Rating:  -
Hello there,
This movie is extra-ordinary! From the beautiful musical score by John Williams to the magnificent performances by Marlon Brandon, Gene Hackman, Christopher Reeve, and the rest of the cast; they all are top-rate! I particularly love Gene Hackman's Luthor: on one side, he is goofy, witty, eccentric, and funny but on the other side; he knows exactly what he wants, he is dangerous and very intelligent!
The story plays out like a masterfully-crafted novel; the special effects are dynamite! (especially for 1978)
This movie is a tribute to Hollywood!
A big thank you to Richard Donner and all the people which made this movie possible! I was six years old when I initially saw this movie and I didn't forget it!
Regards,
Charles Darakdjian
Rating:  -
After seeing Superman Returns earlier this summer which I really enjoyed especially in the IMAX 3-D version and seeing how the "new" Superman performed, I had to see the original with Christopher Reeves again.
For the time that it was produced in, it was a very good movie. All the major performers did a good job in terms of the characters that they were playing.
I have always liked Christopher Reeves. One of my favorite movies of his is "Somewhere in Time". It is one thing to have the prespective of him as the actor that he was before his terrible accident and what he was after the accident. Either way he was a wonderful person and became a great person that people really could and should be inspired by.
Rating: -
Let's start with the good: Christopher Reeve is cool as Superman. He was handsome, stoic, manly, but also charming and romantic. He made Clark funny and Superman respectable.
I like Gene Hackman as Lex Luthor. He's campy, but not creepy. He's dangerous, but still likeable.
Now to the bad...
There have always been some things that nagged me about the Superman movie.
1. They spend too much time focusing on Krypton and Marlon Brando's Jor-El. After appearing in Last Tango in Paris, Brando should have been forbidden from stepping witin 5,000 miles of anything having to do with the wholesomeness of Superman. It's almost an hour into the film before we see Kal-El as Superman because of all the time given to Brando. Set up is necessary. An homage to Marlon Brando wasn't.
2. I never could buy that Superman would forsake the whole world for Margot Kidder. Not only is she plain in the looks department, but Kidder's interpretation of Lois Lane is as a chain smoking, hamburger in the morning eating, freshly squeezed orange juice drinking, cynical, harn-nosed reporter who is more reckless and nosey than she is charming. Her only redeeming qualities are that she's good at her job and loyal. But I will certainly not deny that Margot Kidder is a good actress, and that beats out looks in my book when it comes to the art of moviemaking. Her good acting is also why she made the Lois Lane thing work. However, I still don't buy a mini-god like Superman going bananas over her.
3. The "turn back time" thing. I have a problem with Superman turning back time for two reasons. One, he is warned not to interfere with human history, yet he does and nothing bad happens for him breaking the rule. Why have it as a rule if nothing bad happens when it's broken? Secondly, if he could fly that fast around the earth to make its time go back, then why didn't he fly that fast to begin with to keep the initial disaster from happening?
4. I thought the boy who played Clark Kent was the wrong choice.
Other than these detractions, Superman is a satisfying film. I think Superman II was the best of the series, but second place isn't always bad.
Rating: -
The impact of a film like Superman: The Movie on its genre is immeasurable. Director Richard Donner, an admitted Superman fan, chose to treat the story of the Man of Steel seriously (well, for the most part), and in doing so created a three-act epic. The film is flawless in the first two acts on the planet Krypton with Marlon Brando as Jor-El and in Smallville with Glenn Ford as Pa Kent. In many ways this film is about adoption, about father figures and how they guide and shape us through our lives. While the film gets a little dated when things move to Metropolis, it's still good fun and Hackman's Luthor, while not a fan-favorite portrayal among many comic fans, is comedic gold. Few superhero films have come close to this films epic scope, grandeur, and most of all, its heart.
Rating: -
I'm not going to comment on the quality or features of the DVD - they mean little to me. However, I was surprised and delighted to discover the additional scenes that were added - they did a great job of filling in the Kryptonian background. Fleshed out a movie that had already done a great job of fleshing out a comic book character.
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