HCR Rates The Movies #8: SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE

[DTM]

So, our next film, Classic or Crud, Hit or Miss, what say you ALL?

Our next film open for discussion, and ultimately an Overall RATING by you all:

SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE
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Let the discussions flow. Likes, dislikes, classic film or overhyped trash, and DONT FORGET to place an Overall Rating when youre done.

Its easy, just give a Rating from 1 (Jaws 4:The Revenge) to 10 (Jaws), and thats it. Course I'd love to have you all give reasons as to why you feel it deserves this Overall Rating, and more than encourage discussions with us all about them.

So, what say you all?

Next Film: ??????

[CarlosMucha]

simple perfect 10.

This is the best Superheroe movie of all times and made me a comic fan.

[Zaq]

I really did like Superman, Christophe Reeve and Gene Hackman were pretty awesome. But quite honestly, the fact that the movie was so slow getting going lowers its ratings, so I'd give it a 9.

[DTM]

Ive gotta say, even woth all of todays comic book movie hype and those such films that actually deserve it, this film (done way back in 1978) is still my favorite overall comic book movie adaptation ever.

You will never find a better fit for Actor to Character (or overall superhero look), than Christopher Reeve to Superman. No special suits, no fake muscles, just him in all his glory wearing the classic S costume. He WAS Superman, moreso than any actor since has ever been a comic book hero.

The music was bar none brilliance, and one of John Williams' (like we all dont know who he is) best scores ever. The effects for the time, and even now, were stellar, and the overall story (from Kryptons destruction to the first appearance of Superman to his meeting with arch enemy Lex Luthor to him sailing over the earth at the ending credits) was superb.

Sure certain parts were a bit long and campy, but overall this is one Great Film, that I feel deserves the high ratings its getting thus far (though could sure use some more participation here folks. :) )

My Rating: 9.5 / 10

[Mjolnir]

I saw this movie when I was wee bairn. It has it's moments that are pure gold but the one thing I picked up on, even then, was Lex Luthor. It was Gene Hackmans portayal. It wasn't the inclusion of Ned Beatty's character. While I appreciate the humor and the nincompoopness of it all it still smells like jarjarbinks 25+ years later.
jarjarbinks is the worst kind of storytelling, his whole purpose is to do dumb, stupid things for the kids to laugh at. bad badbabdbadbabdbadbadbadbabdbad stuff.
My complaint is that Lex Luthor, the man who created robots to kill superman made from kryptonite, and so many other fantastic schemes can only figure out that kind of a plot? To send two nuclear warheads simutaneously racing towards the San Andreas Fault and Hackensack NJ? Hackensack? Huh? Not New York City, not Washington DC, not even Bostn, but Hackensack New Jersey; lame!!!
That's like those bad sword&scandal flicks from the early 80's where they were so cheap they had to skimp on so many elements of productions design.... kinda like 50's science fiction movies too.
The good news is Christopher Reeves portrayal and a lot of the atmosphere of the movie including supporting characters and dialogue.
Remember this exchange;
Superman has just caught the Helicopter Lois lanes in that was plummeting towards the metropolis streets;
"Don't worry Ms Lane, I've got you." he says with a simple statement of unpretentious helpfulness. To which she replies;
"You've got me? wh-who's got you?!?!?"
Priceless, baby.

To borrow a quote from the much better Superman II;
"k-kill Lex Luthor? The greatest criminal mind of our times? The only man with... Supermans address?"
Yeah, he should have been much more conniving, sneaky, and scheming, instead we get the 3 stooges except Curly's the smarter one, Larry has a little more hair and Moe has boobs and has been demoted.
7 because Lex Luther wasn't played as evil as he could have been. But only because of him, everything else is top notch!( well, the ned batty character knocks it down a little more)

[DTM]

My complaint is that Lex Luthor, the man who created robots to kill superman made from kryptonite, and so many other fantastic schemes can only figure out that kind of a plot? To send two nuclear warheads simutaneously racing towards the San Andreas Fault and Hackensack NJ? Hackensack? Huh? Not New York City, not Washington DC, not even Bostn, but Hackensack New Jersey; lame!!!

Actually if you remember correctly, that missile wasnt supposed to go to Hackensack NJ, it went there because Otis screwed up the coordinates (for which Luthor beat him badly) when he was sabotaging the missile and that just happens to be where Otis' mistake sent that missile. Not sure where Luthor originally intended to send that one, really.

[Inbetweener]

Ooooo...Superman!

Let me preface this by saying that Superman is still a great movie today. I put it in my DVD collection with fellow giants of it's sub-genre (X2, Burton's Batman, Spiderman etc.). It is both nolstagic and incredibly true to this character. Christopher Reeve seemed to get it. Marlon Brando of course plays his father and because he was the greatest actor ever, the movie gains even more points and credibility. As a fan of classical music I can tell you that without a doubt John Williams is deemed to be among people like Prokiev as one of the great composers of the 20th century. He found his niche and made some amazing music for some amazing films. His skill is even larger than his recognition...and in Superman his music soars. Its one of the best scores in film. Period. There is so much more to say but I will spare you all the sappy love I have for this movie...and the rare nitpickings...it's a classic.

