Superman
Tags: good versus evil, suspenseful, fantasy, entertaining, humor

Plot synopsis:
Note: italicized text denotes extended scenes not from the original cut.March 1938. The film opens to a child reading a comic book about the Daily Planet, the largest newspaper in the city of Metropolis. As the child reads the shot fades to the Daily Planet and up into the sky. The following title sequence moves through space and eventually reveals the planet Krypton, the home world of a highly-evolved race resembling humans and bearing a unique molecular density and structure, a result of the planet's gravitational strength and the radiation of its adjacent red sun. The planet is ruled by a Council of Elders, each representing a particular "clan" and bearing a crest of that particular House. The planet's greatest scientist, Jor, bears an S-shaped crest, the House of El. Jor-El is supervising the trial of three criminals caught attempting to overthrow the planet's government - General Zod, the planet's former defense chief; his henchman Non, a hulking killer unable to speak; and Ursa, a woman determined to exterminate men other than the man she loves, Zod. As the elders render a guilty verdict, Zod notes that the verdict must be unanimous, so Jor-El ultimately holds the key to their fate. Despite his disillusionment with the Council of Elders, Jor-El renders a conviction. The vast dome of the planet's capital city opens to the night, and a small extra-dimensional prison - the Phantom Zone - tumbles out of the sky and pulls the three criminals out of the trial room and into an eternity in dimensional limbo through space. While a frightened Ursa begs for forgiveness, Zod defiantly swears that he will have his vengeance on the House of El, even if it takes him a thousand years.However, Jor-El's more pressing concern lies in the orbital shift of Krypton; this shift is putting the planet into the fatal gravitational pull of its central star, a fact blithely ignored by the Council Of Elders. The leader of the Council forbids Jor-El from warning the larger populace or he will be imprisoned in the Phantom Zone himself. Jor-El promises to be silent and that he and his wife will not attempt to leave the planet. Jor-El chooses instead to construct a crystalline starship for his infant son Kal-El. Jor-El's wife Lara, however, is concerned, for the starship is programmed to take the child through a trans-galactic warp to a planet populated by primitive humans whose technological development is millennia behind Krypton, a planet that orbits a yellow sun, a planet called Earth. Jor-El, however, understands that the planet's yellow sun will give Kal-El superhuman powers that will give him the advantage he needs to survive. Jor-El and Lara bid their child goodbye before Joe-El installs a green crystal into the ship, a crystal containing the very essence of himself and Lara as well as the knowledge of the entire universe. He then completes the assembly of the starship - just as the planet is pulled into a fatal plunge toward its red sun. The starship is launched and escapes the system scant minutes before the planet is torn open, collides with its central star, and both bodies are obliterated in a holocaust of fire and debris.The tiny starship passes the Phantom Zone before accelerating on its journey to the planet Earth, with the voice of Jor-El providing the infant, who is aging as the ship proceeds, with knowledge. The ship finally reaches Earth in the year 1941 A.D. and plunges like a meteor into a vast wheat field near Smallville, Kansas - within sight of local farmers Jonathan and Martha Kent. Upon seeing the meteor the Kents discover the now-three-year-old Kal-El. Martha, believing the child is a gift from God, decides to adopt him, and the child demonstrates that he is different when, as Jonathan is changing a tire on his truck and the jack slips, he innocently lifts the vehicle with his bare hands, saving his foster father's life.After the truck is thus repaired the Kents and their newly adopted son drive away, leaving the meteor behind - but as its energy fades out it is clear it will become significant to the Kents in due time.Some fifteen years pass and the child, named Clark, is a student at Smallville High School. He is a water boy on the school's football team, and friends with cheerleader Lana Lang, but is frequently bulled by Lana's jock boyfriend, Brad. Clark knows of the vast power he possesses but is forbidden by his father from showing it - although, alone on a football field, he kicks a ball into orbit, then runs home by outrunning a speeding passenger train, and is seen by a young girl who tries to tell her parents; her mother, however, scolds young "Lois Lane" about telling tall tales.Clark returns home as Brad, Lana, and other students drive by, surprised that he arrived home so quickly. Jonathan, however, reassures Clark that he is on Earth for a reason and that he should not let others bother him. Clark thus feels better, but as he starts to play with the family dog, Jonathan suddenly stops, having lost feeling in his left arm. He then