Rating: 
Summary: THE GIFT OF FLIGHT
Review: As a filmmaker, the one question that I hear most often is, what films have influenced you the most? To be honest, there are so many that it would be hard to narrow the field down to a few, but...SUPERMAN is the film that I saw at the age of 10 that influenced me to want to become a filmmaker in the first place. Like ROCKY before it, my memories of my first theatrical viewing are very clear and detailed. SUPERMAN has it all. A great cast, led by Gene Hackman Marlon Brando and Christopher Reeve. In fact, it is his performance as the man of steel that makes me "believe a man can fly", not the special effects. Another high point for me is the opening credits and the film's score! I know this may sound corny but hearing the score always inspires me and it remains my all time favorite. I could go on and on...Now about the DVD The restored film looks great! The color is bold and vivid-just as it was back in '78-the standouts though are the scenes on Krypton-WOW! Much talk has been made on the net about the film's new sound mix-while some sounds may not be as I remember them and some sounds should have been left untouched in my opinion. I still think the restoration team did a masterful job and as long as Director Richard Donner is pleased I think that issue will slowly fade away. The commentary track and 3 documentaries are just great! Finally we the viewer can learn the truth about the controversy that surrounded the firing of Donner while filmming Superman II! The screen tests really show us why Reeve won the title role. Even the animated menus are cool! Are there things missing from the SE? Sure. The behind the scenes documentary that ran on ABC-TV would have been neat to see again but I can probably see why it wasn't included. They also could have put the reissue trailer on the DVD. But my only true nit pick is the fact that a film like this deserves to be a 2 disc set instead of one double-siided disc
Rating:
Summary: The Man of Steel Comes to digital life!
Review: When I bought my DVD player 5 years ago there were only 2 movies that I wanted to own. Star Wars and Superman. Well, I got one down. This DVD is truly something special. I had heard rumors that there were extra scenes never seen before and that those scenes would be on the DVD. But I thought to my self, "would they be inserted into the film or simply pushed off onto a side menu" (ala Austin Powers). I was delighted to see the answer was both. The movie is presented in its spectacular, original form. Deleted scenes added in. The quality of the transfer is breath taking. And John Williams score comes through in beautiful digital clarity. The movie flows so much nicer with the added scenes. Another treat are the 3 "making of..." documentaries. Ever wondered how they made Christopher Reeve fly almost 15 years ago. The secret is at long last revealed. However, I think the best part of the DVD is the interview with Christopher Reeve. He truly is a "SUPERMAN". Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Remarkable DVD for a remarkable movie
Review: This is the best DVD in my collection. It is loaded with so many goodies you could spend all day going through it. The movie is, in my opinion, the greatest comic movie of all time. This DVD could be considered a piece of art. It contains 3 behind the scenes documentaries, screen tests, added scenes originally cut from the theatrical release, deleted scenes, a feature length commentary by director Richard Donner and creative consulant Tom Mankiewicz, and you can watch the movie with the only audio being John Williams' wonderful score. It also includes Dolby Surround Sound, and trailers.The movie itself is worth the money for the DVD. It is loaded with two time Academy Award winners Gene Hackman and Marlon Brando and has an array of other great actors that round out this movie magnificently. Being a huge Superman fan, I'm rather biased, but if you, too, are a Superman fan, do not hesitate, purchase this DVD today.
Rating:
Summary: A Super DVD!
Review: So why is this so good eh? Well the other reviews tell you the story line but the amazing thing about this is that: 1) This film was produced around 1978, and when you consider this the special effects are really outstanding. 2) It has one of the best film scores of all time in dolby! 3) It has arguably the best Superman actor of all time - Christopher Reeve 4) It has some phenomonal DVD extras including Christopher Reeves' screen test, why Margot Kidder deserved to be Lois Lane, and one of the best additional screens (fire and ice) since the Aliens special edition. The film was superbly written, and linked flawlessly to Superman II (lets hope a special edition for this one is on it's way too), Gene Hackman and Marlon Brando are also brilliant. But then the whole cast play their parts so well... And most importantly, although the film has a little fun it doesn't become childish, it keeps to a mature level (shame about III and IV - but then the same thing happened to the Batman and Robocop sequels). They could do to Superman I and II in the same way Star Wars was recently brought back to the cinema as a whole generation have missed the chance to see these two films the way they should be seen - but the DVD makes up for this. This is truely a classic and if you watch it with this in mind, you will enjoy it, the "who's got you" scene is classic (notice the "I don't think so" look from Christopher Reeve at the phone box, Supermans traditional "changing room") and John Williams score is a masterpiece (especially the scene noted here). To kids, the beginning may seem slow, but adults will understand how the film builds up and explains the influences that will affect Superman's life - ENJOY!
Rating:
Summary: FANTASTIC!!
