Is Superman Returns Better Than Man Of Steel?

Yes even though they both suck.

Returns had better "Superman saving the day" scenes. That's all.

Man of Steel Superman > Superman with a bastard child

I think both films have problems, but I think Man of Steel, by virtue of being an origin story, had a lot more to work with, whereas Superman Returns fails as a homage/sequel to Donner's Superman films.

Man of Steel I think could have been better with a few different creative decisions:

1) Spend less time on Lois/Daily Planet, more time on Clark's upbringing: tell a chronological story about Clark discovering his powers and developing into the character that becomes Superman.

2) Let Jonathan teach Clark to be a good person (helping people like humans do), while encouraging him to discover why he was sent here before using his powers recklessly (let Jor-El teach him how to help people as an alien).

3) Show, rather than tell, how Clark's powers have positive and negative consequences. For example, show how Clark's rescue of the school bus leads some of those parents -- like Mrs. Ross -- to place undue expectations on the middle-schooler. Or how it causes his classmates to fear him. Or another example, the tornado scene would have been better had Clark actually tried and failed to save Jonathan, causing some undue media (and possibly government) attention on the Kents.


Superman Returns I think could have been better with a radically different approach:

1) Tell a story 20 years later, with a slightly older Superman, confronting the 21st century world. Literally bring the 20th century character into the more complicated, more violent world and prove why he's still relevant.

2) President Luthor. It's long enough, it's a new dynamic for Lex Luthor, and it makes Superman's enemy more dangerous.

3) Have Superman face an older Lois who has moved on. No need for the kid.

Take them both... Smash them together and I think you'd get the perfect Superman movie