Superman: The Movie (DC Comics Movie Review)

Plot
The Man of Steel hits the big screen as Kal-El is sent from his dying planet to Earth, where he grows up to become his adoptive home's first and greatest super-hero.  Raised as Clark Kent, he must summon his superhero alter ego when the nefarious Lex Luthor launches a plan to take over the world.

Jason's Thoughts
I vaguely remember watching this movie as a child, and while some parts were familiar, watching Superman: The Movie years later was almost like watching it for the first time.  It's hard to believe that this movie was released 32 years ago and came out nine months after I was born.  Even with its age, Superman: The Movie is a great film, and while it does seem dated due to the clothing and hair styles, I feel that it still holds up well.

There are plenty of aspects that make this movie great, but the one that I felt really made this movie is the fact that the camp was toned down to make it a more serious film filled with action, drama, and even a little romance.  Seeing the fact that superhero movies at this time wasn't quite like it is today, the director and producers could have easily gone down the same road as Batman: The Movie before it and cranked up the campiness.  Fortunately, they didn't and we got a movie that explained the origins of Superman, while ushering in the superhero to an audience of movie-going fans.

One other factor that was top notch in Superman: The Movie was the orchestral soundtrack turned in by John Williams.  The Superman theme song has become as iconic as the Star Wars Theme, which Williams also composed.  There are a lot of similarities to both theme songs, and at times your mind might think that they are almost the same as they are both performed by the London Symphony Orchestra, not to mention they were released in movies that came out about a year apart.

The special effects were done well considering the movie came out in 1978, but wasn't on par with Star Wars that came out before it.  Judging by today's standards, the special effects in Superman: The Movie can seem pretty hokey, but I am willing to look past that.  The camera work is well done, and we are treated to some great skyline views of New York City, er... I mean, Metropolis, as well as the Hoover Dam.  The nighttime flight with Superman and Lois Lane showcase the camera work and is one of the most memorable scenes in the whole film.

With the great music and camera work and decent special effects, I feel the one aspect that kept Superman: The Movie from being truly great was the story.  I applaud the fact that time was taken to explain the origins of Superman, but that also lead to keeping the Man of Steel off the screen throughout the first hour of the movie.  Also, seeing that it is Superman, it never felt that he was ever in any sense of danger.  I also felt that the casual meeting between Superman and Lex Luthor in the subterranean lair was odd, not to mention Superman “turning back time” by spinning Earth backwards.  That, paired with Superman hauling in Luthor and his henchmen to prison made for a anticlimactic ending.

I would be remiss if I didn't at least mention Christopher Reeve's role as Superman as I, like many others, have him immediately come to mind when thinking about Superman.  I think Reeve was perfect for the role and couldn't imagine how the movie would have turned out had the producers selected another actor for the role.  Amongst those considered were Warren Beatty,  Burt Reynolds, Nick Nolte, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Robert Redford and Jon Voight.  I have nothing against those actors, but I don't think any of them would have fit the role as well as Reeve.

In another interesting tidbit about Reeve, while watching the movie I could have swore that it was Reeve's voice I heard during the scenes with the teenage Clark Kent, however, I didn't quite look like him.  According to IMDB, the young Kent, who was played by Jeff East, had all of his lines dubbed over with Reeve's voice during production.  Jeff East's voice is never heard during the movie itself.

Overall, Superman: The Movie was a great introduction to the series and set the standard for all of the superhero movies that would come after it. 

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