisticLicenseEconomics: Luthor's plan of [[Film/SupermanTheMovie the first movie]] just wasn't going to work, from an economical sense, and ''that'' one ''[[SerialEscalation wasn't projected to destroy two-thirds of the United States]]'' (among other kinds of long-lasting, and most probably equally apocalyptic, ecological impact from a whole new continent appearing all of a sudden) as collateral damage.
22	* ArtisticLicensePhysics: Zig-Zagged regarding the Wedge Principle. Superman's midair rescue of the plummeting jet, for the most part, is a case of ShownTheirWork; knowing that he'd tear straight through the fuselage and cabin if he wasn't careful, Supes expends most of his effort slowly braking the plane's descent after seeing his first attempt to stop it by grabbing a wing immediately fail. Once he succeeds, though, he gently sets the large vessel down in a baseball diamond while holding it by the nosecone, even though it should have broken apart under its own weight. Near the end, he saves Lois and her family by pulling half of a huge luxury yacht from the sea, holding it by only a small portion of its frame. Him lifting the utterly massive Kryptonite island can probably be excused, since [[AWizardDidIt Kryptonian land masses obviously don't play by quite a few laws of physics]].
23	* BaldOfEvil: Luthor's obsession with wigs is a carryover from ''{{Film/Superman\|TheMovie}}'' although this time it is more about disguises (he doesn't wear any when being himself).
24	* BigWordShout and YoureInsane: Said in a particularly [[MemeticMutation memetic]] scene with Lex Luthor talking to Lois.
25	* BringIt: Verbalized by Luthor when Lois Lane tells him other countries won't stand for him sinking the US for his own man-made country.
26	* BroadStrokes: The relationship of this film to Creator/RichardDonner's Superman films.
27	* CanonDiscontinuity: ''Returns'' clearly ignores ''Film/SupermanIII'', ''[[Film/SupermanIVTheQuestForPeace IV]]'' and ''Film/{{Supergirl\|1984}}''.
28	* ChanceMeetingBetweenAntagonists: Lois sneaks onto Lex's yacht (not knowing it's his) and runs into the man himself, while he is brushing his teeth and utterly surprised to see her there.
29	* CharacterOutlivesActor: Although the character was already deceased in-universe, Creator/MarlonBrando's image and old footage was used to portray a dialogue between recordings of Jor-El and Lex Luthor.
30	* ClarkKenting:
31	** Given a nod when Lois lists off Superman's measurements and Richard notices that Clark fits the bill, though they quickly brush it off.
32	** Jason White however notices the resemblance but doesn't brush it off as quickly.
33	* ComicBookAdaptation: As well as an adaptation, it got a four-issue prequel focusing on Jor-El, Martha Kent, Lois Lane and Lex Luthor.
34	* ComicBookTime: The film is placed in the same continuity as the first two Christopher Reeve ''Superman'' films, yet it is clearly set in the mid-2000s with a 20-something Lois Lane, a still-alive adopted mother, and a still-wet-behind-the-ears Jimmy Olsen. The earlier films established that Superman came to earth in 1948 and were clearly set in the late 1970s. This discrepancy is enough to raise doubt as to whether ''Superman Returns'' actually is part of the same continuity, but the presence of a photo of Creator/GlennFord as Pa Kent from the first film serves to establish the link.
35	* ContinuityCameo: The actress playing Lex's elderly wife, Gertrude Vanderworth, played Lois Lane in the ''Series/TheAdventuresOfSuperman'' in the 1950s, for 78 episodes.
36	* ContinuityNod: Many to the [[Creator/RichardDonner Donner]] ''{{Film/Superman\|FilmSeries}}'' movies, which are meant to take place before it. For instance, the airplane rescue scenario is similar to Superman's rescue of Air Force One in the first movie, albeit [[SequelEscalation more spectacular in execution]].
