What I really liked about Superman Returns was that Richard was actually a good guy, not the cliché bad wrong boyfriend. And that the superboy subplot was very lowkey. He only pushes the piano (and we never actually see that), and then throws his asthma spray away, and that's it. That was well done.
But the movie should have ended with the fade out after Superman crashed into the park like a meteor. That would have been a great ending.
What I don't get is why a movie that made 400 million worldwide causes "it didn't work" statements. Batman Begins made 372 million, and look how that turned out.
First, it's about expectations. SR was expected to bring in a BILLION dollars worldwide, so 400 million does seem like a disappointment compared to that.
Two, there's budgetary reasons. According to Box Office Mojo, BB cost 150 million to make, and SR cost 270. And that's just the official production budget. You always want to add on AT LEAST 100 million for marketing and distribution costs, and Superman also has tens (if not hundreds) of millions in silent costs, all the money thrown at the aborted movies in the 90's and early 00's (Tim Burton, Kevin Smith, JJ Abrams, McG) that WB hoped SR would recoup for them.
EDITED TO ADD: A third factor is also critical reception. Batman Begins made less money, technically, but it is generally regarded as a very good film, and there was excitement about a sequel immediately. This was absolutely not the case with SR. Batman Begins was also hampered by a very bad film (Batman & Robin) that was relatively fresh in people's minds, which absolutely kept some of the casual moviegoers away from BB in theaters. Superman 4 was an awful film, but it was 25 years before SR.
as for Richard, I agree I thought it was nice that he wasn't a cliche... but it is a SUPERMAN film, not a Richard White adventure. audiences want Lois and Clark together. that's the mythos. anything else is, and I hate to reuse this phrase, dramatic confusion.