Superman vanished suddenly over five years ago when the world appeared to need him the most. Now, in Superman Returns, he resurfaces to save an airplane which is about to explode. Played by Brandon Routh, Superman comes to the rescue, and this iconic superhero makes a triumphant return to the silver screen after being absent for almost 20 years.

Why did Superman disappear for such a long time? Because astronomers claimed to have found the remnants of Krypton, the planet of his origin, and long thought to be destroyed. Naturally, Superman had to see for himself if anything still existed.

The dramatic airplane rescue is the first scene where viewers see Routh as Superman, and it draws us into the story. Director Bryan Singer originally intended the sequence to be viewed in IMAX 3D and had it converted to the technology for the film’s theatrical run. This allowed viewers to experience what it was like to be onboard the plane while it  hurtles toward Earth. Unfortunately, the drama and importance of this scene is lost on DVD -- which makes it more difficult to be drawn immediately into the story and accept Routh as Superman. After all, this role belonged to Christopher Reeve for so many years.

In another stunning sequence, we see Clark Kent’s spaceship speeding to Earth as he returns to the farm where he was raised. The film flashbacks to Kent’s youth where he is seen leaping through the air above a cornfield as he masters the art of flight.

Later, Clark Kent is given his old job back as a reporter for the Daily Planet simply because his replacement had just died. He discovers that Lois Lane (Kate Bosworth) is mother to a 6-year-old boy and set to be married. Adding to our hero’s dismay, he learns that Lane has won a Pulitzer Prize for a scathing editorial about the world not needing Superman. 

And what happened to the villainous Lex Luthor (Kevin Spacey)? Well, he would be in prison where he belongs if it were not for Superman’s failure to testify in court as the primary witness in a criminal case against him. Luthor is especially dangerous now that he has inherited millions from a woman who excluded her entire family from their inheritance while on her deathbed. Instead, her entire fortune went to Luthor after he spent years conning his way into her heart. When Luthor finds The Fortress of Solitude, he inadvertently stumbles upon a laser image containing a message for Superman from  Jor-El (Marlon Brando). This message is about crystals that -- among other uses -- can create large parcels of land. Now Luthor plans to wipe out the largest part of North America by deploying crystals in the Atlantic and starting his own nation. He will then become the leader of the free world unless Superman stops him.  

Director Bryan Singer’s Superman Returns is a fast-paced, entertaining film with solid acting from Spacey and Bosworth. But it's Routh's cautious and introverted portrayal of Superman's Clark Kent persona that comes across as the standout performance here.  

(Released by Warner Bros. and rated "PG-13" for some intense action and violence.)