37	* ContractualGenreBlindness: Evil genius he may be, but Lex Luthor never seems to suspect anything from [[PerkyFemaleMinion Kitty]]'s finding Superman attractive or her moral qualms with his nefarious plan, despite already being screwed over under the exact same circumstances in the original ''Superman''.
38	* ConvenientlyCellmates: A sequel comic has Lex Luthor pull strings to get a less-than-bright cellmate, specifically so he can have an audience for his genius plans.
39	* CrazyPrepared: The Daily Planet has prepared headlines for Superman's death or his recovery.
40	* CrooksAreBetterArmed: One crook surprises the police with '''a mounted 20mm Gatling gun'''. ''Very'' good that ol' Supes was there to rescue them.
41	* CrucifiedHeroShot: The exhausted Supes falling to Earth after hurling an entire island made of Kryptonite out of the atmosphere. [[{{Anvilicious}} Just in case you hadn't realized yet]] that [[EveryoneIsJesusInPurgatory he's Jesus]].
42	* CurseCutShort: Done with a cop exclaiming "Holy sh-" when he sees a crook's [[MoreDakka Gatling gun]] about to be fired at him.
43	* DarkerAndEdgier: Or perhaps "postmodern?" Even though the movie is a deliberate homage to the Reeve movies, it also brings up the question of his 21st century relevance, makes him a parent out of wedlock and brutally sends him to death's door. Also the colors on his suit are literally darker than in the previous movies.
44	* DarkMistress: Kitty.
45	* DataCrystal: The computer in Superman's Fortress. Luthor had some ideas for them.
46	* DeathByMaterialism: Riley, Grant and Stanford would've made it to the helicopter if they hadn't stopped to grab all their stuff, especially all the poker money.
47	* DemotedToExtra: Rising star Creator/KalPenn plays Stanford, one of Luthor's {{Mooks}}, and among them gets the lion's share of close-ups, but almost none of his lines whatsoever made it to final cut.
48	* DisappearedDad: Superman himself is one to his son, though he didn't even know about him before returning to Earth. However, he then ''knowingly'' leaves at the end of the film. ''{{Website/Cracked}}'' speculated his son became a supervillain enemy of his in the future due to this (the boy is shown to have his powers).
49	* DullSurprise:
50	** Kate Bosworth was accused of this. Jason can be pretty emotionless at times too.
51	** Riley and Grant's reaction to Brutus's death. Especially Grant. This one, at least, is at least justifiable due to shock.
52	--> '''Grant''': We had a little problem downstairs. Brutus is dead. He got hit with the piano...
53	* EarthShatteringKaboom: In a deleted scene, Kal finds Jor-El's lab relatively intact, however, he flies further and all that remains of the rest of the planet is some debris.
54	* {{EMP}}: The first side-effect of Lex's shard of crystals dropping the water causes a mass blackout EMP in Metropolis. Fortunately it's only temporary but after that the crystals can vibrate strong enough to tear down cities and even continents.
55	* EnforcedMethodActing: In-universe example -- Kitty's out-of-control car catches Superman's attention for a damn good reason:
56	-->'''Kitty:''' I was going to ''pretend'' the brakes were out. '''Pretend!''' Like we talked about! You didn't actually have to ''cut them''!
57	-->'''Lex Luthor:''' Well, of course I did. A man can always tell when a woman is pretending].. [[LivingLieDetector especially]] [[TheAce Superman]].
58	* EveryHelicopterIsAHuey:
59	** Superman foils a bank robber attempting to make a rooftop getaway in a Huey, who used the door-mounted minigun to hold off the cops. This doesn't work quite so well on [[ShootingSuperman Superman]].
60	** Averted with Lex Luthor's [=AW109=].
61	* {{Expy}}: Kitty is basically one to Eve Teschmacher from the 1978 film.
62	* EyeScream: '''[[DefiedTrope Defied]]''' in the film's trailer money shot. A goon shoots Superman in the eye with a pistol, and the bullet flattens and bounces off. Superman doesn't even ''flinch''.