falls to the ground, victim of a heart attack. After Jonathan's burial the grieving Clark blames himself, "All that power, and I couldn't even save him!".Some time later Clark is awakened early one morning by a mysterious noise, emanating from the barn. Clark enters the barn and finds the remains of the meteor, and with it the now-activated spire of Jor-El. A few days later Clark tells his mother that he must leave, and head north. Martha, having known this day would come, urges her son to always remember her, and the tearful Clark vows to do just that as they embrace for one final time.Days later Clark reaches the North Pole, where he takes the green crystal and throws it miles into the distance, where it melts into the ice and begins construction of a gigantic crystalline fortress, a Fortress of Solitude. Inside Clark finds a matrix table of crystals; placing one into an aperture, he activates a dimensional communicator that reveals the preserved consciousness of Jor-El, his true father. Jor-El provides the youth with his true identity of Kal-El and takes his son on a journey through time and space to complete his maturation, educating him on the universe and on his purpose in life. When the journey ends, Kal-El has aged twelve years to the age of 30, although in the time-twisting of inter-dimensional travel the Earth has aged 22 years to the year 1978 A.D. The scene reveals the now fully matured Kal-El dressed in a red-and-blue costume with a long red cape and bearing his family symbol, ready to fulfill his purpose of protecting his new homeworld.-------------------------Metropolis, the greatest city in the world. At the skyscraper home of its largest newspaper, the Daily Planet, photographer James "Jimmy" Olson is shooting photos of a typically kinetic day in the life of the Planet, including ace reporter Lois Lane (who despite this status has a problem with spelling, frequently being corrected for misspelled words). Lois and Jimmy are introduced by the paper's grumpy editor, Perry White, to its newest member, a tall shy bespectacled news writer named Clark Kent. Lois is initially puzzled by the man's shyness and mild social clumsiness, and is particularly struck when the two of them are held up in a back alley by a gunman, Clark faints when the thug opens fire on Lois (the fainting is cover so Clark can catch the bullet in his bare hand, which causes the gunman to run), and in defending himself to Lois rattles off a listing of all the items in her purse.As Lois and Clark hail a taxi, walking past them is a white-dressed heavyset man munching on snacks and carrying a copy of the Planet. The man is tailed by Harry and Armis, two undercover cops, for he is Otis, an assistant for criminal genius Lex Luthor, and he is on his way to Luthor's secret hideout. The cops tail him to Metropolis Grand Central Station, where Harry sends Armis to get backup while he tails Otis onto subway Track 22 leading out of the station. Otis eventually finds an indentation in the underground tunnel and waits for a train to arrive. A doorway opens under the cover of the passing train, and after it is gone Harry goes to the doorway to try and figure out how to open it - a fatal mistake for monitoring the scene from hidden security cameras is Luthor himself, who activates the doorway and violently slides Harry into the path of another train.Luthor's moll, Eve Teschmacher, is appalled by the scene, but Luthor arrogantly and condescendingly reminds her that it is an inevitable by-product of his status as the greatest criminal mind of the latter 20th century, a status to which he takes egotistical delight. He tells her how his father (a cruel man who disowned Lex as a child), once told him that even if governments and economies collapse, people will still need land, and will do anything to get it. This has guided his criminal career ever since. When Otis arrives in their underground lair he is reminded of his clumsiness in allowing himself to be followed again. Thus he is given the unglamorous task of feeding "the babies," a group of unidentified unseen creatures in a vast pit used to dispatch intruders. Luthor's more pressing concern, however, lays in a story in the Planet that two nuclear cruise-type missiles with hypersonic speed are to be tested using live multi-megaton warheads soon. Luthor intends to use the missile test to fulfill the greatest real estate swindle in history.Later that night Lois Lane is scheduled to fly via Planet helicopter to Metropolis International Airport to greet Air Force One, but on the Planet's helipad she boards the chopper and when the chopper begins takeoff, a light cable is sucked free of its bracket and in the updraft caused by the chopper snags its landing skids, breaks, and plunges the chopper out of control through the helipad's control shed and crashing onto the ledge. As police hustle panicking bystanders on the streets below to safety Lois tries to crawl out of the chopper, but the ledge begins to crack and the chopper sags violently toward the street and Lois falls through, hanging on by a seat belt in the air.But amid