Superman (1978)

Don't Believe the Hype

Boring, over-political, tech fuzed mess

Am i the only one who thinks........Average?

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

Winner of all time, Richard Greenberg for "Superman" The Movie. Genius, original, and breathtaking.

Before I watch this movie, I wondered if it is as convoluted as Snyder's Man of Steel. And I can that it's by no means that convoluted, although it's still somewhat messy, specially when it comes to Superman's origins part. That could have been easily avoided using enough time at the beginning instead of spending a lot of time showing Superman's abilities and powers. Also, the movie's run time is 143 min, so it really could have been used better.The thing that Donner did better than Snyder is sticking with the lighter tone. That made the emotional impact very strong, and almost every dramatic moment works very well. Also, this made the convoluted presentation of Kal-El's origins more acceptable.The dated special effects never bother me in any movie, but to be fair, we can see that they could have been a bit better in Superman, specially when we compare the special effects here with the special effects of Star Wars, which came one year earlier than this movie. Nevertheless, they still work, actually they are okay.Christopher Reeve's performance is iconic for good reason. He has a charisma that made love him as Clark Kent as well as Superman more than Henry Cavill, although I saw Man of Steel long before this movie, well, as I just finished watching this movie! Also, the chemistry between Reeves and Margot Kidder, Lois Lane, is great!One of the weakest points in this movie is the Villain, Lex Luthor. Neither Gene Hackman's weird, and kinda over-the-top performance nor every thing about Lex Luthor from his odd behavior, to his motives, convinced me.There are tons of plot holes, and logical gaps in this movie from its beginning to its end, and I really couldn't overlook all of them. Specially when it comes to the ending. Oh god! this is may be the most nonsensical ending ever put to film.Notwithstanding all the illogical stuff, I was very surprised seeing the movie taking advantage of almost every scientific thing that could be related to Superman, and to this story in particular. I don't want to spoil any thing, but I really wish if superhero movies nowadays be more science fiction movies rather than fantasy movies.On the whole, I had a blast watching this movie that arguably started all the superhero movies we love now. (7.5/10)

I rewatched this for the first time in many years, after the original release.The way Christopher Reeve is able to convey two separate characters is unsurpassed.Highly recommended.

For years people have wanted to see the 3 hour extended edition. As a fan of the film I understand this. However unlike "Superman II" in which Donner was replaced on the original "Superman" he turned in his "Cut" and that is the film I fell in love with.Later he released an extended version and that was "Just as Good" but not better.In the 3 hour extended cut Richard Donner had nothing to do with it. The film plays what it truly is and that is "An Assembly Cut". This is a great film to watch if your a fan of the original. When you watch it you will understand why things were removed.My only gripe with "Superman" is the opening title sequence. It goes on far too long! Thank God for the FAST FORWARD BUTTON.