63	* FailingATaxi: Lois falls into this, prompting Clark to make a loud whistle so that a taxi does finally notice.
64	* FaintInShock: In an homage to the original faint scene from the 1978 film, an aircraft malfunction almost kills all of the passengers, including Lois. Superman makes his first public reappearance by saving the aircraft and landing it safely in a packed sports arena. He then personally speaks to Lois, echoing their conversation on the helipad in the original film. Completely overwhelmed, Lois follows him out of the aircraft's exit and once again watches speechlessly as he flies off into the sky before she drops and slides limply down the plane's inflated evacuation slide, unconscious.[[note]]The {{Novelization}} cuts the part where Lois faints, but adds an original part where a nurse faints when discovering that Superman has fully healed and left the hospital on his own.[[/note]]
65	* FakeShemp: Unused/recycled footage plus CGI by Creator/RhythmAndHues keeps Creator/MarlonBrando in the Jor-El role despite his death in 2004.
66	* FantasticallyChallengingPatient: After Superman comes crashing down on Metropolis following him lifting Luthor's island into space, the doctors try their best to help him. They are able to remove the remaining slivers of the Kryptonite shard Luthor shivved Supes with from the still-open wound and apply a defibrillator shock (which browns out the whole building for a second) when his heart enters V-fib, but they are not able to do anything further because of his invulnerable skin. Fortunately, that was all that was needed.
67	* {{Foreshadowing}}:
68	** When asking Clark about why Superman left without even saying goodbye, he reasons that it was too difficult for him to do so, to which Lois responds in her sarcastic manner; "What's so difficult about saying goodbye?!" At the end of the film, before Superman lifts the Kryptonite continent into space, [[HeroicSacrifice an act that all involved were almost certain would kill him]], he says goodbye to Lois, and it seems she finally realizes what Clark meant earlier.
69	** Jason claims that although he has asthma now, his mother (Lois) say's he'll grow up big and strong like his father. Of course, at the time, she thought Richard was his father, but it still applies.
70	** Lex Luthor notices Jason breathing heavily and reacting somewhat fearfully, when he reveals his Kryptonite.
71	* FootFocus: Lois makes sure to take off her high-heeled shoes and places her bare feet on top of Superman's boots as she's getting ready to fly with him, complete with a close-up.
72	** Later, we get a close up of Lois putting shoes on her bare feet as she's preparing to head out to an investigation.
73	* FromBadToWorse: The situation is already looking extremely dire when the 777 fails to disengage from the space shuttle and is rapidly ascending with it into the upper atmosphere, and then while Lois is still struggling to make it into a seat, [[OhCrap the shuttle's main booster kicks on]], hurling her against the back wall of the cabin and taking the plane's passengers up into space.
74	* GenesisEffect: The {{Novelization}} says that Luthor's kryptonite island grew into a planet and settled into permanent orbit between Mars and Jupiter.
75	* GenreThrowback: Rather a {{Homage}} to the Creator/RichardDonner ''Film/{{Superman\|FilmSeries}}'' films of the 70/80's.
76	* GoKartingWithBowser: Brutus passes some time playing "Heart and Soul" on the piano with Lois Lane's son, Jason. Until he tries to kill Lois a short while later.
77	* GreyGoo: The kryptonite island was intended to grow over America and the {{Novelization}} said it ended up growing into a planet after it was thrown into space.
78	* HammyVillainSeriousHero: Superman is quiet and introverted to contrast the loud and bombastic Lex Luthor.
79	* HeldGaze: Superman and Lois Lane, often. Most conspicuously when he flies her above the city after he returns from Krypton and she's still a bit upset with him for leaving without saying goodbye to her.
80	* HeroWithBadPublicity: Superman is defamed by Lois herself out of spite for deserting her for half a decade, and this movie is about Superman winning back both the trust and reverence of the public and then Lois, starting by averting a plane collision.
