Superman (1978)

Director: Richard Donner
Starring: Christopher Reeve, Gene Hackman, Marlon Brando

Synopsis:
Superman makes his debut in Metropolis while Lex Luthor plots the crime of the century.

Impressions:
I've loosed plenty of venom on the most recent incarnation of the Man of Steel, so it's high time I look at the film that pretty well set the standard for superhero movies entering the era of the modern blockbuster. This movie was the first time Superman hit the big screen in nearly 20 years and the market wasn't exactly ripe for comic book movies as it is today. It's actually rather surprising that such a sincere effort was made. In the role that made him famous, Christopher Reeve portrays Superman with a charming sort of innocence and ramps up that naive awkwardness even more as Clark Kent. There's a deliberateness to the character acting the role of Clark Kent, which makes me think of the monologue about Superman in Kill Bill. Gene Hackman is pretty solid as Lex Luthor as well. I think Ned Beatty's Otis takes the bumbling comic relief a bit far, but your mileage may vary on that one. The effects are rather good, especially for the time, and we of course have to give due credit to the score by John Williams, especially the classic main theme. This is definitely worth seeing and especially if you're disenchanted with the current take on the character, you'll want to check this out to appreciate a more classic interpretation.

Rating:
Watch It