the panic in the streets, Clark Kent emerges from the Planet and notices a yellow rain hat on the sidewalk. Upon recognizing it as one Lois was wearing, he sees the stricken chopper, and while those around him run for safey, Clark keeps his head. Running to another building down the street, Clark opens his shirt to reveal his emblem and then whirls through a revolving door at light speed and transmutes into Superman - to the awe and confusion of a nearby pimp.Superman jumps into the air, just as Lois lets go of the belt and plunges to the street hundreds of stories below. Superman safely catches her and carries her upward. The chopper now breaks off the ledge and falls, but Superman safely snags it out of the air with one hand and carries it back to the Planet's helipad. When the awe-struck Lois asks who the stranger is, he merely replies, "A friend."It is but the beginning, for Kal-El undertakes numerous feats of heroism - stopping a cat-burgler using gigantic magnets to scale the Solow Building, intercepting a boatload of bank-robbers, rescuing a cat from a tree, and rescuing Air Force One when a lighting strike shatters its portside engine and wing.The next morning, he returns to the Fortress of Solitude and consults the spirit of Jor-El to convey the emotions he felt upon making his full power known. Jor-El urges him to be circumspect in his power and praises him for what he has learned so far.Watching the news about the stranger, Lex Luthor sees his arrival as a natural challenge, and the criminal warlord vows to destroy all that the stranger represents. Perry White, for his part, makes discovering the red-and-blue stranger the #1 priority of the Planet and sends his entire staff scurrying to find any scrap of information about "this flying whatchamacallit." Lois, however, scoops everyone when she gets a note requesting a dinner date at her penthouse from "a friend."The dinner date takes place and as part of the interview, Kal-El gives Lois a ride in the sky - a flight that becomes almost a romantic dance as the two begin falling in love. Kal-El returns Lois to her apartment and the two bid reluctant goodbye. Lois quietly dubs him a true super man - and uses the term to identify the stranger in her subsequent front-page story. Luthor reads it and remembers a scientific theory; Superman's homeworld would be of a molecular construction that would be affected by the unique radiation of a yellow sun, and that meteors from Krypton upon landing on Earth would be affected to the point of emitting a radiation that would affect only Kryptonians. Such a meteorite was found in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Miss Tessmacher is skeptical, as even with "the rock," Superman could see them coming from a mile away. But the interview hints at another weakness: Superman has difficulty seeing through lead. With their plan in place, they plan a trip to Ethiopia.Later, Luthor's gang go to work intercepting the two missile convoys used for the big upcoming test; using a variety of guises they divert attention away from effort to reprogram the missiles' directional vectors; Otis, however, misprograms one of the missiles, attributing this mistake to his arm not being long enough. Luthor violently attacks him for gross incompetence, but Miss Tessmacher calms him down.The Planet learns that an unknown figure is buying up hundreds of acres of seemingly worthless desert in the southwest. Suspecting land fraud, Perry sends Lois and Jimmy to investigate. Had Clark showed more initiative and confidence, the assignment would have gone to him. As Perry shares a story about a "worthless meteorite" being stolen from a Ethiopian museum, Clark is struck by a piercing signal, a high pitched hum followed by the sound of every dog in Metropolis barking at once- it is Lex Luthor on a radio frequency only Superman (and the dogs) can hear. Luthor warns Superman that a poison gas pellet is to be released into the air and kill the city's population unless Superman confronts him alone. Feigning a migraine, Clark sneaks away from his co-workers and jumps out a window, where he changes into Superman mid-flight and traces Luthor's signal to the street. He spins himself around and manages to drill through the ground and into Luthor's hideout, where he is attacked by the hideout's automated defense system - a wall of machine guns, then a wall of fire, finally a wall of liquid nitrogen that freezes the area. None has any effect on Superman, who casually walks through it all unharmed.Once inside the hideout, Superman demands knowledge of Luthor's gas pellet. Luthor lets the truth be known that it is a hoax, it was the only way to gain an audience with him. Luthor reveals his true plans for the stolen missiles; the first will destroy the San Andreas Fault, which will collapse the Western coastline of the US (namely California and its major cites) into the ocean and thus make the seemingly worthless desert of the west into multi-billion dollar windfalls. The second missile (the one misprogrammed by Otis) is designed to be a cover. Luthor boasts that nobody, not even