81	* HiddenDepths: Lex's {{Mook}} Brutus, whose appearance is ''really'' appropriate to his name, turns out to be a talented pianist.
82	* HighHeelFaceTurn: Kitty Kowalski.
83	* HollywoodLaw: Lex Luthor gets off when the appellate court calls Superman as a witness and he doesn't show. First, appellate courts don't call witnesses or take witness testimony, they only review prior court cases to make sure they followed proper legal procedure. Second, if the appellate court did find a defect in the original conviction, it would result in a new trial. Third, even if the appeals court granted a new trial and Superman was unavailable to testify, that would be grounds for his testimony from the original trial to be entered into evidence.
84	* HystericalWoman: Bobbie-Faye, the bespectacled PR woman for the 777 shuttle flight, completely loses her rehearsed coolheadedness when the plane fails to disengage and violently takes off into the upper atmosphere, and is repeatedly shown sobbing in terror and frantically praying for her life. Hard to hold it against her, though, given how terrifying and stressful such a situation would have to be.
85	* LittlestCancerPatient / InnocentProdigy: Jason, Lois's son.
86	* IdiotBall: The only reason for Superman to go off on his own to find out the fate of Krypton. He apparently forgot what he said in ''Superman II'' by promising that he'd never leave the people of Earth again, because just ''one week'' without him had a trio of supervillains running amuck. So, he leaves Earth ''for five years''. To confirm something his father already ''told'' him. FacePalm.
87	* LargeHam: Lex Luthor.
88	* MadeOfIron: Lois. During the plane scene she gets tossed around the crashing plane more than a rag-doll in a tumble dryer, I mean really knocked around the plane's cabin yet walks away from it with nary a bruise or concussion. Sure she passes out but gets up the next day without a scratch.
89	* MagicBrakes: With Kitty behind the wheel, it's used as a distraction while Luthor steals some Kyptonite for his plan.
90	* MamaBear: Played straight when Lois begs Luthor to at least allow Jason to leave the yacht. Just after that, an [[InvertedTrope inversion]]: when Brutus notices her [[MessageInABottle transmission of an SOS fax]] (with the yacht's location) to the ''Daily Planet'' office, [[WouldHitAGirl he predictably gets rough with her]]. That's when Jason ([[BerserkButton scared and shocked by such abuse]]) [[DoesNotKnowHisOwnStrength reflexively]] [[PintsizedPowerhouse shoves the piano he'd been playing]] onto the unsuspecting Brutus.
91	* MessianicArchetype:
92	** Superman.
93	-->'''Jor-El:''' They can be a great people, Kal-El, if they wish to be. They only lack the light to show the way. For this reason above all, their capacity for good, I have sent them you... my only son.
94	** The film greatly expands upon the allusion in this speech from ''Film/SupermanTheMovie''. Besides reusing the God-like floating head version of Jor-El, Superman's return is a "Second Coming", he suffers a "Passion" when Lex and his men beat him up and Lex stabs him in the side, after saving the day he falls to Earth near death in a [[CrucifiedHeroShot cruciform position]], and he unexpectedly recovers from supposedly fatal injuries, with his empty hospital bed evoking the empty tomb. And as at least one critic (of Time magazine) pointed out, Superman secretly having a child with Lois is sort of like [[Literature/TheDaVinciCode Jesus secretly having a child with Mary Magdalene.]]
95	* MinionWithAnFInEvil: Kitty.
96	* MythologyGag: When Jimmy Olsen showed Lois and Perry a photograph of Superman, he was so far in the Picture one of them asked if it was a Bird and the other asked if it was a plane.
97	** The saving of the plane is a direct reference shot by shot of Supes saving the space plane in ''The Man of Steel'' #1.
98	*** The plane was attached to a space shuttle. The original idea for ''The Man of Steel'' #1 was for Superman to save a space shuttle, but was changed to an "experimental space-plane" following the 1986 ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Shuttle_Challenger_disaster Challenger]]'' disaster.
