Superman Returns follows the usual genre conventions:
Super Powers - Superman is able to fly, has super strength, he is able to reverse time, as well as having a beam out of his eye which could repair damaged structures.
Secret Identity - Superman is able to live not only his superhero life, but also a life of his own. His other identity being, Clark Kent and is a reporter. He is able to keep his identity a secret, which enables him to keep his family an friends safe from his enemies.
Achilles heel - One weakness of Superman's is his family and his love interest, Lois Lane who now has a child, which we find out later on in the film that the child is actually Superman's. He goes to extreme measures to keep them both safe no matter what they say. Another weakness would be the sensitivity he has to kryptonite which causes him to lose his strength.
Moral - Superman uses his extraordinary powers to help save the Earth. The fact that he uses them against evil and to save the Earth is the main moral in the film.
Costume - Superman sports a blue, tight fitting bodysuit and wears red pants over the top, which is where the stereotypical look tends to origin from. He also sports a red cape with the logo of the superman.
Rogues gallery - Lex Luthor is the main enemy within superman returns. Luthor is out with his evil plans to submerge the USA, using crystals he stole to create new land which he can con billions of dollars out of the people who want to live there.
Superman returns is generally a family film as it is very moderate in the language used and there aren't necessarily any explicit scenes. The violence and gore is limited as only a few shootings take place, it doesn't show anyone dying but leaves you to assume that cops did die, which young children may not pick up on. There are a few more violent scenes which may be slightly upsetting for younger viewers foe example, when Lex Luthor and his men kick Superman who has been made sick and weak from the Kryponite poisoning. He is then stabbed in the back. There is generally something for both male and females. Also those who were interested in the previous superman film, will be intrigued to watch this one to see what happens after.
The binary oppositions present in Superman Returns is the obvious good V's Evil. Superman has to defeat Lex Luthor to save the World from his evil plans of exploiting hundreds and submerging the USA. He goes to extreme lengths in order to do this and thinks about those most important to him in the process, more than himself.
The film does reinforce gender stereotypes as the main superhero is male, who is the one who seems to have the power as well as Lex Luther, the other main character to have power who is also male. There are times in the film where Lois Lane, the female main character needs saving, even when she tells Superman that she doesn't need him, she is still on he sidelines and when she is captured by Lex Luthor, does need Superman to save her. However, in this film, the female character is much more involved than in many other superhero films. Just from the trailer we can see that Lois appears many times throughout and has quite a big part within the film.
There are many factors within the film which are entertaining for the target audience. Tension is built up throughout, as there are time that we don't know whether Superman has survived, leaving us in suspense waiting to find out. Also the fact that it turns out that Lois' child is actually Superman's which is a shocking moment for many and also leaves us thinking what will happen afterwards, Along with it being a heartfelt moment within the film. The fighting scenes would also appeal to a wide range of the target audience, even though they aren't massively violent or gory, it is enough to be a good family film. Within the fighting scenes we are left in suspense wondering whether Superman will pull through as well as giving us someone to root for, enabling the audience to be more involved in the film.
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