Return of the Man of Steel

Unless you've been living on Planet Krypton, you would've heard of the return of one of the most beloved superhero of all times--that's right, Superman.

Nevermind if you're more of a Batman, Spiderman, or X-Men fan. Sure, they may all look cooler, thanks to updated PVC costumes and sleek action choreography. But the Man of Steel harkens to a bygone era of cheesy yet believable TV and moviemaking magic.

When I think of Superman, I think of the late 70s and early 80s, which fed us a wondrous plethora of superheroes in techni-color makeup and costumes. Turn on the TV, and there was Lou Ferrigno as The Incredible Hulk in his radioactive shade of green, or Lynda Carter as Wonder Woman in her red, blue and white star-spangled two-piece.

And there was for me, the late Christopher Reeves, who pulled off the ultimate act as the most handsome alien on Planet Earth in ridiculous blue tights and red cape-and-underwear getup and cowlick hair.

TV shows and movies then were simple. Audiences were gormless and easy to please. We thrived on the standard universal themes of good-versus-evil, brotherhood, and love over adversity.

Today, we're less easy to satisfy. The content and the medium have become complex. Superheroes have to be multi-dimensional, and be portrayed in shades of grey, beyond their uni-colored costume representations. The teenage Superman in the TV program Smallville battles evil, as well as the ambiguities and frustrations of adolescence.

And so televisions now must feed us programs on-demand, on-the-go, in high-definition. Variations of the word 'TV' are creeping into our everyday lexicon. Cable TV, IPTV (Internet Protocol TV), Mobile TV, HDTV (High-definition TV)--all the more for you to ingest your movies and TV shows wherever you are and when you want them.

When I catch Superman Returns eventually, I must watch the Man of Steel try to save a world that has decided it no longer needs him and face up to a celluloid world that's moving on faster than I can blink .