99	** Superman lowering Kitty's car to the ground looks like the cover to ''Action Comics'' #1.
100	** In the {{Novelization}}, during the plane rescue scene, Superman thinks about how easy it would be if he could [[UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks move planets like how they said in the comic books they used to make about him]].
101	** In the scene where Lex and his gang break into the museum, Lex wears a wig that resembles [[Series/{{Smallville}} Lionel Luthor's]] long hair.
102	* NeverTrustATrailer: The first trailer consists entirely of footage of a teenage Clark experimenting with his powers, Martha Kent checking out a mysterious meteor in her back yard, and Lois Lane meeting Superman on a rooftop and looking shocked--all set to Jor-El's narration about why he's sending Kal-El to Earth. This gave a lot of people the impression that the movie was a {{remake}} of ''Film/SupermanTheMovie'' instead of its latest sequel. The fact that the title hadn't yet been revealed (the posters and trailer just showed the Franchise/{{Superman}} logo on a blue background) didn't help.
103	** Another trailer made the movie seem like a basic Superman vs. Luthor adventure with no existential subplot.
104	* NoHoldsBarredBeatdown: Due to the effects of the Kryptonite island, Superman is weakened to the point where he gets a truly vicious one from Luthor and his thugs, before being stabbed with a shard of it.
105	* NotSoHarmlessVillain: ''Lex Luthor'' of all people gets this treatment by stabbing ''Superman'' InTheBack with a shiv made out of Kryptonite.
106	* {{Novelization}}: It got three of them. An adult one by Creator/MarvWolfman, a junior novel by Louise Simonson and another childrens' book by Brandon T. Snider called ''The Last Son Of Krypton'' [[note]] Tells the first half of the movie with several villains from the comics added in, a bit like in the video game [[/note]]. Interestingly all three leave out any reference to Jason being Superman's son.
107	* OffOnATechnicality: Lex Luthor's conviction for his crimes at the [[Film/SupermanTheMovie first Superman movie]] was overturned because Superman didn't show up to testify against him during the appeal.
108	* OffscreenMomentOfAwesome: The scene of Superman investigating the ruins of Krypton in his Kryptonian spacecraft became this when it was left on the cutting room floor. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRV_Mfgv3QU And yes, it is awesome.]]
109	* OffscreenVillainDarkMatter: The bank robbers Superman foils are ludicrously well-equipped, including an honest-to-God [[GatlingGood Vulcan cannon]], mounted on a helicopter's crane rig. If these guys are able to get ahold of such powerful and expensive hardware, [[CutLexLuthorACheck you'd think they could make a killing by skipping the bank heists and simply fencing the stuff off]].
110	* OhCrap: The bank robber, after [[ShootingSuperman unsuccessfully emptying a minigun into Supes' chest]], figures maybe it's just the suit that's bulletproof, pulls out a semi-auto, and [[EyeScream shoots him point-blank right in the eye.]] ''He doesn't even blink.'' Said robber's expression makes it clear that he fully realizes just how utterly screwed he is.
111	** Luthor gets a brief one when he hears that Brutus was just killed by a flying piano. It takes him all of a second to figure out how it happened and decide to get the hell out of Dodge.
112	** This is Lois Lane's reaction when she figures out who owns the ship she's snooping around in (with her kid in tow!).
113	* OnlyAModel: Luthor's model train set and city.
114	* PaidHarem: Luthor's moll Kitty Kowalski.
115	* PetTheDog: Oddly enough, Brutus, after watching Jason playing the piano he gently starts to play with him. He turns around and [[KickTheDog kicks it]] pretty fast when he catches Lois trying to send a fax, though...
116	* PhlebotinumBattery: Superman is weakened with a Kryptonite shard in his side, so he [[FightOffTheKryptonite Fights Off The Kryptonite]] by rising into the sunlight.
