Screenings were held late last week in Los Angeles and New York City for "Superman Returns" with various word already leaking out.

On the one hand some journos I've talked to who attended have given reactions ranging from 'average/mixed' to 'good', praising some elements but being critical of others. None however have given a 'negative' review as such, a good sign, even if one or two had laundry lists of problems.

The best news for fans is that some online reviews have jumped the embargo and gone up already - practically all gushingly positive, including those from one or two pretty stern critics.

You can find some of these at Hollywood Elsewhere, Latino Review and Blue Tights. A more mixed review, but a well penned one that justifies its arguments is up at AICN.

Here's our own, admittedly often cheery, Los Angeles correspondent Paul Fischer with his take. Expect my own review to go up when they screen it down here in Sydney for the press sometime in the next fortnight or so:


"Superman Returns" - An Early Review by 'Paul Fischer'

"Superman is back and the wait for his return is finally over. Was it worth it? Absolutely and in every respect. This is a monumental classic of the genre, a true successor to the Richard Donner classic of the original. This time, audiences will once again believe a man can fly. Director Bryan Singer has crafted a visual tour-de-force, a movie that succeeds in balancing eye popping 21st century visuals, with the heart and soul of a story-driven epic.

Brandon Routh is the perfect successor to Chris Reeve, and shows us a character that has both strength and vulnerability, while Kate Bosworth's Lois Lane is beautifully realised. Spacey is pure genus as Lex Luthor and Frank Langella is a wonderful Perry White. This is one Superman for the ages, a soaring, wondrous adventure that will leave audiences breathless, and a truly breathtaking ride of a movie.

In this crowded summer season, the return of the Man of Steel is the perfect summer movie for the child in all of us, and once we hear that classic John Williams score, one is reminded that movies like these are a rarity. Forget the hype, and enjoy the return of one of the most extraordinary comic book characters ever created".