Superman - The Movie (Four-Disc Special Edition)

It has been thirty-five years since the late Christopher Reeve first soared across movie screens as the legendary Man of Steel. But it doesn't really seem all that long ago, at least not when viewers first see Superman in costume at the Fortress of Solitude as he flies toward the camera and makes a remarkable banking turn in front of our eyes. In my opinion, Reeve remains the only actor who can make one believe that Superman truly lives; it will forever be his legacy to moviegoers that a godlike super-hero could be fully realized as a personable human being that anyone could easily relate to. Sure, the passage of time hasn't been kind to the film's badly outdated costumes, but, otherwise, "Superman: The Movie" still outclasses virtually any film in its genre. It is pretty impressive that director Richard Donner and his production crew could conjure a totally believable Superman without the benefit of modern CGI and still make an appealing film for a wide spectrum of viewers. Specifically, Donner's film proves that graphic violence, excessive profanity, and explicit content are not required for an entertaining movie experience.With the classy opening sequence of a young boy flipping open an issue of "Action Comics," as the camera then pans up into the sky towards the majestic darkness of deep space, composer John Williams' timeless theme sparks the imagination that something truly special is about to happen. Director Richard Donner, with the aid of among others, script doctor Tom Mankiewicz, and an excellent ensemble cast, brings the "Superman" world to real life and establishes a common path for other big-budget super heroes Batman, Spider-Man, the X-Men, and the Avengers to follow by utilizing a first-class script and talented actors who are not ashamed to wear flashy spandex.The film simplistically is a three-part play: the Krypton sequence (with Marlon Brando as Jor-El); Smallville (with Glenn Ford as Jonathan Kent); and Metropolis (with Margot Kidder as Lois Lane; Jackie Cooper as Perry White; Marc McClure as Jimmy Olsen; and, of course, Gene Hackman, as a delightfully sinister Lex Luthor). New to the storyline are Lex's two groupies: bumbling Otis (Ned Beatty) and sultry Eve Teschmacher (Valerie Perrine), who help Hackman's egotistical Lex (as he calls himself, "The greatest criminal mind of our time," and "fiendishly gifted,") add a wonderful element of tongue-in-cheek humor. Case in point: watch an annoyed Lex's reaction to Otis having scribbled his own proposed little town ("Otisberg?," "Otisberg?") on to the scheming villain's idealized map of what California will look like after it is hit by a nuclear missile. Also, Donner cleverly plants the seed for an inevitable sequel at the beginning rather than at the end with cameos by three Krypton super-villains (General Zod, Ursa, and Non). By vowing that even Jor-El's heirs will one day kneel before him, the tyrannical Zod (Terrence Stamp) instantly becomes a classic movie villain ... with only a few moments of screen time.Lastly, I will address the film's ending, as there is a legitimate cause for criticism. After nearly two and a half hours of leisurely-paced, first class entertainment (including the breathtaking Superman & Lois "first date" flying sequence), the script resorts to a time travel gimmick to help resolve the finale. Although originally intended for "Superman II," as according to Donner, the idea makes Superman look unbeatable if he can alter history to his liking at will. However, Reeve's anguished facial reactions make this plot twist work as viewers are reminded by voice-overs of Superman's past with his two fathers, and exactly why he chooses emotion over cosmic responsibility. The ending should be taken as a leap of faith that even the Man of Steel sometimes has to find a way to beat impossible odds. Still, my favorite moment comes just before the closing credits with Superman's confident fly-by in space over Earth signaling that he will be back for further adventures ensuring our world is in safe hands. Backed by the opening bars of Superman's theme, Reeve accomplishes a most satisfying farewell without saying a word.Even today, whenever I ponder horrific tragedies reported by the news media, I still visualize Christopher Reeve's Superman flying out of seemingly nowhere to rescue Margot Kidder's Lois Lane from certain death dangling from a wrecked helicopter from the roof of the Daily Planet. It reminds me that real-life heroism isn't a comic book; it is really about being there unselfishly when others are in need.Rating: 10/10. The blu-ray and DVD special features offer a treasure trove for fans, including music cues; screen tests; trailers; and some insightful documentaries, which are well worth your spare time.

There were super-hero movies before 1978's Superman, and some of them were pretty ok. Heck, there were even a couple Superman films. None were great. There's been many others since, some of which were pretty ok, some were great, and at least one (The Dark Knight), has completely changed the genre.But the first real genre changer was Superman.The plot for the film is somewhat minimalistic, centering around a first act introducing our character, a second act showing him in Metropolis and a third act thwarting Lex Luthor's evil scheme to... er... get real estate. Ahem. Apparently taking Ted Turner's methods and simply buying most of Wyoming didn't appeal.Needless to say in the real world his plan to drop California into the ocean and create water front property from desert would not work (dropping a nuke on the San Andreas fault would inconvenience anyone nearby for a nanosecond, but it wouldn't start an earthquake. Continental plates are huge). But really, the plot is secondary to the characters, and as embodied by actors such as Marlon Brando and Gene Hackman, the characters really come alive, especially Superman/Clark Kent, played by then-unknown actor Christopher Reeve.What can be said about Reeve's performance? In many ways it makes the film. He's entirely convincing as both Superman and Clark Kent. It's hard to be convincing as the hero and the secret identity, as learned by, for example, Brandon Routh in the disastrous Superman Returns, and along with Christian Bale and Toby McGuire, Reeve is one of the few to find the balance needed to play both. Reeve's performance in the film was in fact so iconic that DC Comics began to draw Superman to look more like Christopher Reeve and even now, over a generation since the film came out, Reeve is, and will always be, Superman to many people.The performance is far from the only iconic thing about the film. Remember John Williams' score for the movie? I bet you do. I bet right now the theme is playing through your head. So popular was that music that it was reused for Superman Returns, giving the film at least a few good points amongst the dross. Heck, much as I'm not big on the "can you read my mind?" song, I gotta admit, it sticks with you.The screenplay is also quite sharp and entertaining. To this day if you're around a certain sort of person and say, "Don't worry; I've got you," they'll say back, "You've got me? Who's got you?!" It's also fun to see the level of cynicism displayed by the various people at the Daily Planet over this big, flying Boy Scout. The movie was made in the late 1970's, after all, and the attitudes reflect that.The tagline for the movie was "You'll Believe a Man Can Fly", and you know what? That's pretty damn accurate. The flying effects hold up well even though, though some of the other effects suffer. Now it's quite common to see people on screen flying all over the place, but this was the first movie to really do justice to human flight.The film is not without flaws. As I mentioned, the plot is paper thin, but it gets the job done, and Ned Beatty's character is a needless distraction. Despite that, it's a movie I still watch and enjoy from time-to-time, remembering when I was a little boy, amazed at seeing that a man could fly.