117	* PlotHole:
118	** The large crystal meteorite that accompanies Supes' return to Earth. It's never brought up in the movie why he would make the effort of bringing such a huge part of his planet with him, and apart from him saying that he hid it afterwards, it's never mentioned again. Only when you rifle through the deleted scenes do you find out that the thing is actually the crystalline spaceship he used to travel to Krypton and back, and that it was too critically damaged to perform a proper landing upon his return.
119	** Stealing a chunk of Kryptonite? Fine. Shaping it with Earth tools? I don't think so.
120	* PowerPerversionPotential: Superman uses his X-Ray vision to spy on Lois at one point. Richard himself talks about if he had X-ray vision, he'd take it... a few steps further.
121	* PrettyInMink: Kitty wears some. It's not FurAndLoathing, since it's established she is not actually evil.
122	* ProductPlacement: When Clark hails a taxi for Lois, it has a Mountain Dew banner. There's also a very sneaky one early on, when Clark is having a bowl of cereal while recovering at the Kent's farmhouse; looking closely, you can see he's eating Cheerios, which got a ProductPlacement in the original film so obvious that General Mills was listed in the credits.
123	* RegionalRedecoration: Lex Luthor's plan in ''Superman Returns'' involves creating an entirely new continent in the Atlantic utilizing Kryptonian technology. This will destroy most of North America and cause cataclysmic damage to the rest of the world. He intends to force them to turn to him as a savior.
124	--> '''Luthor:''' You can print money, manufacture diamonds and people are a dime a dozen, but people will always need land. It's the one thing we aren't making any more of.
125	* RetroUniverse: WordOfGod says that he added old fashioned cars and machine guns in alongside modern camera phones so it wouldn't be obvious to future viewers that this movie was made decades after the early Superman movies.
126	* RevengeOfTheSequel: The title of the movie is ''Superman Returns''. Supes returns after going into space for several years to search for the remnants of Krypton.
127	* RuleOfSymbolism: Lots of Christ symbolism.
128	* SchrodingersCanon: Superman Returns ignores the events of ''Film/SupermanIII'' and ''[[Film/SupermanIVTheQuestForPeace IV]]'', considering itself a direct sequel to ''Film/SupermanII''. So, one can choose to believe that, after Superman II, the films got DenserAndWackier and ended up with Superman fighting Nuclear Man on the moon, or that Clark Kent left Earth for a decade or so and had a son with Lois Lane.
129	* ShootingSuperman: To the offending crook's credit, after the [[GatlingGood minigun]] rounds failed to do anything, he got the idea that maybe it was the ''suit'' that was deflecting the bullets, pulled his pistol out, and then shot Supes in the eye... not only does this fail, but [[NoSell Supes doesn't even]] ''[[NoSell blink.]]''
130	* StalkingIsLove: Superman overhears Lois's address and flies to her house, watching her and her family while hidden outside, using his X-ray vision. He later X-ray-stares at her as she walks out of the office.
131	* StealthPun: A crew of bank robbers is about to make a helicopter escape, and at first their rooftop-mounted [[GatlingGood minigun]] is doing a [[MoreDakka fine job]] of keeping the cops on the street pinned down. Two security guards bust onto the roof (from a stairwell) but [[BoomHeadshot his vest stops]] [[AvertedTrope all of their panicked shots]]. Once [[NowItsMyTurn he trains his weapon onto them]], [[OhCrap they know they are obviously screwed]]... until [[BulletTime we see]] [[ImmuneToBullets Superman]] zoom in from ''behind the gunman'' into the line of fire. "[[CatchPhrase Faster than a speeding bullet]]", indeed.
132	* StoryboardingTheApocalypse: Lex Luthor shows Lois Lane a series of maps detailing exactly how his plan will destroy the Western Hemisphere.
133	* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome: Supes tries to halt the airplane's flat spin by grabbing the wing and pulling back on it. Airplane wings aren't built to handle that amount of torque. SNAP!!
