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The best thing about this movie are the opening credits! When I saw this movie nearly 30 years ago I was awe struck at the opening. The movie is first rate with first rate performances by Marlon Brando, Gene Hackman, Margot Kidder and of course Christopher Reeve.I enjoyed Superman I and II but didn't really care for the two other Superman movies. Don't get me wrong..Christopher Reeve is a wonderful actor and we miss him but the last two didn't have much of a plot. Superman I was and still is good high flying fun for everyone!!
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WARNING! The Intergalactic Credits that "Superman: The Movie" & "Superman II" open with are waaaaaaayyyyyyyyyy toooooooo loooooooooong in spite of the beautiful orchestral score of John Williams (Jaws, Star Wars, Boston Pops)! That epic intro is more befitting of an over-the-top 3-hour 1940s Biblical epic, unless both Superman movies were combined into one geeky gratuitous leviathan (I don't mean to compare Superman to God but . . well, actually, he DOES seem quite godlike!). Regardless, "Superman: The Movie" is a glorious cinematic experience on this widescreen dvd I checked out from the Ann Arbor Public Library (in case you're a spy drafting a list of my library lendings for Homeland Security; to you also I recommend this dvd and God help you protect our great nation!). This fast paced adaptation of Siegal & Shuster's D.C. Comics icon is packed with thrills, chills, excitement, humor, drama, gorgeous visuals and stunning special effects, and it's all rated PG! You can watch it with your wife, girlfriend, mom, kids . . . everyone is happy! Christopher Reeves tops his father's TV portrayal (George Reeves) as the hero, Gene Hackman is is always on the brink of stealing the show as supervillian Lex Luthor, and Margot Kidder gives the most blood-curdling scream to Lois Lane you could ever hope to hear in a non-slasher film (the helicopter disaster is great! who can't relate to a fall-to-your-death scene?). With cameos by Marlon Brando (Jor-L, Superman's father), lil' rascal Jackie Cooper (Perry White of the Daily Planet), and Glen Ford (foster father) as well as a superb screenplay co-authored by Mario Puzo (The Godfather), this thing is SUPER DELUXE CINAMANIA! I HIGHLY recommend it! As for this copy: mine doesn't seem to have all the extras other reviewers wrote about. I guess the proliferation of editions demonstrates the popularity and longevity of this film . . .
Rating:  -
I remember superman since I was a kid. It was huge back in its day. This definitely brought back memories - but I'll stick to the quality of the movie in terms of the HD version.
So I thought I would do it justice and watch it on my 1080p screen. I was not disappointed. For a film of its time, I think it looks fantastic in HD.
It will not have the clarity and sharpness of today's HD films, but seriously this movie is as old as I am, and back then a Sony Trinitron was the best you could have.
I think its worth the money and definitely worth having in your HD collection.
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I don't know why it took me so long to buy this film. I picked it up at the video store last week, brought it home, and I've been watching it every day since then! I first saw the film in 1978, when everyone was excited about seeing a film about the mythical superhero (before we all became jaded by endless superhero films). I remember being surprised by Margot Kidder's performance as Lois Lane; I was a child then, and I had always thought that Lois was supposed to be a very passive character, not an assertive, hard-working woman. Kidder changed that for me.
This film, regardless of the input of many talented artists, will always and indelibly belong to the late Christopher Reeve. It makes my heart ache to see him, young, strong, beautiful, and able-bodied. I had forgotten how good he really was; he's so good, you can easily miss the little subtleties he brings to his characterization. It was his first starring role, and he holds his own effortlessly even against such heavyweights as Brando and Hackman. He manages to be believably self-effacing and klutzy as Clark Kent, and believably strong and moral as Superman - NOT an easy task, by any means.
I believed that he would walk again, after his tragic accident. Then we suffered the bitter, heartbreaking loss first of Christopher Reeve, then of his incredibly strong wife, Dana. Now, THAT is a story worth telling.
This is the single best casting job ever performed in Hollywood, and nobody knew, at the time, how perfect or compelling it would be. Reeve had less than two decades of able-bodied life ahead of him; he would be gone from us before thirty years had passed. He didn't just play the part of Superman; he WAS Superman, with a strength, courage, and determination that even the Man of Steel didn't possess.
You are sorely missed, Mr. Reeve/Superman.
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The Picture Quality is decent, not as good as Superman II: The Donner Cut...but for such an old movie, the quality is worth the money and I won't need to get this film again until they find a way to make this version obsolete...
I recommend this purchase on BD...even though Superman II is a better version for BD...it just makes the collection that much more worthwhile..
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