MJ5K's Review

Summary - Really Great 4.5

Let me just say this: If this movie didn’t exist, we wouldn’t have any of the Dark Knight’s, Iron Man’s, Thor’s, Captain America’s, Spider Man’s, or any of the epic comic book films we have today. While a teency bit dated, Superman (Or Superman: The Movie, if you want it to be official) remains one of the finest comic book films of all time. Sure, the special effects don’t live up to the mega blockbuster awesome-ness of modern comic book cinema, but in terms of characters and story, this is one of the most faithful and well made films to ever tackle the genre.

The film is as follows: As the Planet Krypton was falling to the brink of destruction, wise scientist Jor-El placed his infant son in a spaceship and sent him to Earth. On his way to his new home, little Kal-El was hit by the sun’s rays. After being discovered by a kind farmer and his wife, the child grew up under the human name Clark Kent. Clark would grow up to become the world’s greatest hero: Superman.

The plot set up the perfect origin story for every superhero film to follow. Some have succeeded in following this formula, others haven’t. I feel it’s important to remember that without a great set up, newer fans wouldn’t have been able to understand the character as well as other fans. The only people who have been able recognize this fact are Christopher Nolan, Bryan Singer, and Sam Raimi.

On that note, Richard Donner was a good choice to direct this film. Producers Ilya and Alexander Salkind wanted Steven Spieberg or George Lucas, both good but unavailable choices. They ended up going with Donner, hot off directing The Omen. Superman wasn’t the most popular character at this time, but with Donner giving this film an epic scale with amazing cinematography and a great, mystic, sci-fi feel, the film can appeal to fans of Superman and fans of the sci-fi genre.

The casting for the movie was PERFECT! Actors like Christian Bale, Michael Keaton, Hugh Jackman, Edward Norton, Tobey Maguire, and even Ben Affleck (let the bullets fly, he was great) have been able to bring their acting chops to roles that were at one point considered two dimensional. However, in my opinion, Christopher Reeve is the only actor who was able to 100% live and breathe his role. He has the bravado, the charisma, the screen presence, and the all-American hero quality that the role requires. If there was such a thing as perfect casting, this was it. Margot Kidder was also a great choice to play Lois Lane. She has the spunk and the charm down. Gene Hackman is a great actor, but I’m not a fan of his Lex Luthor. It’s not so much his fault as it is the script’s. He’s just far too goofy and over-the-top to seem like a threatening or intimidating villain. Acting legend Marlon Brando was great as Superman’s Kryptonian daddy-o Jor-El, and like his Don Corleone, it has become not only iconic, but also parodied non-stop.

The special effects are pretty damn good for the time. The tagline is “you will believe a man can fly.” And trust me, with these effects, you will believe the man you are watching is flying. The models used for Krypton look just downright epic. They’re very Star Wars-esque, but don’t come off as any type of cheesy rip-off. And the earthquake near the end wasn’t too shabby, either.

For all that is awesome about the film, I do have my qualms. For example, I’m not a fan of the way they made the Clark Kent character. He’s far too much of a bumbling, awkward, nerd. Clark was never meant to be like that. He was just supposed to be a normal guy you see at the office, not someone you’d see getting mugged or yelled at by everyone who walks by. Maybe I’m just basing my idea of Kent off of Kent from the Superman animated series from the 90’s, which I sort of grew up on. Also, while the slap stick vibe isn’t as bad in this film than the other three, it is still apparent here. Mostly with Luthor’s partner in crime, Otis.

Still, for all the little nitpicks I have, Superman is still one of the pinnacle comic book films and one that has stood the test of time. It’s interesting that in 2013 we’ll be seeing Superman on the big screen once again in the Christopher Nolan-written/produced, Zack Snyder-directed Man of Steel. This time around we’ll see Brit-actor and Tudors-star Henry Cavill don the blue tights. Still, no one will come close to matching Reeve’s greatness. This is the true Man of Tomorrow.

Acting - Great 4.0

Film - Really Great 4.5

Edge - Risqué 1.6

Reality - Fantasy 5.0

1 Comment

• Wick Oct 4, 2011 10:43PM

  Regarding MJ5K’s Review
  Terrific review MJ. Your paragraph on the cast is spot-on. Christopher Reeve was so perfect for the role of Superman he seemed unreal, like he was born on Krypton or something.

  Your other cast observations are similarly on point. For instance, Gene Hackman was a bit disappointing, and that almost never happens.

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