Rating: 9.5

[Ignatz_Mouse]

He meant to send the first missile to the fault. They only hijack the second missile because Otis messed up the first one.

[DTM]

Current HCR Member Rating:

SUPERMAN - 9 / 10

[Kalel21]

Perfect actor for Superman. Perfect music. Great superhero moments: I still remember laughing aloud in the theater first time I saw it when Superman caught the falling helicopter simply because it was such a cool moment.

A few minor plot holes force, though, force me to give it a 9.5.

[Comicstu]

I sort of think the movie is overrated, not that I don't like it. Cristopher Reeve was great and all, but the ending didn't do it for me.

8/10

[Wyldstaar]

When I was a kid, I loved it. Like so many things from our childhoods though, it just doesn't hold the same perfection in my adult eyes that it did in the little boy's. Since then I've read some Superman comics and seen the Superman and Justice League cartoons, which I greatly prefer.

That's not to say that there weren't some great bits in Superman and Superman II (the less said about III and IV the better). The casting was perfect, as were the special effects. The fight scene in II through the streets of New York between Superman and the three Kryptonians is still great today.

For an adult viewing it- 5
For a kid viewing it- 10

[DTM]

When I was a kid, I loved it. Like so many things from our childhoods though, it just doesn't hold the same perfection in my adult eyes that it did in the little boy's. Since then I've read some Superman comics and seen the Superman and Justice League cartoons, which I greatly prefer.

That's not to say that there weren't some great bits in Superman and Superman II (the less said about III and IV the better). The casting was perfect, as were the special effects. The fight scene in II through the streets of New York between Superman and the three Kryptonians is still great today.

For an adult viewing it- 5
For a kid viewing it- 10


Adult viewing 5....OUCH.

So, should I rate this a 7.5 overall for you WS?

[Wyldstaar]

Okay

[Thawmus]

I saw this movie when I was wee bairn. It has it's moments that are pure gold but the one thing I picked up on, even then, was Lex Luthor. It was Gene Hackmans portayal. It wasn't the inclusion of Ned Beatty's character. While I appreciate the humor and the nincompoopness of it all it still smells like jarjarbinks 25+ years later.
jarjarbinks is the worst kind of storytelling, his whole purpose is to do dumb, stupid things for the kids to laugh at. bad badbabdbadbabdbadbadbadbabdbad stuff.
My complaint is that Lex Luthor, the man who created robots to kill superman made from kryptonite, and so many other fantastic schemes can only figure out that kind of a plot? To send two nuclear warheads simutaneously racing towards the San Andreas Fault and Hackensack NJ? Hackensack? Huh? Not New York City, not Washington DC, not even Bostn, but Hackensack New Jersey; lame!!!
That's like those bad sword&scandal flicks from the early 80's where they were so cheap they had to skimp on so many elements of productions design.... kinda like 50's science fiction movies too.
The good news is Christopher Reeves portrayal and a lot of the atmosphere of the movie including supporting characters and dialogue.
Remember this exchange;
Superman has just caught the Helicopter Lois lanes in that was plummeting towards the metropolis streets;
"Don't worry Ms Lane, I've got you." he says with a simple statement of unpretentious helpfulness. To which she replies;
"You've got me? wh-who's got you?!?!?"
Priceless, baby.

To borrow a quote from the much better Superman II;
"k-kill Lex Luthor? The greatest criminal mind of our times? The only man with... Supermans address?"
Yeah, he should have been much more conniving, sneaky, and scheming, instead we get the 3 stooges except Curly's the smarter one, Larry has a little more hair and Moe has boobs and has been demoted.
7 because Lex Luther wasn't played as evil as he could have been. But only because of him, everything else is top notch!( well, the ned batty character knocks it down a little more)


Agreed. Superman II is a better film by far, so I can only give Superman a 9.0

Best line out of Superman II for me: "General? I'd like to have a word with you outside!"

Which is then followed by the most known line in all of the superman movies:

"KNEEL BEFORE ZOD!!"

[DTM]

Current HCR Member Rating:

SUPERMAN - 8.78 / 10

[jedah_s]

i'd give superman a 9.
told the origin very well, great special effects, christopher reeves perfectly capturing the look of superman and his clark kent has never been topped....
only a few things about the movie don't hold up (goofy plot moments, otis).

superman 2 seems to hog all the glory.... but other than zod's overacting and the kryptonian fights... imo 2 isn't as good as 1.

