The Complete Superman Collection

Rating:
Summary: No Todas Las Películas Están Con Subtítulos En Español
Review: Creo necesario indicar que no todas las películas incluídas en este box set tienen subtítulos en español. Soy un gran fanático de esta versión de Superman, por esta razón quiero que los futuros compradores de habla hispana sepan que sólo las 3 primeras películas tienen subtítulos en español mientras que la cuarta sólo tiene subtítulos en Francés. Ojalá puedan leer esto antes de comprar y no se decepcionen como yo, aunque aún con este inconveniente es una gran oportunidad de poder tener los 4 films reunidos en un box set y con la calidad DVD.

Rating:
Summary: Superman and Superman II are worth your time...
Review: I was really excited when this box set came out. Mind you Superman and Superman II are really the only movies worth forking out the dough for, but seeing Christopher Reeve healthy and the way God made him is worth having all four movies.

Superman got the best treatment in the collection. It's the only DVD in 5.1 surround sound which really makes no sense. The superior sequel should have received the same treatment, but nada, it didn't. And Superman I, while jammed with extra features, featurettes, music scores, the making of, etc, the rest of the movies received no extra features with the exception of theatrical trailers. What the heck Warner Bros? Gettin' lazy are we?

Superman - A tremendous movie even by todays standards, it looks brand new and although the special effects are ancient, it's amazing how well it has stood the test of time. The director Richard Donner was a pure genius. Did you know he directed 95% of Superman II and was fired near the end of filming and the credit was given to Richard Lester? How wrong is that? If you got some good speakers, hearing John Williams ochestrated score will give you shivers, crank this baby up. Gene Hackman is an amazing comedic this movie, definitely during his prime acting years, he will make you laugh. Jammed packed with special features that is well deserved and explains how Richard Donner got fired during the final shoot of Superman II and how the credit was given to Richard Lester who later practically ruined Superman III.

Superman II - Probably every bit as good as Superman and some believe it to be even better. The battle of Superman taking on 3 villians with superpowers makes for a marvelous story. The movie is more action orientated obvioiusly with the continuous battle of Zod and Superman, but the story keeps you involved too. Both I and II were written by Mario Puzo (The Godfather) no wonder these movies are so enticing! The only thing missing is the 5.1 Digital. Big out for fans with home theaters. No special features, just a trailer. Whoopie.

Superman III - Christopher Reeve saved this movie from being a total disappointment, although it's not as bad as many people make it out to be, but it's definitely not up to speed with the first 2. The problem is that Superman (the character) is hardly in the movie, maybe 50% of the time. The story seems to focus more on Richard Pryor's life rather than a full fledged Superman epic. Richard Lester directing turned the series into a "comedic farce" and it really made me mad when I first watched in 1983. It's not a bad movie overall, but it certainly can't compare to the first two. No special features.

Superman IV - Ouch. This is bad, really bad. Even Christopher Reeve couldn't save this one. The disarmament of Nuclear Weapons storyline is horrible, the special effects are actually worse than the 1st three movies (you would think a movie in 1987 would have better effects than a 1978 movie, well it doesn't.) Pee Poor pacing, bad directing, bad sound, bad everything. It's nice to see the characters again and heck, even Gene Hackman came back to make a paycheck, but the movie is bland and is a terrible way to end the series. Mind you, it's nice haivng all these movies in a collection, but you won't be watching this on a rainy day.

Extras: Superman got the only extras DVD. You get the making of the movie documentary(you'll find out how Richard Donner lost his directing job in part II and how he made Superman fly), commentary by Richard Donner, trivia, music scores, theatrical trailers and much more. It's loaded. Why nothing for the other movies though?

As a package and definitely for fans, you should enjoy this collection. If only III and IV were better.

