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In 1978 Superman The Movie brought the Man of Steel to life. The first two Superman  films received both critical praise and enjoyed tremendous box-office success. It was the most spectacular film of its kind in its day, and even today I can't think of any films which have combined the magic of special effects and a story that sparks the imagination as much as Superman the Movie did.  There have been some very good actors who have played Superman, including George Reeves, Dean Cain, and Kirk Alyn, but to me Christopher Reeve was Superman. It didn't hurt that he had a lot of special effects to back him up, but he also looked and acted just the way I pictured Superman from the comic books I had read when I was a kid. Superman the Movie Superman The Movie tells the story of Superman's arrival on earth, and his quest for truth and justice and the American way. Superman the movie is considered the best by most. It starred Christopher Reeve, of course, as both Clark Kent and Superman. Gene Hackman played the evil Lex Luthor. I still picture Gene Hackman as evil even today. He wasn't just evil though, he was hilarious especially in Superman II.

Jackie Cooper played Perry White. Glenn Ford was perfect as Jonathan Kent. He was a great actor. I don't think anyone else could have played the down the earth yet very wise foster father of Clark Kent as well as he did. I only wish he was given more time in the movie. Margot Kidder of course did a great job as Lois Lane, and Marlon Brando as Jor-el was also a brilliant choice. Marlon Brando didn't do to bad on the part. He was paid $4 million dollars for his ten minutes on the screen.

Two very notable cameos were Kirk Alyn the first Superman and Noel Neill the first Lois Lane. She played in the serials and the tv show. Kirk Alyn's part was edited out, but will   hopefully  put back in on the new dvd release.

And of course there is the magnificent score from John Williams which is some of the best movie music ever conducted.

Purchase Superman - The Movie (Special Edition) (1978)
DVD
Superman Movie Wallpaper

Superman II
The story of Superman vs the evil kryptonians who Jor-el had exiled to the phantom Zone.

The sequel to Superman the movie was almost as good, and I say that having 20 years to think about it. During my childhood I thought of Superman II as the best because of the action sequences and special effects, but over all I think the original has just a little more soul.
Purchase Superman II DVD

Superman III

In this sequel Superman fights against himself and a super computer created by Gus Gorman, played by Richard Pryor. This gets a lot of criticism, but I think that is really due to the fact that the high quality of the first two movies made expectations too high for further installments of these sequels. Richard Pryor wouldn't have been my first choice to star with Christopher Reeve, and it was disappointing not to see the continuation of the Lois and Superman romance, but all in all it was a good movie. I didn't really like the whole super computer bit, but the scenes from Smallville were great, and the fight between Clark and the evil Superman was the most exciting part of the movie. I wish the movie had surrounded the Clark vs Superman concept. It could have really been as big as the second movie with the battle against the phantom zone villains.

Purchase Superman III  DVD.

Superman IV

Superman takes on the nuclear arms race, and the Nuclear Man

This one really gets blasted, but again this movie's biggest enemy is the high expectations created by the first two movies. The first Superman movie in my humble opinion was probably the best movie ever made, at the least the most spectacular, and it makes it hard to watch Superman IV with an open mind without expecting to much from it.

The problem with Superman IV is that it seemed to be thrown together too quickly. The whole movie seemed choppy. Like someone decided to have 10 different directors go film 10 different sequences and put it together. It lacked the heart and soul of the first three movies, but compared to a lot of other sci-fi movies I have seen since, it was still worth watching. Any big fan of Superman can still get some enjoyment from this picture. 

Purchase Superman IV - The Quest for Peace  DVD 

Purchase Superman - The Movie (Special Edition) (1978) DVD  Superman the movie is on DVD You can order it now from Amazon • Color, Widescreen, Dolby • Theatrical trailer(s) • Previously unseen footage added by Director Richard Donner • 4 Behind-the-Scenes Documentaries: • The Magic Behind the Cape (Special Effects) • Making Superman: Filming the Legend (Production and Release) • Screen Tests (Casting) • Taking Flight: The Development of Superman (Preproduction) • Feature-Length Audio Commentary by Director Richard Donner and Creative Consultant Tom Mankiewicz • Superman and Lois Lane Screen Tests • Audio Outtakes: Alternate Scoring for 8 Sequences • Music-Only Audio Track (Dolby 5.1) showcasing John Williams' Magnificent Score • 2 Deleted Scenes Purchase Superman II DVD