If someone said their favorite comic book movie was Superman (1978), I wouldn't argue with them. It is possibly the most influential comic book movie there has ever been, bringing the chief of superheros to the big screen. Flash Gordon in 1936 had just a fraction of the affect that Superman did in 1978.The problem with being first is the unknown response from critics and fans alike. With the success came multiple movie deals with Christopher Reeves at the helm, but they soon destroyed the franchise which they made successful with each sequel becoming more and more silly.
The original Superman had much that was taken from the original comic material, but in the movie adaptation it seemed the director couldn't tell where comic books started and the funny pages ended. The movie was filled to the brim with unrealistic, or unbelievably dumb moments. Some moments were "just" cheesy, while others were outrageously terrible. The Gene Hackman performance was probably fine for what was asked of him, but it was the asking that was flawed. This version of Lex Luthor was from the funny pages, while Christopher Reeves' Superman was from the comic books. To break it down even further for those who may or may not add 1+1 and getting 2 for the answer, it looks like this: Superman vs. Samity Sam.
The Reeves performance was as stellar as I remembered it years and years ago. Reeves will always be the best Superman + Clark Kent combo we will ever see, now it is all about finding second best. Another feature that didn't fail with time was the score. The score did have its problems but I still think it reigns supreme as the best overall fantasy score ever. The problems with the score throughout the movie is that the same exact piece is used too often. For every step Superman takes, the score is queued. The opening sequence is only beat out by Star Wars.
I grew up in the age of Batman, but I think the champion of superheroes goes undeniably to Superman.
No actor outside of Gene Hackman and Christopher Reeves should be commended any more than a high-five. The entire city of Manhattan feels staged, and all of it flawed. The action in the film along with its CGI is aged, and sometimes even unenjoyable. There are just too many scenes that run through my mind as examples, but if you see the movie, they will each become more obvious than 'Avatar's terrible storytelling. The movie feels like a ride at Universal Studios, the strings and backdrops are just as obvious. The story needed a rewrite, as a fraction of what was written was any good. If anyone should recieve credit for the success it would have to be John Williams with his score and Christopher Reeves and his performance.
I purchased the movie on Blu-Ray and the quality difference between this and DVD aren't good enough for me to advertise or encourage someone to purchase. For some reason in purchasing the Blu-Ray, I was secretly hoping the movie was going to rid of all the cheese I knew that was in the film, it didn't. The movie is still made up of 50% Reeves and 50% nostalgia.
"Superman"
6.5 / 10
6.5 / 10
