Let’s be honest. The moment John Williams’ iconic theme hits the speakers and the legendary opening credits push their way through a starry universe it is impossible to not get giddy with apprehensive excitement as “Superman Returns” begins. For those of us that literally grew up with Richard Donner’s fantastic original and Richard Lester’s (taking over for Donner halfway through production) brilliant sequel, the unabashed longing for Bryan Singer’s new take on DC Comic’s most famous superhero to be good is nearly impossible to shake.

Thankfully, Singer does not disappoint. “Superman Returns” is not only the big budget Hollywood extravaganza we’ve been waiting all Summer for, like Christopher Nolan’s near-classic reinvention of the Batman franchise “Batman Begins” it restarts and reinvigorates a moribund property to near stratospheric heights. This movie is more than just another piece of superhero pop culture, more than just a man in a red cape saving the Earth from evil. It is an examination of humanity, a discussion of right, wrong and the powers and responsibilities associated with a being who just might be the closest thing to a God the people populating this adventure are ever likely to see.

That’s right, Singer turns the story of Superman into an examination of religion. Not so much from our point of view, but from that of the deity. This movie, written by Singer and his two “X2: X-Men United” partners Dan Harris and Michael Dougherty, is a somber, sometimes sad tale of what it might really mean to be Superman; to sit up high in the night sky above the Earth hearing the pleas for from a populace with the ability to save itself if only it would take the time to do so. It is about the things a true Man of Steel most forgo and give up if he embraces his destiny to its fullest, a realization that the things dearest and nearest his own heart might have to be forgone in order to do his job.

Weighty themes, to be sure, and there are moments in “Superman Returns” where I couldn’t help but wonder if Singer and company were taking it all a bit too seriously. In fact, at over a 150 minutes there are times when this whole Superman-as-a-God rigmarole even started, if only for a second, to get on my nerves. Donner’s greatest accomplishment in the original was taping into the giddy exuberance of the comic book, the director showing an innate ability to bring the sheer fantastical joy of flying through the air to an audience eager to eat it up with a spoon. For the most part that joy is gone from this new interpretation, Singer instead more concerned with the central emotional dynamics of his main character and the conflicts said dynamics cause within his very soul.

Thankfully, this works both to the film’s and to Singer’s benefit. There is a weightiness to this the other two main “Superman” features lacked (I’m dismissing the dismal third and fourth chapters of the franchise, neither remotely important enough to speak about again), a moral complexity that’s both mesmerizing and entertaining all at once. The director and his writers do a slam-bang job of bringing the superhero into the 21^st Century, allowing the audience to see this last son of Krypton as they’ve never done before.

Don’t misunderstand me. “Superman Returns” is nowhere near as dour and as didactic as I’m probably making it all sound. Just because Singer doesn’t choose to showcase the same whimsy or joy Donner chose to doesn’t mean this new feature isn’t fun. Just the opposite. The director stages some action set pieces that rate right up with some of the very best I’ve ever seen, not the least of which is a stunning airplane and space shuttle rescue that’s absolutely mind-blowing. I was so far forward at the edge of my theater seat during this bit I was in danger of falling off, while the manicure I’d just gotten earlier in the morning was completely put to waste as I frantically nibbled through every last fingernail of my trembling left hand.

The film itself takes place five years after Superman (newcomer Brandon Routh, while making a grand first impression, not about to make anyone forget Christopher Reeve) has mysteriously left Earth to visit the ruins of his home planet Krypton. Returning disillusioned, only fragments of his people’s once-great society in tow, he’s comforted by his human mother Martha Kent (a charming Eva Marie Saint) before leaving Kansas to return to the wilds of Metropolis and the fast-paced environs of the Daily Planet.

At the Planet, now safely ensconced back into his alter ego of mild-mannered Clark Kent, more grim discoveries await our hero. Not only is intrepid ace reporter Lois Lane (Kate Bosworth) winning a Pulitzer Prize for an essay entitled, “Why the World Doesn’t Need Superman,” she’s also engaged to Perry White’s (Frank Langella) nephew Richard (James Marsden, far more active here than he ever was in “X-Men: The Last Stand”). Worse, she’s got a five-year-old son, a meek looking kid with asthma and allergy problems worrying Lois constantly.

But these are the least of Superman’s problems. Turns out Lex Luthor (Kevin Spacey, great but still no Gene Hackman), thanks to the hero missing his chance to testify at an appeal hearing, has been let out of prison and is once again ready to make trouble. He’s just got back from the Arctic raiding the Man of Steel’s home away from home taking valuable crystals, which in his improper hands might just spell doom for all of North America. Better, if he manages to play his cards right, Superman, too.

Singer and company layer on the mythology making the whole thing very Greek, illusions to Hephaestus, Prometheus and other classic characters of ancient lore abounding throughout. You see, Luthor wants to take from the Gods and give to the people, only in this case that God is Superman and the people are his own Armani-lined pockets. Meanwhile, good old Kal-El is dealing with his own Herculean problems, at one point wondering if he’s going to have to make the ultimate sacrifice for a society he’s not altogether sure is worth the effort.

It’s a lot for one picture to handle, especially one rooted in the pages of an illustrated adventure and released right in the middle of the popcorn-layered summer silly season. Yet it works, sometimes brilliantly, the director crafting an homage to the Donner original, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster’s classic characters, as well as other interpretations throughout the decades, yet still managing to create something uniquely personal. Much like Nolan did with “Batman Begins,” Singer roots “Superman Returns” inside the here and now, doing all he can to make this story of a man with powers beyond all comprehension believable and grounded in modern day realities that feel heartfelt and genuine.

Of course, it was far easier for me to accept Bruce Wayne, a human being with superhuman will power, could become Batman than it is to believe Clark Kent and Superman could ever really co-exist. The filmmakers treat it all with such serious reverence, such deeply somber sentimentality, it tends to get a bit silly, especially when Singer starts laying it on pretty thick during the adventure’s final few frames. It’s almost too much, yet when all is said and done and the final credits started their crawl I sat there in stunned silence tearing through my purse looking for some Kleenex.

Will audiences feel the same way? In all honesty, I’m not completely sure. Routh is wonderful and Bosworth make a far better Lois than I’d ever anticipated. The special effects are astonishing, while Newton Thomas Sigel’s cinematography and Guy Hendrix Dyas’ production design are truly stunning. It’s also fun catching the little touches, like Glenn Ford’s picture on a book shelf or Jack Larson playing an acerbic bartender serving the Man of Steel’s alter ego a Budweiser. Best of all might just be John Ottman’s impressive music; deftly mixing in bits and pieces of Williams’ original overtures while still crafting his own distinctive ones, together they just might add up to being the year’s best cinematic score.

Yet all of this is still in service to a film that takes itself extremely seriously, a picture treating every frame and every nuance as if it were Tolstoy instead of DC Comics. In the end, this conceit worked for me, stirred me to the core, Singer trapping my emotions in a web of fabulous entertainment the likes of which I’m sure to cherish far into the future. If this holds true for the majority of audiences, than the Man of Steel will reign atop the box office like he’s never done before. If it does not, than Jack Sparrow and company will dismantle him into itty-bitty pieces just one weekend after his debuts.

Either way, one thing is definitely for certain: Superman does indeed return and I, for one, couldn’t be happier.

Film Rating: êêê1/2  (out of 4)