Superman, can bring down both of them, and if necessary, he can detonate either warhead via remote. Superman notices a box made of lead which he assumes hides Luthor's detonator. But when he opens it he is struck by a massive weakness, for the box contains the Ethopian meteorite - Kryptonite, fitted to a chain necklace that Luthor drapes around him. He takes great delight in reminding Superman that despite his aura of invincibility, a normal human has found a way to beat him. Superman asks if Luthor even cares about the second missile's target, which is revealed to be Hackensack, NJ, before Luthor drops him into his pool to drown.Luthor, however, has made a fatal mistake, for Eve Teschmacher's mother lives in Hackensack, and while Luthor and Otis monitor the errant missiles on their hypersonic flight, she pleads with Superman to stop the Hackensack missile first on his mission; he agrees and she frees him. Regaining his power, Superman blasts through the mammoth ceiling of the lair, into the sky, and on a direct course west. He tries to stop the first missile over Kansas but it dodges him, and he must overtake it and ram it into space - just as the second missile detonates the San Andreas Fault, setting off an omnicidal quake that is like the destruction of Krypton all over again, a nightmare that doubly drives Superman as he flies underneath the Earth's crust to stabilize the land. However, the aftershocks prove no less deadly, and Superman flies all across the area rescuing people from the ensuing disasters. But amid his enormous feats of heroism, one person in particular needs help. Amid the aftershocks, Lois's car breaks down in the middle of a desert, and is swallowed by a massive fissure, effectively burying her alive. Superman eventually senses she is in danger. He finds the car and pulls it out of the ground. He quickly takes Lois' body out of the car, but is too late. She has suffocated and died. Superman tearfully kisses her, and then lays the body down. He stands over it silently for several moments. Superman finally screams and then then rages into the sky. He hears the voice of Jor-El, which reminds him that he must not interfere with human history. Recalling his failure to save Jonathan ("All that power, and I couldn't even save him"), he becomes absolutely determined to save Lois. Pulling together all of his power and strength, Superman flies around Earth's perimeter faster and faster eventually reversing the planet's rotation and pulling time back with it. He soon fixes it back to it's original direction and uses the extra time to get to Lois before her car is buried. As revenge for her betrayal, Luthor and Otis are preparing to drop Miss Teschmacher into the pit of "the babies." Superman, however, rescues her, and pointedly notes to Luthor that Miss Teschmacher's mother sends her love.Afterward, Superman delivers Luthor and Otis to a maximum security prison to hold them pending trial. Luthor shouts his defiance (mirroring Zod in the opening moments), but he is comically interrupted by Otis. As both men are led away by the guards, the prison warden thanks Superman for his good deeds. Superman humbly dismisses the praise as just his contribution to their mutual effort for the good of society even as he takes off into the high atmosphere to resume his patrol of his adopted home planet.

Review: Director Richard Donner brings the comic book hero to life in Christopher Reeve, who admirably adapts from the bumbling Clark Kent to the ultimate caped crusader.
Christopher Reeve, Marlon Brando (Jor-El), Gene Hackman (Luthor) and Margot Kidder (Lois Lane) give indelible performances that fuel the film's aura of legend.
It is based on the DC Comics character of the same name and stars Marlon Brando, Gene Hackman, Christopher Reeve, Margot Kidder, Glenn Ford, Phyllis Thaxter, Jackie Cooper, Trevor Howard, Marc McClure, Terence Stamp, Valerie Perrine, and Ned Beatty.I love this film and is the best superhero classic film ever made!!!!
Gene Hackman creates a charming and amusing villain in Lex Luthor, and while Margot Kidder's portrayal of Lois Lane is a bit forced and grating at times, she still shines with a kind of charm, and it is always fun to watch her slip from the tough-as-nails reporter to the flustered schoolgirl every time the Man of Steel hits the scene.
As Lex Luthor launches a diabolical plan involving hijacked twin nuclear missiles, the subsequent chase, followed by Superman's efforts to save an Earthquake-ravaged California, are breathtaking even by today's standards.Like the superhero of title, the film itself is not without its weaknesses.
Some of the many features include the aforementioned restored footage (about 10-15 minutes worth), a few additional deleted scenes (which, I thought, should have been restored into the film as well), commentary by director Richard Donner, the Lois Lane screen tests, specials on the making and origins of the film, and a music-only track (well worth the price of the DVD alone).If you haven't seen this movie since you were a kid, and you want to feel like a kid again, rent it now.
