Superman The Movie/Superman II

Superman The Movie came out on December 15th, 1978. It was fairly impressive for its time. This was just a year and a half after the original Star Wars, and the special effects were groundbreaking. It was one thing to have ships flying through space, it is another to have a person fly through the air and look believable. At the Oscars, the film solely won the Special Achievement Award for Visual Effects.

What I didn't remember about this film is that it is half comedy, showing its comic book roots. It doesn't take itself seriously, unlike the more recent Superman Returns and Man of Steel. The film's goofiness is distracting, but this seemed normal in 1978.  We were used to campy superheroes, having watched Batman on television in the 1960s.

Some Superman fanatics didn't like Man of Steel because that movie ditched the red tights. I think that the red tights look goofy, and in the modern era, I prefer more serious superheroes.



Christopher Reeve was a great actor and he feels like he was born to play Superman. He is completely believable in the role, and he does a great job as his alter ego mild-mannered reporter Clark Kent.

Whatever problems Margo Kidder had later in life, she made a great Louis Lane.

Marlon Brando is great as Superman's father and gives the movie gravitas.

There are only two memorable pieces of music but they are fantastic.  The score by John Williams practically makes the film. Even Christopher Reeve acknowledged this and said that Superman would not be able to fly without John Williams's music.  The Superman Theme is rousing and is used constantly.  The love song "Can You Read My Mind" is Oscar-worthy, and notes from this song are snuck into almost every scene with Louis Lane.

Superman The Movie defined the superhero movie for a generation.  It is extremely well-made but feels dated.  

Rating: A-.

Much credit has to be given to Richard Donner who gave us a great film. 

Superman II was filmed at the same time as Superman.  Richard Donner directed both films but didn't finish the second one.   The filming on Superman II was suspended so that Donner could focus on finishing the first film.  After Superman was released, producers Alexander and Ilya Salkind decided to cut Marlon Brando's scenes from Superman II to avoid paying him a percentage of the film's box office.  Donner refused to make the film without Brando's scenes.

Superman II fails in every regard.  The story is weak.  The villains are goofy.  The special effects look bad compared to the first film.  The Kryptonians have powers we have never seen before, like telekinesis.  Rating: C-.

In 2008 Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut was released on DVD.  This version of the film is barely passable.  I liked it better because it is not as goofy, but I am not sure that I can recommend it.