DVD Review: SUPERMAN RETURNS 2 Disc Special Edition REVIEWER: Bill Ramey POSTED: Friday, November 24, 2006 DVD RELEASE DATE: Tuesday, November 28, 2006 DISTRIBUTOR: Warner Home Video So I got my copy of the SUPERMAN RETURNS 2 Disc Special Edition in the mail the other day. I was quite happy about this not because I love SUPERMAN RETURNS, but because I was anxious to see the special features. Like with most of my DVD reviews of films that I’ve already critiqued, I won’t waste your time by rehashing the film (If you want to read my review of SR, CLICK HERE). What I’ll focus on today are the special features that you’ll find in this 2 disc DVD from Warner Home Video. That’s what y’all really want to know about, right? I’ll start off with the bad news first. As Bryan Singer said at Comic Con this past summer, the “Return to Krypton” scene is nowhere to be found on this DVD. It’s not edited into the film, nor is it part of the “additional scenes.” From listening to Singer last summer, he seems intent on not making the scene public for some reason. But methinks it’ll show up on DVD one day. Oh well…. The best of the special features is the “making of” documentary titled “Requiem for Krypton: The Making of SUPERMAN RETURNS.” The documentary is broken down into five parts which times out at almost 3 hours! This was one of the best documentaries about how a film was produced that I’ve seen -- much better than its sister film, BATMAN BEGINS. Highlights include…home video footage of Singer and his writers practicing the pitch that they would make to Warner Bros. for what would become SUPERMAN RETURNS…how Brandon Routh won the part of Superman…and a behind the scenes look at how the sets were built and the special effects. Trust me, “Requiem for Krypton” is well worth your time and money. Another cool special feature depicts how F/X gurus were able to use stock footage of Marlon Brando as Jor-El from the original SUPERMAN and include it into RETURNS. There was much more to it than one imagined -- including me. The additional scenes included are OK (11 clips, running at about 15 minutes). Included are: "The Date", "Family Photos", "Crash Landing / X-Ray Vision", "Old Newspapers", "Are You Two Dating?", "Martinis & Wigs", "I'm Always Right", "Jimmy the Lush", "Language Barrier", "Crystal Feet" and "New Krypton". Most are dramatic moments that occur during Clark's time back on the farm in Smallville; they're all presented in finished form, but a few shots haven't been digitally scrubbed to erase support wires and whatnot. They're certainly worth a look, but nothing to write home about. Damn that Singer for giving us that “Return to Krypton!” A trailer gallery, two video game commercials, and a plug for the upcoming Christopher Reeve SUPERMAN Collection close out the special features. There’s also an Easter Egg included of additional line flubs by Kevin Spacey. All in all, I enjoyed the SUPERMAN RETURNS special edition DVD tremendously. Of course I’m a fan, so I won’t lie and tell you that that didn’t have any affect on my opinion. However, I’m a movie buff as well and absolutely dug the heck out of the “Requiem for Krypton” documentary. As a result, this DVD is highly recommended by yours truly. Bill Ramey, aka "Jett," is the founder and editor-in-chief of BATMAN ON FILM, BATMAN IN COMICS, and ON-FILM.NET.