Superman Returns is among the most intelligent comic book films; those that seek to do a bit more in terms of subtext. Personally, Id put it up right there with The Dark Knights terrorism allegory and The Winter Soldiers dont trust the government leanings, in fact. The film essentially uses Superman as a way of exploring and questioning Christian imagery. According to fan theorists, Jor-El is essentially God. He sends his only son to Earth to show mankind the light, making Brandon Rouths Superman a Jesus equivalent. Superman listens to the desperate cries from Earthlings, and constantly takes up the burden of helping them. Later hes stabbed in the side with Kryptonite (as Jesus was impaled with a spear after his crucifixion), but rises nonetheless to save the day. On top of this, Singer piles in the whole Why The World Doesnt Need Superman subplot, in which Lois Lane writes about why she, and the planet, dont require a saviour. This makes the whole film function as an exploration of whether the modern world still needs religion, faith or a Christ figure at all. This depth of discussion into the necessity of saviours is a lot more food for thought than you get in the average superhero movie, making Superman Returns script very much worthy of praise.