[lurker]

This is such a huge movie, the only thing I didn't like was the turning back of time. I was prepared to believe everything else! ;) I'm not sure how much more you could ask of one film. I'd give it 9.5 out of 10.

[DTM]

Current HCR Member Rating:

SUPERMAN - 8.86 / 10

[Rokk_Krinn]

In a bit of a catch-up mood today, so...

Frankly, like a lot of folks I love this movie and it's hard to be totally objective to it, especially when we consider its' overall cinematic importance to the genre.

Think of it this way - without this and Superman II (III and IV are pretty much written out of existence in the same way most of the Halloween sequels are :) ), we likely wouldn't have had the big-budget superhero flicks that were written to appeal to both young and old. There wouldn't have been a Burton Batman, X-Men, etc. - this film showed it was possible to do a superhero as a big box-office attraction.

This film also still influences the Superman mythos to this day, even if it's in the form of little nods like having Terrance Stamp, Margot Kidder and Chris Reeves be on "Smallville" but here's a bigger one that's sometimes overlooked - this version of Luthor has far more in common with the post-Crisis Lex than he did the pre-Crisis Luthor of the film's era.

Speaking of Lex, some people don't like his portrayal but - and it might be because of what I mention above - I absolutely adored Luthor in these films. He was even enjoyable in the sequels that are best fed to the Anti-Monitor.

I was thinking of knocking this film a little bit for its' campiness and such - the time-reversal, for example - but considering that it was pre-Crisis Superman and it doesn't really change the overall feel of the movie...

Rating: 9.5 and I feel guilty not giving it a 10...

[phantom1592]

I would rank the first one at 7 I think. Also if I remember correctly the second missle was sent after his girlfriends mother. If that's not evil, then what is ;) I thought the idea was awsome with the fault line and Superman can't be in two places at once.

A rather decent Evil plan.

However I didn't care for Hackman's Luthor, or the Toupees. Lex is bald. I want him in all his cueball glory. The time travel thing is weird, and I didn't like Pa dying. When I read Superman Ma and Pa were both fine. Maybe this was pre-crisis, I don't know.


Superman II, I give an 8.5 This would have been a perfect 10 if they didn't throw in all the extra powers. C'mon he's SUPERMAN. Doesn't he have ENOUGH powers?!? The celephane S shield and the Teleporting/mirror images brought it down for me.

Thawmus :
Best line out of Superman II for me: "General? I'd like to have a word with you outside!"

Which is then followed by the most known line in all of the superman movies:

"KNEEL BEFORE ZOD!!"

I still think my favorite quote is when Zod is meeting the president and looks at the Eagle on the US seal. "I see you are used to worshiping things that fly, That is Good" :laugh:

[d_knight7]

9/10, getting dated but simply iconic.

[hulkamania85]

9


I have to take one point off for ### odd ending. Otherwise this movie is a 10. I try to rationalize ### ending by thinking that by going back in time he has made himself be in two places at once.

[Manchine]

I would give it an

8 out of 10

[iameleveneight]

9/10 I love it. Christopher Reeves IS Superman and always will be for me.

[charlesx]

9.5/10.

Awesome John Williams soundtrack plus Brando, Christopher Reeves and Gene Hackman in the starring roles - what is there not to love? Someone said it: this is the most iconic superhero movie of them all. The ending is somewhat hokey, but I can forgive it due to the greatness of the whole.

Superman the movie stands the test of time.

[Pashmina]

6.6/10

Call me a child of the times, but it simply doesn't stand up nowadays.

I was like "wha-" when it ended. It felt very sudden, and nothing reallt happened. Didn't find it particularly interesting tbh. Don't like people without weaknesses/flaws though.

Reeves is defo the best Superman though.

[the itsy bit]

6.6/10

Call me a child of the times, but it simply doesn't stand up nowadays.

I was like "wha-" when it ended. It felt very sudden, and nothing reallt happened. Didn't find it particularly interesting tbh. Don't like people without weaknesses/flaws though.

Reeves is defo the best Superman though.

exactly Superman as a character is just silly.

have to give it a 8/10 for being a classic though.:classic:

[wintremute]

I can't stand this movie. I so wanted it to be great, and I felt it was miscast and poorly written. I really like Gene Hackman as an actor, but didn't like him as Lex. I think Margot Kidder is unattractive, so could never comprehend her and her scratchy voice as Lois. Christopher Reeve was excellent as Superman, and even more so as Clark Kent. However, the storyline was weak, topped off with the stupid 'turning the world backwards' #### at the end. Overall, it's a 2. If it's on a TV, I have to hurry away before my anger boils over at what could have been.

My wife really likes Superman and gives it a 7. She agrees that Christopher Reeve was excellent, that Lex and Lois were miscast, but it is still a must-see movie.

[labria4]

This film would rank much at about an eight or nine when I was a kid. I recently watched it again and it's kind of boring. The villains don't really impress some of the special effects just look bad.

7/10