Rating:
Summary: a tale of two cities......
Review: city #1: sups 1 and 2. what can we say? chris reeves is supes...no questions. this is the mythology as we know it...the pages of comics to life. there's no mistery in saying that these are what super heroes movies should look like...a little heart throw in good measure and we have a winner. awesome! absolutely the bests! 5-stars

then why 4 stars?

city #2: supes 3 and 4...instead of leaving the mythology with the best of the bunch...naahhh! hollywood honchoes wanted to make a 3rd and a 4th...what tha heck do i want supes' with the kripton babble, and then going after a...what??!!! computer?..niicee...and then to top it all off....the gargantuan lets make a clone, before cloning was possible, probably that lambie lamb is rotten in its grave for what this movie did for cloning. aweful, not even for rent, why? why?, and enough suicidal notes, probably the one that all death row mates pleads not to be given as their last movie kinda wish.

so, lets do the math.....
1 - 5-stars, special bonus for acting
2 - 5-stars, special bonus for acting and well we get zarg (sp?)
3 - 1-star
4 - 1/2-star

4-stars average....i would say instead of buying this one try buying the original and the 2nd SEPARATE, so u wont spend the load on the other 2 crappy movies.

Rating:
Summary: A Hero never dies
Review: Chris Reeve will be my Hero 4 ever...!!!!!! We will never forget you! You`re Superman!! For every time!!!!!! Come what may!
You`ll make us believe "a man could fly"
Chris i love and miss you! now you are the greatest star in heaven!
Im so sadly about your death...
A Fan from Germany!


Rating:
Summary: First film - 5 stars...other films pull rating way down
Review: The Special Edition of "Superman: The Movie" gets 5 stars from me, but the treatment the other three DVDs got in this collection, plus the low strength of those three films, forces me to give the Collection a 3-star rating.

The first disc is loaded with extras and is produced very well. You have to look hard to find anything to complain about. The restoration this movie received is top-notch in the video and audio department. The documentaries are awesome and have "re-watch-ability"...some of the best documentaries I've seen on any DVDs, and I've seen a lot of 'em. The commentary is also excellent...great banter between Tom and Dick, with interesting behind-the-scenes stories. I also love the music-only track showcasing John Williams' excellent score.

The second film has a lot of bad history. If you're not aware, a simple Google search will reveal a lot, but check out www.supermancinema.net for the best in-depth information. My disappointment over this film is mostly because of my knowledge of what might have been. It is still a pretty good movie, but the treatment it received on DVD is horrendous. There was a letter-writing campaign to WB in summer 2004 to get a special edition of Superman II released on DVD. I participated and hope something comes of it. The missing scenes shot by Donner should at least be added as a Deleted Scenes supplement. Hopefully they will restore the audio and video, too, because they sure didn't do any work on those areas for this DVD release.

I don't have many comments about the last two entries in the series...at least nothing others haven't said. I actually like III better than IV, but they are both weak films. Mostly I think I like to watch them because of nostalgia and my love of Superman. Like II, it seems neither of these films received any work before being slapped onto these DVD discs. I would like to see bonus material for any of the sequels, but in the case of III and IV, that's like expecting special editions of "Howard The Duck" or "Leonard: Part 6"...it ain't gonna happen.

Parting thoughts...get this set if you are a fairly devoted Superman fan or for nosalgic purposes. Otherwise, stick with the Special Edition of "Superman: The Movie" and maybe "Superman II".

Rating:
Summary: so long, friend
Review: i want to buy this collection simply because i want to have something left of chris to go back and visit from time to time. he's always meant alot to me for reasons i can't truly understand. i may be just some ordinary shmoe but he touched me by his presence and demeanor and ultimately his suffering. its such a sad tragedy that this once towering and beautiful man with so much to give was felled at such at young age. my heart goes out to his wife and children and to all of us that will miss him so dearly. my only comfort is that now he CAN walk, jump over the moon and fly through the stars. i love and miss you Christopher Reeve.