Donner took everything Superman stood for, truth, justice, American Way, fighting evil, his estrangement from his home planet, his love for Lois Lane and put it all into this film.Nothing is left out of Superman, we have the origins including an in depth look into Krypton (which at the time would have been a first.) We see Kal-El's parents and their conflicts, we are given a small introduction to Clark Kent's youth and his coming of age and then everything else we know and love about the Superman legend.
Christopher Reeve, meanwhile, was always a popular "Man Of Steel" and the special effects are still fun to watch, from the long opening scenes showing the end of the planet Kryton all the way to the ending credits.
This is my 301st review on IMDb, so I'm going to make this short, simple, and super:"You'll believe a man can fly!" - the tagline for "Superman"He stood for "truth, justice, and the American way." Ahh, to just think that this is the movie that started it all, ladies and gentlemen.
Superman is the most recognizable comic book superhero in history, and when Clark Kent (the late, great Christopher Reeve) rips open his shirt to reveal that symbolic "S" an hour and 11 minutes into the film, you know that it's one of the greatest cinematic moments.
This epic defined the superhero film, and in the 27 years since its release, every subsequent comic book superhero movie is forever indebted to "Superman." The plot (and what a plot) runs complete throughout its epic 154 minutes and believe me, there's not a single wasted moment in the film's entire running length.
Of course, Clark Kent is sent from his dying home world of Krypton by his father Jor-El (the late Marlon Brando), grows up and works at the Daily Planet, falls in love with Lois Lane (Margot Kidder), and must foil the diabolical plans of Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman).
The recent news that Bryan Singer ("X-Men") is directing a new Superman is not exactly getting me giddy, considering the low standards of today's film-making and the onslaught of CGI effects that dominate many Hollywood action movies these days.
Just like any comic book movie, there is always a villain; with Gene Hackman as Lex Luthor in a campy role along with Ned Beatty as Otis, the sycophant with no sense, these two plan to destroy the world with nuclear weapons.
Yet when we think of Superman in the 21st century Im sure everyone would agree that Christopher Reeve was then and always will be seen as the man who made the world believe a man could fly,his portrayal as both Clarke Kent and Superman is nothing less than brilliant,just watch Superman Returns,actor Brandon Routh who was cast is a true compliment to what Christopher Reeve gave us over his 4 outings as Superman,he looks and even sounds,as uncanny as it was the first time he spoke as Superman,like Christopher Reeve....I think Superman fans around the world would agree that if Superman Returns was not a tribute to the legacy of Christopher Reeve then nothing was.
Gene Hackman was perfect for the role of Lex Luthor, the villain who wants to own his own territory of the would be new coast of California( Costa Del Lex!) Margot Kidder was just right as the gorgeous Lois Lane who falls in love with Superman but gives Clark Kent lessons on life, while Jackie Cooper is great as Perry White.
Thank god for the fast forward buttons.Academy Award-winners Marlon Brando and Gene Hackman head an all- star cast in the fantastic, action-packed film that made Christopher Reeve an international star playing the greatest superhero of all time.
The music is just fantastic from one of my favorite composers John Williams, that theme (along with these opening credits) one of my favorite themes of all time it just says Superman, there were some others over he years but this one is still the best in my book.This was also one of the longest comic book films for its time though now that running time is a little more common place now.
It's goes at a good steady pace which works to the films benefit as it wants to give us time to know who Superman is and the world he inherits, and you have to understand also not everyone has read the Superman comics so seeing how things came to be for the character really helps in getting depth.Christopher Reeve one of my favorite actors is just fantastic as Superman/Clark Kent he is the character much as Karl Urban is Judge Dredd or Peter Weller is Robocop; you just can't see or want to see anyone else play that role.
And the chemistry between both of them is pretty good, really bought there was attraction going on.Gene Hackman is great as Lex Luthor whom is one of my favorite fictional antagonists, this is one of my favorite roles from the actor, like in the comic he's a villain you love to hate, despite how really bad he is you still at the same time have fun with the guy.
Of course, this character just has some of the best and memorable lines like the one from the library scene and the other when he has Superman cornered "when it came time to cash in your chips, this diseased maniac became your banker." That quote just oozes with menace and rings true because for where there are heroes and superheroes there will always be villains and supervillains waiting.The action is pretty solid, it's not exactly wall to wall action as most of it consists mainly rescue missions and emergency work.
