Buy it…to watch one of the great superhero movies of all time.
Avoid it…if you prefer your comic book movies dark.
Superman: The Movie, filmed in 1978, marks the beginning of the modern superhero epic. It still resonates today for all the right reasons—strong acting, a good screenplay, confident direction and special effects that are truly surprising given the time. The best part though, is that the creators stayed true to the tone of the original comic books. The filmmakers knew their material, loved it, and it shows.
By now, we all know the Superman mythology. Kal-El, the last son of Krypton, is sent to Earth by desperate parents hoping to save their only child from the fate that is sure to befall Krypton. After little Kal-El has traveled half-way across the galaxy, he crash lands in the middle of Smallville, Kansas. Here he is discovered, adopted, raised by kindly farmers Jonathan and Martha Kent, and given the name Clark. Later he lands a job at the Daily Planet, falls in love with Lois Lane, and meets Lex Luthor—Supervillan extraordinaire.
I cannot emphasize enough how much fun the first two acts of this movie are. From the destruction of Krypton to Clark’s subsequent discovery of his powers as a teenager, the movie has humor and poignancy. We really get a good understanding of Clark’s upbringing with the Kents and why he feels a great need to “save” everyone. The screenplay handles these feelings with grace and subtlety—never succumbing to over-wrought emotions or clumsy self-describing dialogue.
As we move to Metropolis and Clark Kent becomes Superman, Christopher Reeve shows why he was chosen to play this role. His bumbling Clark is full of cheesy humor, but Reeve never plays it to the point of annoyance. However, it’s Reeve as Superman that we really come to enjoy. His delivery is crisp, his stature impressive, and he just LOOKS like Superman.
Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for the rest of the cast. Margot Kidder’s Lois Lane is the best of the supporting players (and her chemistry with Reeve is real and palpable), but Gene Hackman’s Lex Luthor comes off more cartoony and less diabolical. That’s to say nothing of the abomination that is Otis (Beatty)—a totally unnecessary character that tries to be the comic relief and fails miserably. Marlon Brando makes a short, but excellent appearance as Jor-El, and Perry White played by Jackie Cooper, is a hoot.
The rest of the movie centers around a ridiculous real estate scheme perpetrated by Lex and designed to get Superman to accomplish extraordinary feats of super-ness. Regrettably, the movie loses focus in this final act as the battle between Lex and Supes heats up. The confrontation lacks punch and, because of Hackman’s performance, comes off campy with little sense of danger.
But none of that matters. So much of the movie is fun and enjoyable, and every time Christopher Reeve shows up, the movie takes, um, flight.
For such an old movie, the film itself is in great shape. The colors come through bright and clear and there is no edge enhancement or bleeding. There is little to no artifacing and the black levels are solid. The sound is also punchy and full. As Superman zooms around the screen, he zooms around your room through a robust 5.1 mix. It’s an excellent presentation.
The disc itself is a flipper disc that comes packaged in a snap case (urgh!) so that’s a major disappointment. However, the extras aren’t bad. There’s a great commentary with Richard Donner and Tom Manckewicz that isn’t your average “this-is-how-we-shot-this” commentary.
On the rest of side A there are a few added scenes that Donner added to this release of the film separated out for you to see. It’s interesting to see what was added. The extra eight minutes of footage you get (seamlessly integrated into the actual presentation of the movie) are fantastic. In addition there are some text pieces about cast, crew, and the legacy of Superman. While I find text pieces cheap, the legacy of Superman is an ok read—if you like reading stuff on your TV screen. There is a trailer, TV spot, awards list and a music only track which would be cooler if I didn’t have the score already loaded on my iPod.
On side B there are three half-hour documentaries covering everything from the early gestations of Superman comics to the troubled development and finally success of the movie, a must for every aficionado. There are also screen tests for Superman and Lois Lane including a very interesting turn by Leslie Ann Warren as Lois. (Why she wasn’t chosen, I’ll never know, but there it is.) In addition, you’ll find a couple of deleted scenes that are excellent examples of what should be taken out of a movie as well as more TV spots and theatrical trailers.
On a side note, there is also an Alternate Music Cues section. John Williams was truly at the top of his game when it came to composing the movie’s themes, and to hear all of Williams’ talent on display in music that was not even used for the film was a real treat.
With the announcement of the uber 10-disc set however, it might be beneficial to wait instead of dropping your cash on this presentation.