Superman

1978 Action/Adventure

Richard Donner's big-budget blockbuster Superman: The Movie is an immensely entertaining recounting of the origin of the famous comic book character. Opening on Krypton (where Marlon Brando plays Superman's father), the film follows the Man of Steel (Christopher Reeve) as he's sent to Earth where he develops his alter-ego Clark Kent and is raised by a Midwestern family. In no time, the movie has run through his teenage years, and Clark gets a job at the Daily Planet, where he is a news reporter. It's there that he falls in love with Lois Lane (Margot Kidder), who is already in love with Superman. But the love story is quickly sidetracked once the villainous Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman) launches a diabolical plan to conquer the world and kill Superman. Superman: The Movie is filled with action, special effects and a surprising amount of humor. more..

Director: Richard Donner

Starring: Christopher Reeve,Marlon Brando, Margot Kidder, Gene Hackman, Ned Beatty

 18 Reviews  13 Awards

Reviews

  • Superman is a pure delight, a wondrous combination of all the old-fashioned things we never really get tired of: adventure and romance, heroes and villains, earthshaking special effects, and -- you know what else? Wit.

    Roger Ebert - The Chicago Sun-Times

    27 April 2013

  • It hits the characters, feel and look of the comic spot on, especially Reeve in the title role.

    Chris Hewitt - Empire

    27 April 2013

  • Boasts a smart screenplay by Robert Benton and David and Leslie Newman, striking cinematography by Geoffrey Unsworth (especially in the Smallville sequence), bright comic turns by Margot Kidder and Gene Hackman, and of course, that winning performance by Christopher Reeve in the title role. Believe a man can fly? You bet!

    Marjorie Baumgarten - Austin Chronicle

    27 April 2013

  • Magnify James Bond's extraordinary physical powers while curbing his sex drive and you have the essence of Superman, a wonderful, chuckling, preposterously exciting fantasy.

    - Variety

    27 April 2013

  • Effective both as Superman and as the bumbling Clark Kent, Christopher Reeve still seems ideal for the part.

    Keith Phipps - The A.V. Club

    27 April 2013

Awards

  • Les Bowie

    Academy Awards (1979)

  • Best DVD Collection

    Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films (2012)

     

  • Best Edited Feature Film

    American Cinema Editors (1979)

     

  • Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles

    BAFTA Awards (1979)

  • Geoffrey Unsworth

    British Society of Cinematographers (1978)

     

Lists

No lists

©2013 Movie Monitor