Beyond Swell

You know who you are.

You were about ten years old when Richard Donner’s "Superman" arrived in 1978, and you were around thirteen when "Superman II" continued the adventure. You were a little older and a lot sadder when "Superman III" and "Supergirl" and "Superman IV: The Quest for Peace" wore the franchise down to a bloody nub.

For a quarter of a century, then, you have been waiting for a Superman movie that finds a workable context for the world’s most powerful boy scout, and makes your heart soar the way it did when you were a kid.

You are ready for "Superman Returns".

More tomorrow.