Superman
Warner Bros. Pictures | Release Date: December 15, 1978
8.0
USER SCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 411 Ratings
USER RATING DISTRIBUTION
Positive:
342
Mixed:
48
Negative:
21
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User Reviews

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6
ChadJan 28, 2007
It seems everyone wants to remain forever a child these days, but this movie is not that good. It is entertaining for kids, but hardly worthy of the fawning reviews it's received from critics. I supect it is at least partially due to It seems everyone wants to remain forever a child these days, but this movie is not that good. It is entertaining for kids, but hardly worthy of the fawning reviews it's received from critics. I supect it is at least partially due to sentimetality over Christopher's Reeves' unfortunate fate.… Expand
1 of 1 users found this helpful
5
MovieGKMay 8, 2014
I am really sorry to say it but this movie is out of time. Maybe it was cool in the 70' but now.. nope. I mean Superman is not super because the technology couldn't show us his full scale of power. So it had to focus to much on humor and itI am really sorry to say it but this movie is out of time. Maybe it was cool in the 70' but now.. nope. I mean Superman is not super because the technology couldn't show us his full scale of power. So it had to focus to much on humor and it feels to much like a kids movie. Reeve was good for that purpose i'll give you that… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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6
BarneyOnMTJan 23, 2016
WHAT I LIKED: A fun, classic origin of one of the most iconic superheroes stands the test of time. It sets up a character well, taking time to build Superman himself far better than many subsequent attempts - it really does this throughoutWHAT I LIKED: A fun, classic origin of one of the most iconic superheroes stands the test of time. It sets up a character well, taking time to build Superman himself far better than many subsequent attempts - it really does this throughout with great care and attention. But in the end, the reason it's enjoyable now is because it's cliched. It makes you smile
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: It's so far-fetched in places, that you can't particularly get into it or feel emotionally attatched to the story. This isn't helped by the dated special effects (that are albeit still ahead of their time)
VERDICT: It's cliched, and ridiculous. But parts of it really work. 'Superman' is a classic that makes you smile.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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6
amheretojudgeDec 29, 2018
It's A Bird. It's A Plane.

Superman Donner's one big sloppy kiss on the comic world is both fun and wet. The epitome of a commercial blockbuster with antics that still our superhero features thrive upon, unfortunately fails to stay rosyIt's A Bird. It's A Plane.

Superman

Donner's one big sloppy kiss on the comic world is both fun and wet. The epitome of a commercial blockbuster with antics that still our superhero features thrive upon, unfortunately fails to stay rosy after decades. The primary reason is it's inadequacy on being through and through of its logistics. Nevertheless, its limited staged wider range reach by glorifying each characteristics of the characters is something that warps you back to your childhood salivating for more. Unlike your usual superhero, the protagonist is explored with a macho-like ruggedness that is drawn from emotions rather than those steely-blue-eyed broad-jaw-line face.

Ticking for more than two hours, it barely offers other characters to factor in, from Brando's cameo to Hackman's barely touched negatively charged character which is annoyingly one dimension to create any depth on the storyline. What it does get right somehow, is to introduce the gravitas of the characters in narration, the build up of these sequences is something to rely upon. Among many humorisc and intriguing conversations, the interview between Kidder and Reeve is definitely the highlight of the show. Reeve charging on the film with his behemoth persona may feel short handed on performance, but as far as picking up a car or rescuing our beloved characters is concerned, he is the right man for the job.

Aforementioned, Brando has very little to do, Hackman lags behind only for its thin material and Kidder, the one with the most involvement on storytelling remains convincing and genuine. As much as this light tone is appreciated in narration, the antagonist's troops bubbling up the humor forcibly on screen shucks out their integrity to breed the essential threat to its audience. Superman works as much as it plays on the "human" field, it is not that the "superness" isn't tenable, it just isn't fun.… Expand
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5
FilipeNetoOct 30, 2021
This was one of the great precursors of modern superhero movies, full of effects and CGI. However, what we have here is obviously much more primitive and simpler. The film takes one of the most classic cartoon characters – Superman – andThis was one of the great precursors of modern superhero movies, full of effects and CGI. However, what we have here is obviously much more primitive and simpler. The film takes one of the most classic cartoon characters – Superman – and brings us a very canonical view of his origins and path, from the destruction of his home planet and arrival on Earth to his consecration as a world hero. Today, however, it is a somewhat forgotten film, that has aged badly: it continues to have admirers, to be loved by those who saw it in youth, but it has natural difficulties to conquer new audiences.

The script takes the official story of the hero and seems to me quite faithful to that narrative, but it can't go any further and gives us an artificial, forced and clichéd story, in which even the villain is such a caricatured figure that we can't see him as a threat. Despite this, and its excessive length when we think about the story told, the film turns out to be a good piece of entertainment, and even those who do not like it are unanimous in giving it a place in the list of relevant films in our collective memory and in pop culture.

One of the essential pieces for the success of the film is the excellent performance of Christopher Reeve, an actor who was immortalized thanks to this hero, in the several films in which he played the part. He's not a flawless actor, but I'd say a lot of the trouble comes from the material he's been receiving and the way Richard Donner conceived the film in general, trying to lighten it up, like a histrionic and very presumptuous adventure comedy. Margot Kidder also did a satisfying job. Less lucky, Gene Hackman and Marlon Brando are fortunate to have made other films that are much better, and where we can see them in all their talent: Hackman persistently overacts and Brando has almost no screen time.

On a technical level, the film justifies its large budget with elaborate and very flashy visual and special effects, but which for us appear as authentic museum relics, with a strong cheesy tone, totally unbelievable. Cinematography, absolutely without any contrast, looks hazy. The settings range from the most conventional to the height of hospital futurism, so white and gleaming that they look like ultramodern clinics. The editing is relatively good, but like I said, the movie drags a lot and doesn't justify its length. The best, really, is the soundtrack, where it pontificates an extraordinary theme that was composed by the “master” John Williams. A Superman movie without this theme song, to me, is inconceivable.… Expand
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4
MglovesfunJan 29, 2020
Honestly, watching this back, it is really more of a kids' film. For its length, the plot is sparse, the actors aren't given much to do. Would mostly suit the under 15s.
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6
HeroicAge616Nov 1, 2021
Its screenplay is cheesy, but 1978's Superman has a heart and soul to prop it up.
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