10 Most Criminally Underrated Blockbusters Since 2000

4. Superman Returns (2006)

Superman Returns is an interesting case in that the reputation of the film has taken a significant nose dive in the years after it's release, but at the time, it was initially extremely well-received (Empire magazine rated it a full five stars out of five). It also seemed to fare well enough financially, finishing 2006 as the sixth most successful film of the year in the USA. So, why has the perception changed over time and now Superman Returns is known as a big, bloated dud? In truth, it seems that what critics and audience's wanted from a Superman movie differed greatly. The reverence that director Bryan Singer paid to the classic Donner Superman movie delighted critics (at least initially), and they were very complimentary about the heart that the film had. However, audience's expected a bit more action and spectacle in their Superman movie and were ultimately a touch bored during the slower moments of a very long film. So why do we consider it underrated? Despite its flaws, we believe it did enough right to make it a worthy Superman film. Brandon Routh was superb as Clark Kent/Superman and we have no doubt that if he'd been allowed to break free from the Reeve impression, he would have impressed even further. Okay, so Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor was a bit lame, and the less said about Superman's pining (or stalking) of Lois Lane the better, but somehow we still liked the movie. Maybe it's because Man Of Steel got Superman so very, very wrong that we think Returns looks better by comparison?