Look, up on movie screens, "Superman Returns"

LOS ANGELES, June 26 (Reuters) Look! Up in the sky. It's a bird! It's a plane! Or, is it another big-budget Hollywood movie that's all flash made only for cash? Maybe not. Maybe this ''Superman'' is different.

After a nearly 20-year absence, Warner Bros, on Wednesday ushers in the latest incarnation of the comic book hero on US movie screens in ''Superman Returns,'' with plans to fly it around the world in coming weeks.

The movie was made on a megabudget of more than 200 million dollars, features top-notch special effects and can be seen on gigantic Imax theatres in 3-D.

It fields a strong cast, including Oscar winner Kevin Spacey as villainous Lex Luthor, independent movie darling Parker Posey as Luthor's girlfriend, Kitty Kowalski, and Hollywood hottie Kate Bosworth as Superman's love interest, Lois Lane.

Then, there is the Man of Steel himself, Brandon Routh, so important he has three names: Superman; Kal El, his given name on planet Krypton; and Clark Kent, his Earth-bound pseudonym.

All that bigness, however, comes with risk. Routh is unknown to movie fans, and ''Superman Returns'' follows 1987's last title ''Superman IV: The Quest for Peace,'' which flopped at box offices.

Fortunately for Warner Bros., few people remember it.

Then, there was a flurry of Internet and media buzz about the high-flying American hero in the red cape and blue tights being gay.

But unlike so many big-budget, comic-book, special-effects extravaganzas Hollywood pumps out, this ''Superman'' has a secret ingredient to probable success.

''If you're going to do a movie of this scope, please let us have a good script,'' actress Posey told a group of reporters recently, putting special emphasis on the ''please.'' More Reuters SI GC0912