Thats why I said "based on looks", and that was my problem with him. He was great as a Reeve clone as far as the acting, but the way he looked just ruined it all!
If they coulda got Dean Cain to learn to act, then that woulda been great!
With Reeve, he trained with Dave "Darth Vader" Prowse to bulk himself up without being overly muscular, but Routh looked like he worked out for tight muscle rather than bulking up, which isnt what the Superman look should be about. Its not really his fault, as he would not be able to bulk himself up like that due to his physique. Also, another minor quibble was that he looked way too young (ditto for Lois). Neither of them looked much older than Olsen!
While Superman doesnt need muscles to be powerful, his size was always one of the things the older movies & the comic books have used to make him look more imposing & impressive!