134	** A mountain spire grows through the middle of a ''glass-bottom'' boat? SNAP, too!
135	* TechnologyMarchesOn: In-universe; thanks to most cellphones incorporating decent cameras even in 2006, passers-by are able to get extremely impressive shots of Superman in action, whereas all the luckless Jimmy can manage is a blurry, indistinct photo of something that may be Superman flying through the skies.
136	** Another in-universe example: Since there are very few phone booths in the 21st century, Clark instead uses an empty elevator to change into his Superman suit.
137	* ThemeSongPowerUp: When Lois's family in trapped in the sinking ship, facing apparent doom with a mournful dirge on the soundtrack. Suddenly, their despair is lifted as Superman arrives to rescue them by lifting the ship to the Superman March.
138	* ThisIsReality: Superman's inner monologue while struggling to save the plane in the novelization.
139	* TieInNovel: As well as her novelization, Louise Simonson wrote a prequel novel called ''Superman Returns: Strange Visitor''.
140	* TitleDrop:
141	--> '''Perry White''': "Okay listen up. I wanna know it all, everything. Olsen, I wanna see photos of him everywhere. No, I want ''the'' photos. Sports, how are they going to get that plane out of the stadium? Travel, where did he go? Was he on vacation? If so, where? Gossip, has he met somebody? Fashion, is that a new suit? Uh, health, has he gained weight? What's he been eating? Business, how is this gonna affect the stock market? Long-term? Short-term? Politics, does he still stand for truth, justice, all that stuff? Lifestyle... ''Superman returns''."
142	* TookAShortcut: It is made clear by Jor-El's narration in the first movie that Superman's journey to Earth took thousands of years, but he only aged a few years due to the effects of relativity. Jor-El's comment shows up in this movie when Lex and his goons are in the Fortress of Solitude. Somehow, though, Superman has traveled all the way to the ruined Krypton and back, and only five years have passed by on Earth.
143	* {{Troll}}: Lex Luthor has a moment where he acts like this to Lois.
144	--> '''Lex''': Come on, let me hear you say it. Just once, come on.
145	--> '''Lois''': [[YoureInsane You're insane.]]
146	--> '''Lex''': No! Not that! The other thing. Come on, I know it's just dangling off the tip of your tounge. Just once, ''pleeeease''.
147	--> '''Lois''': Superman will never--
148	--> '''Lex''': [[LargeHam WROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG!]]
149	* TrueLovesKiss: At the end, it's two kisses that awake a comatose Superman. A romantic one from Lois and a filial one from Jason, who just turned out to be their son.
150	* UngratefulBitch: Lois after Superman saves her from a plane crash. She claims she's still mad about Superman leaving her without so much as a goodbye or an explanation and still has no qualms writing that paper about how the world needs to forget about Superman.
151	* VillainousCrush: Kitty says she finds Clark to be cute.
152	* WealthyYachtOwner: First scene in the movie is Lex Luthor swindling an old woman out of her fortune, and among the many things he obtained with it there is a huge yacht-complete with helipad, piano, top-of-the-line electronics, enough room to work on a plan that could destroy the American continent without feeling constricted...
153	* WickedCultured: Luthor constantly has classical music playing in the background aboard his yacht.
154	* WorstNewsJudgmentEver: Perry White is so wrapped up in Superman's return he doesn't seem to regard the EMP wave Luthor triggered, which crippled the entire Eastern Seaboard newsworthy. Lois frequently butts heads with him over this, as he wants her to go back to reporting on Superman. Possibly justified by Lois actually knowing Superman as a personal friend, and he's definitely not the easiest guy to pin down. Not to mention that she has a personal reason ''not'' wanting to meet with Superman. Also, Perry doesn't think Lex will be much of a threat since Superman will stop him anyway.
155	* YoureInsane: The memetic WRRROOONNNGGG exchange.

Context Film / SupermanReturns