Rating:
Summary: The best cast of all time
Review: Can you imagine a better Superman than Christopher Reeve?, really, I can't. I will never forget the emotion I felt when I was 9 and I saw the first movie: this is really Superman on the flesh!!. The second movie is an excellent sequel. Yes, 3 and 4 are not as good, but Reeve gives that ones an extra value. For me, they will never, not in a thousand years, find another actor to match him.
So you are reading this in order to make a decision, should I buy it? Yes, for many reasons, the movies are at least(if that is what you are looking for) entertaining, they are already a classic of is genre, but also, they are the legacy of a real life Superman, a man that fight until the end, with dignity and courage.
Fly high Superman, we'll never forget you.

From Guatemala City.

Rating:
Summary: Fly Big Blue......we'll see you soon......
Review: "But most will remember this sad day as the day the proudest, most noble man they ever knew finally fell. For those who loved him -- one who would call him husband, one who would be his pal, or those who would call him son -- this is the darkest day they could ever imagine. They raised him to be a hero: to know the value of sacrifice, to know the value of life. And for those who served with Superman in the protection of all life comes the shock of a failure: the weight of being too late to help. For a city to live, a man had given his all and more. But it's too late. For this is the day that a Superman died." - Superman #75, 1992 (written by Dan Jurgens)

Now you are free.....i'll smile at the sky every now and then knowing that.....


Rating:
Summary: In Memoriam : Christopher Reeve(1952 - 2004)
Review: It was sad, shocking, tragic, and emotionally stunning to of heard of the passing of Christopher Reeve. After all he has gone through and done in the last 9 years, this was not supposed to be his reward. Christopher Reeve was a hero growing up, and truly became a hero, and a 'Superman', after his horse riding accident in 1995. Looking back now on the superhero legacy he left on celluloid, it makes it all the more sadder. This box set, while lacking on any kind of features, is a lasting legacy to the heroics Reeve gave us as the ultime hero. The original 1978 film, directed by Richard Donner, is definitley the best and ultimate comic book/superhero movie of all time. It was as classic as you can get. An unknown Reeve essayed the role of the hero from Krypton and his bumblibg alter ego, Daily Planet reporter Clark Kent. He was perfectly cast. Not only was he the man of steel, he was Clark Kent. Giving him a life and characterization that no one in the role has done. The casting was perfect. The story was a classic set-up with marvelous design and photography. But it was Reeve who was the heart and soul of the film. As with the others. The sequel is one of those rare sequels that is just as entertaining, thrilling, and marvelous as the second. Reeve really got to expand his chops in both roles. With him giving up his powers to be with Lois(Margot Kidder), it gave the character, and him as an actor, another side. The heroics were amped up and he truly was the all American hero. After two, the series started to go down hill at a rapid rate. Part 3 was a mess of a film. Richard Pryor?. Okay. The computer genius of Robert Vaughan wasn't bad, but the film was lacking. The only bright spot in this mess was Chris. With the introduction of 'Bad' Superman in the film, he got to stretch and become a whole other person. Seeing the bad one and the good Clark together was amazing. He truly made them two seperate people. He was fantastic. The series ended with Part 4 in 1987, and what a disappointing final entry. While it was somewhat better than 3, it was still a mess. The makers had enough good sense to know they needed to bring Gene Hackman back, but even he couldn't salvage it. Once again, Reeve was the shining star thru the mess and emerged once again as a strong Superman, and an ever more changing and evolving Clark. Reeve's continuation with the character went into the hit WB series "Smallville", where he played Dr. Virgil Swann for two episodes. Those moments, and the inclusion of the Superman theme in his first ep, gave chills. You literally wanted to stand and cheer. Who else out there, associated with a character, can do that?. Not many. Christopher Reeve was Superman. He owned it. There are other characters who get a new actor to play them over the years, but Reeve was truly The Man Of Steel. At 52, he was far too young to leave this world and his family. His legacy as the world's best superhero will live on with the help of DVD and cable for generations to come, and his real life fundraising and crusade against his handicap will ensure his real life superhero status forever. At the end of every Superman film, Superman flies over the earth, looks at you, smiles, and flies off. I always thought he was looking right at me. Now, we will look up into the sky ourselves, and smile at him. Heaven truly has a hero in their midst. So long Chris, and thanks.