Superman Reviews

Nowadays, Marvel is pretty much ruling the box-office, the super-heros have become the new cash-cow and you wonder how long this new trend will last. In fact, almost 40 years ago, they had already released a big blockbuster in this genre (it was in fact the most expensive movie ever made at the time and it remained so for a decade) and it was a huge success at the time. It is rather surprising that even though the Superman franchise was really successful, they didn’t launch some other franchise around some other super-heros. Apparently, they were waiting for the technology to catch up to be able to create something visually acceptable. Anyway, coming back to our main feature, it was definitely groundbreaking and I certainly thought it was pretty cool when I was a kid but, to be honest, the whole thing feels rather dated. I mean, sure, the whole thing still looks decent, especially after all these years, and it was quite entertaining but I never thought it was really amazing though. The issue I always had was actually with Superman is that the guy is pretty much invincible (except for the good old Kryponite so the options are rather limited), rather bland and actually pretty boring, especially compared to the much more interesting Batman with his borderline sociopatic behavior. To conclude, even though I’m not a huge fan of this movie, it is pretty much a classic and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you like the genre.

'Superman' was a little disappointing in my opinion! But still the last 30 minutes are amazing! And actually I think Superman (Christopher Reeve) is actually a pretty lazy name! Just because Superman is a superhero who can fly, compare it to Batman (Michael Keaton) or Spider-Man (Tobey Maguire) or even Hulk (Eric Bana) who doesn't even have "Man" in his name! But still, the last 30 minutes of 'Superman' are actually really impressive because the world starts crumbling but Superman fixes it by flying round the globe (literally) and repairing all the damage and saving Lois Lane (Margot Kidder)! That is impressive, but sadly the other minutes are not consistent! Some of the minutes are very good and others are boring!

"Your name is Kal-El. You are the only survivor of the planet Krypton. Even though you've been raised as a human, you are not one of them. You have great powers, only some of which you have as yet discovered."

In many ways, 1978's Superman ushered in the superhero movie subgenre, demonstrating that filmmaking technology had finally advanced far enough to convincingly realise comic book heroes on the big screen. Superhero movies are all the rage these days, but Superman was the very first of its kind. Certainly, there were cheap serials and cartoons before it, but this movie generated a new wave of multiplex-rocking live-action superhero flicks, paving the way for the likes of Batman, X-Men and Spider-Man. Directed by Richard Donner (best known at the time for The Omen), Superman remains not just a historically iconic movie but also an eminently enjoyable and well-made adventure. It's an epic motion picture full of grand spectacle, benefitting from strong storytelling, a wonderful selection of actors, and an unforgettable score. But Superman ultimately soars thanks to Donner's dedication to the spirit and style of the comic books, giving us an inspiring portrait of a man fighting for truth, justice and the American way.

With the distant planet of Krypton on the brink of destruction, scientist Jor-El (Marlon Brando) places his infant son in a spacecraft bound for Earth, where his dense molecular structure will give him superhuman abilities. He's swiftly adopted by kind farmers Jonathan (Glenn Ford) and Martha Kent (Phyllis Thaxter), who name the boy Clark (Jeff East) and raise him as their own. Following his father's death, Clark (now played by Christopher Reeve) learns of his origins, powers and responsibilities, and moves to the city of Metropolis, where he decides to use his incredible talents to become the world's protector, Superman. To hide his true identity, Clark disguises himself as a mild-mannered newspaper reporter working for the Daily Planet. Kent develops romantic feelings for fellow reporter Lois Lane (Margot Kidder), who's in love with the Superman side of him. Meanwhile, diabolical criminal mastermind Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman) has developed a scheme that will kill millions for his own profit and pleasure.

The original script by Mario Puzo (who wrote The Godfather novel) was deemed too long and ambitious, prompting financiers Alexander and Ilya Salkind to recruit Robert Benton, David Newman and Leslie Newman for rewrites. When Donner was hired to direct, he wanted to start from scratch and pursue another direction, bringing in Tom Mankiewicz to perform further rewrites. The final result is a screenwriting masterclass that shines in terms of structure and dialogue. Superman clocks in at a mammoth 140 minutes, allocating ample time to explore the Last Son of Krypton's origins before he's positioned as humanity's saviour. The film feels long in the tooth, yet nothing feels inessential, as Donner merely takes his time to develop the characters and work through the narrative. Superman is also full of wit and contains its fair share of pathos. Indeed, the death of Jonathan Kent hits extremely hard. What's also refreshing about the film is that it's not deadly serious; whilst Donner handles the ridiculous aspects with sincerity, there's a healthy sense of humour that doesn't feel out of place. Unfortunately, however, the script does crumble towards its climax; no matter how you portray it, Superman turning back time is too cheesy and naff.

This was not the first time Superman had stepped out of the pages of his comic books and into other media. There was a radio show in the 1940s, followed by a full-colour cartoon series, a film serial starring Kirk Alyn, and a television show featuring George Reeves as Superman. However, technical limitations continually hindered such efforts, preventing a believable representation of a live-action Superman. Until 1978, that is, when Donner and his team could finally achieve it. A teaser poster was even released before shooting had even begun, which announced, "You'll believe a man can fly." And, indeed, you do believe it, with state-of-the-art special effects giving credible life to the inimitable Man of Steel. Whenever Superman emerges to save the day, the results are glorious, with Donner showing a keen eye for staging coherent set-pieces. Geoffrey Unsworth's cinematography is also skilful, with gorgeous shot composition and use of lighting. But it's John Williams' heroic score that catapults the film to another level. The extremely memorable theme grabs your attention during the lengthy opening credits, and the set pieces are much more stirring thanks to Williams' musical accompaniment. It's one of the all-time great film themes, the type of which we never hear today; it perfectly captures the sense of heroism and high-flying adventure that Superman is all about. Everyone involved in the production set out to make the best film possible, and Warner Bros. spared no expense; Superman was their most expensive motion picture when it was released.