Or an experienced comic book reader or movie watcher this is a vintage classic worth flying toward.This film like the man of steel himself soar high in legend and into our hearts.Rating: 4 stars.
Not just because of the scope of the production and the groundbreaking film-making techniques of its time but because of the absolutely incredible recreation of the Superman character and bringing a comic book to life in the form of a motion picture like it had never been done before.
It's pretty to look at but has no substance.This movie version doesn't spend much time with Clark as a boy, but they are some of the best moments in the film in spite of the fact that Jeff East who plays young Clark had his dialog dubbed by Reeve.
In other words, when the film starts you'll have plenty of time to still pop another batch of popcorn, run to the bathroom and make it back to your recliner before we come close to reaching the planet Krypton.Besides Otis, the biggest problem with Superman: The Movie comes near the end.
With a little more thought and consideration in how to bring the classic characters to the screen, it could have been one of the great comic book films of all time.
The acting is mostly good--Reeve is perfect as Superman, Margot Kidder is OK as Lois Lane, Gene Hackman is fun as Luthor, but Valerie Perrine and Ned Beatty are just annoying.
Sorry for trampling on your childhood memories and nostalgia, but this is a bad movie that gets way way overrated because of the iconic status of its lead character, Superman, and because of the good performance by its leading man, Christopher Reeve.
The casting in this movie is good, to this day I still associate Superman with Christoper Reeve (No disrespect to Henry Cavil), I extend this praise to Margot Kidder, Marlon Brando and Gene Hackman.
As soon as I heard that Christopher Reeve died the first thing that came to my mind was my favourite scene in "Superman." This is when Clark Kent has spied Lois Lane dangling from a helicopter atop the "Daily Planet" building, discovers that there are no phone booths in which to change in the modern version of Metropolis, and as he runs across the street he opens his shirt and for the first time we see the big "S" that stands for truth, justice, and the American way.
Of course, the final thing I thought about with regard to Reeve was that he was never going to benefit from the tireless lobbying he did for spinal cord injury patients ever since he began the most famous quadriplegic on the face of the planet after that horrible equestrian accident in 1995.The tagline for the 1978 film "Superman" was that "You'll Believe a Man Can Fly!" but the impressive thing was that audience were willing to accept a relative unknown in the role of the Man of Steel.
Of course it was a put on and with Reeve it was clear, as it would become in the DC comics about "Superman" after this movie came out, that Superman was the real person and Clark Kent the faux identity (I also liked the idea that in addition to the glasses on/off variable Clark and Superman part their hair on opposite sides).Richard Donner filmed "Superman" and a lot of "Superman II" at the same time and at one point it was apparently supposed to be one giant movie (think "The Three Mustketeers" and "The Four Musketeers").
The ending is big in a comic book sort of way, but all the larger than life stuff is grounded in the moment when Superman weeps over the body of Lois.Watch "Superman" and "Superman II" again some time to remember how good Reeve was in the role.
If you want more of Reeve then go check out "Someone in Time" (another instance of where his acting ability overcomes the problems of believing you can "think" yourself back in time), "Deathtrap" and "The Remains of the Day." If you want more of the Superman mythos the first two seasons of "Smallville" are out on DVD, which connects nicely to the second act of this film, while if you catch repeats of "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman" you can see the stars finally get uncrossed for the love triangle that was made up of only two people..
Everyone knows the story, but here is my usual plot in a paragraph.Plot In A Paragraph: An alien orphan is sent from his dying planet to Earth, where he grows up to become his adoptive home's greatest superhero.All of the cast do a great job Gene Hackman plays Lex Luthor brilliantly, Margot Kidder is spot on as Lois Lane (though she is not my favourite incarnation of Lane.
That would be Teri Hatcher in TV's "Lois & Clark")and Marlon Brando gives one of his best performances, but this movie is all about Christopher Reeve in the dual role of Clark Kent and Superman.
Rather than waste your time and money on watching that, why not treat yourself to a viewing of Superman The Movie; it's near comic-book perfection—an exciting, humorous, spectacular and romantic blockbuster with a superb cast and top-notch production values that, unlike many a modern super-hero movie, doesn't take itself too seriously.The only thing that really lets the film down a touch is the confusing time-bending finalé which presents all sorts of paradox issues if thought about for longer than a nanosecond.