The casting of Clark Kent/Superman presented the production's biggest challenge. The producers considered many prominent actors, including Robert Redford, James Brolin, Paul Newman, Nick Nolte, James Caan, Sylvester Stallone, and even Arnold Schwarzenegger. But Donner wanted an unknown for the role to avoid the perception of "a movie star in tights." Reeve was definitely the best choice, as it's hard to imagine anyone else playing Supes. His physique is spot-on, but it's the actor's charisma that makes him so ideal. Moreover, Reeve creates fully-rounded personas for both Clark and Superman, making it easy to distinguish one from the other. Meanwhile, as Lois, Kidder is merely decent. She has nice chemistry with Reeve, but she lacks charm, and it's hard to see why Clark falls for her so quickly. Faring much better is Hackman, who's an ideal Luthor, while Ned Beatty is brilliant as Lex's dim-witted accomplice Otis. Brando was paid a then-unheard-of $4 million to appear in only a handful of scenes, and he lends gravitas and regality to his role of Jor-El. Jeff East is also solid as young Clark (whose voice was actually dubbed by Reeve), while the great Glenn Ford provides warmth and heart as Pa Kent.

Looking back at Superman in the 21st Century, it does show its age. A few special effects shots look dated, with obvious model work and a few never-quite-believable flying scenes. Donner's direction is also on the stilted side from time to time. Then again, it's hard to begrudge the film of this, as nothing like it had ever been attempted before. Superman is terrific despite its flaws; it's tremendously exciting as a comic book movie (it will work like gangbusters for children), but it also has a sense of sophistication and cinematic maturity that will appeal to adults. If only the sequels could have maintained this high quality.

7.9/10

This was really thrilling. It is the first official superhero film and that is why it is called the classic superhero film. I did really like this film but I dont really like Superman/Clark Kents character because he isnt only a hero but he doesnt really have a personal slide in his personality like heroes like Batman and Spider-Man have. I dont think the name nor costume are catchy at all but I did like this film though.


Christopher Reeve delivers a descent performance as Clark Kent/Superman. After seeing this and Superman Returns, I do think that Christopher Reeve is better than Brandon Routh as Superman. He was a really big man with a heroic style which was almost perfect for Superman. Gene Hackman certainly makes a better portrayal of Lex Luthor than Kevin Spacey does because Hackman is really good at playing that sort of character. Spacey is good as a villain aswell. I think that both of their villainous characters in the past have been really evil. It was a battle of two different characters in two different films played by those two actors but as villains: Gene Hackman in his Oscar winning performance in Unforgiven and Kevin Spacey in his Oscar winning performance in The Usual Suspects. Marlon Brando made me laugh in this film because I have never seen him before with white hair and also I have seen him looking really old (The Godfather), really young (A Streetcar Named Desire, On The Waterfront) and bald (Apocalypse Now). It is quite strange to see Marlon Brando in a superhero film but he will be remembered really well for being in this first ever superhero film along with his other previous films. Margot Kidder was a better Lois Lane than Kate Bosworth was.


Richard Donner wasn't really a well known director before he directed this film. He was well known after doing the first two Superman films and the four Lethal Weapon films and The Goonies too. I personally thought that Bryan Singers direction in Superman Returns. The script was good. It is like the Batman (1989) of Superman films. This disappointed me a bit because I thought it was quite a slow story and went on for a bit too long just like Superman Returns did.


I think it is the late Christopher Reeves best film of the ones I have seen from him so far. An awesome Gene Hackman film but liked his acting more in Unforgiven. I really liked the late Marlon Brando in this one but my least favourite performance of the ones I have seen of him so far. I dont really like Superman but this is the best of the franchise of the ones I have seen so far and will probably be the best of them all. November 5

Kal-El is the last survivor of Krypton, a distant planet that was destroyed thru ecological disaster.
Here are Earth, our yellow sun provides him with the power of a god.
Under the name Superman, he has the ability be fly faster than a speeding bullet, be more powerful than a locomotive & to leap over tall buildings with a single bound (his flying ability probably helps him with that). Not to mention x-ray and heat vision, withstand extreme temperatures, hurricane force breath & the unique ability to wear a wardrobe ensemble consisting of a cape, boots and colorful underwear worn over equally colorful tights.
And what does Superman do with all this power that would allow him to squash us mere mortals with not so much as a mere thought?
He uses it to protect us from all those who would mean us fair citizens harm through the violation of truth, justice and the American way.
Because even within an alien sentient being, no matter how distant his origins, or how impervious he may be to gunfire, there's always a chance to find the heart of a hero.
And when it comes to the Man Of Steel,
that's just how he rolls.



Yep. When it comes to comicbook movies, I am a huge comicbook nerd. And since, admitting that usually doesn't garner much respect out in the general populace, I only expect the best when a project interprets my favorite medium up on the big screen. B'cuz we comicbook fans don't need any more ammunition to makes us seem any more goofy than we already are. We can do that all by ourselves. ALL by ourselves.
And with said,
no matter what anyone says, this is the original gangsta of superheroes. So it is only fitting that the last son of Krypton's big-budget movie debut should turn out to be the one that all others must be measured by. And while I know that this movie does have it's dated flaws, it was, just like the character whom it portrayed, the one that started on the idea of how epic the concept of a superhero could truly be.