Christopher Reeve is perfectly cast as Clark/Superman while Gene Hackman is superb as the calculating yet comic Lex Luthor.
That Superman:The Movie worked {and still does} is down to the wonderful efforts of Christopher Reeve.Reeve positively nailed both sides of the character, making it his own, he is all muscles and square jaw in the cape and then showing wonderful comic ability as the bumblingly frustrating Clark Kent, sure the supporting cast all contribute grandly, but Reeve carries the picture and lifts it to its triumphant height.
Gene Hackman has the time of his life camping it up as super villain Lex Luthor, Ned Beatty & Valerie Perrine flesh out Luthor's cohorts with comedy and sexiness respectively, whilst Margot Kidder is a pure joy as core character of the piece, Lois Lane.
Richard Donner's Superman, released in 1978, still stands out as one of the best superhero opuses brought to the screen: it captures the hero's essence and makes us believe in him and cheer for him throughout the whole film.After the awesome opening credits, we're shown the dying planet Krypton.
With the amazing score of John Williams, the directing of Richard Donner, and the casting of Lex Luthor and Superman, this is still one of the best comic-to-movie adaptations ever created.
considering this movie was made in the late 1970's,it is a remarkable achievement.technically,it is nearly flawless,in my opinion.i guess there are few tiny details you could pick apart if you wanted to,but overall,it's a brilliant piece of work.as for the movie itself,i thought the story was superb,with a lot of depth to it.the movie was well acted and believable.Having Marlon Brandon and Gene Hackman was a stroke of luck,as well as genius.and hiring a then unknown Christopher Reeve in the title role was equally genius.having an unknown keeps the focus on the character and the story,not the actor.a famous actor in the role would not have been believable.Margot Kidder was also good as Lois Lane.the rest of the supporting cast was also great.this movie is a true epic,which still has an impact today.the special effects were cutting edge at the time.i think the movie as a whole has more than stood the test of time.an easy 10/10 in my opinion..
Christopher Reeve became the definite Superman in this classic adaption of the classic comic book, the movie details the story and exploits of the Superman orgin, with good performances from Marlon Brando,Margot Kidder and Gene Hackman (Although playing Hackman as a bumbling idiot is a flaw, minor as it is.) Superman is of course one of the best comic book to film adaptations.
Watching this film was a near perfect experience except one thing how can Clark Kent (Superman) take off his glasses and put on a suit and nobody know who he is like what the hell, however putting that aside this movie was excellent apart from the cheesy moment of Superman flying around the world to turn back time to save Lois Lane okay it had some faults but if you watch it you sure will enjoy it I did despite all the criticism my friends gave it I loved it I recommend it to all you Superhero fans.
Superman (1978) *** (out of 4)One of the best comic book adaptations has Christopher Reeve playing an alien orphan who finds himself on Earth working as a nerdy reporter under the name Clark Kent but his true calling is that of Superman who finds himself going up against Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman).
I'm a huge Brando fan.Reeves does a great job as both Clark Kent and Superman, but he is dragged down by the terrible acting of his co-star as Lois Lane.
This was a movie that had it all,breathtaking special effects and it featured a huge all-star cast with included Hollywood greats Glenn Ford Valerie Perrine,Terence Stamp,Trevor Howard,Gene Hackman,Ned Beatty, Marlon Brando,Jackie Cooper,Susannah York,Margot Kidder,and not to mention two of the original cast members from the "Superman" TV-show from the 1950's are in this too and so much more.The story begins with with Superman's life as a infant on the doomed planet Krypton(with Brando as Jor-El,the father of Superman)to his beginnings on Earth as Clark Kent(played in younger years by Jeff East) to his journey to Metropolis and as a reporter of the Daily Planet to the appearance of Christopher Reeve as The Man Of Steel is excitement from start to finish and never lets up.
Can a film get any better than Richard Donner's masterpiece "Superman ?" The acting alone is brilliant with an inspired cast headed by Chris Reeve as the man of steel and Gene Hackman as the villionus Lex Luthor.
While his origin story seemed to be quick from when he crashes on earth to when he becomes the caped crusader, one of my favourite parts of the movie was the relationship built between Clark and Lois Lane.Christopher Reeve is without a doubt, the best Superman of all time.