Review: This DVD is well worth the money! I got mine four days before the May 1st release date and have been listening to it ever since. The 5.1 Surround sound is magnificent! You will learn more about the making of this movie than ever with the documentaries and running commentary. The music is crisp and clear. Updated sound effects! Extra deleted scenes!! Though still missing some... Best way to show off that 5.1 home theater system!!
Rating:
Summary: Superman
Review: A nearly flawless DVD rendering of "Superman" with remastered sound and picture. This extended 151 minute cut with eight new minutes is a true must have. Not only does it look and sound great but has tons of extras worthy of it's bargain price. The best is the music only track of John Williams' wonderful score and makes a worthy companion to the audio CD. The only flaw is that the remixed sound effects on the main titles nearly drown out the music but that's a minor quibble in an otherwise outstanding DVD.
Rating:
Summary: 'Superman' on DVD...THE one to buy!
Review: At last, Superman is presented the way it was meant to be! The master print for the 1978 classic had deteriorated so badly that the film, particularly the white-on-white Krypton opening scenes, was almost unwatchable. (I had even gone so far as to write a critique on Amazon.com demanding a 'Director's Cut' DVD edition, digitally transferred and remastered, be made!) Somebody was listening! While this isn't a 'Director's Cut' (Donner has said that the version that premiered in 1978 was the version he preferred), the movie has been expanded, to include a couple of brief scenes with Brando, and the famous Superman Gauntlet sequence at Luthor's underground lair (the remaining unused sequences can be seen in the 'Deleted Scenes' Chapter, on Side 2). Technically, the DVD is fabulous; the Krypton sequences are now clean and sharp, a couple of shots where, previously, color balancing problems had turned Superman's costume green have been corrected, and, best of all, the soundtrack has been digitally remastered and sounds even better than it did in 1978! Three fabulous documentaries are included on Side 2 about the making of the film, and how the flying effects were achieved. This was an incredibly expensive and difficult film to make (so much so that Donner, after 'Superman' was released to rave reviews, was fired, and replaced by Richard Lester, for 'Superman 2'), and through interviews with Donner, Christopher Reeve (who is honored for his work in the film, and his courage since his crippling accident), Margot Kidder, Gene Hackman, and several of the creative team, you can appreciate what a unique and wonderful film this is! Two other 'pluses'; a full-length audio commentary track with Richard Donner, and a 'music only' option, where you can admire one of composer John Williams' greatest scores! This Special Edition DVD should be an essential part of any film lover's collection!
Rating:
Summary: Big Muscles on Reeve
Review: Great casting and a great acting job Reeve does in this movie. I really enjoyed it a lot!
Rating:
Summary: The ULTIMATE Superman movie!!
Review: This is the absolute best "Superman" film of all time because you get to see how it all started. You get to see Superman's father, Jor-El (played by an astonishing Marlon Brando), and you also get to see how his earlier life had been before he wore the red cape and blue. And no one could ask for a better Superman than Christopher Reeve. Reeve just blows the competition out of the water as the Man of Steel. Also, "Superman" has some comic relief from Gene Hackman as Lex Luthor and Ned Beatty as his bumbling sidekick, Otis. But also, this film has a soft side when Superman falls for Lois Lane (Margot Kidder). This is the ultimate Superman movie for years to come, with action, romance, laughs, and a great storyline, this movie has it all. And the top-notch directing from Richard Donner (before "Lethal Weapon") has never been better. Also the special features on the DVD are outstanding!! Especially the screen tests, trailers, and the deleted scenes. I urge anyone out there to OWN THIS FILM, whether it's on DVD or VHS, own it! Like I said, this IS the best Superman film to date, there will be no other film like this.
Rating:
Summary: As good as it gets
Review: What a great movie. It is an epic, and the pretenders which have come in its wake pale in comparison. Another reviewer opines that this is but only "one of the best adaptations of a comic book". It is more hopeful than the incredibly dark Batman series. I, for one have never seen better in this genre, and defy anyone to come up with its equal. You don't have to have Seinfeld's enthusiasm for Superman to find some magic in this movie. One word dominates the adjectives many reviewers use : Spirit. It is a joy to watch. This story from the DC Comics is thankfully restored to its original glory by director Richard Donner, who indeed does have an incredibly command of the story-telling ability necessary to compress the whole Superman story into two and a half hours. Donner has us hooked from the wonderful opening: We see a young child (who could be any of us) reading from the opening pages of the original 1938 Action Comics issue that launched The Man Of Steel. Then we see over The Daily Planet building from that same period. The restored footage is superb, and should never have come out. The additional time on Krypton, as well as the entry into Lex Luthor's lair would have been well worth keeping in the original, and it is nice to see them restored. Seeing Noel Neill and Kirk Alyn (meaningful to those of us who remember "The Adventures of Superman" from television) on the train Superboy runs past is a nice touch, showing homage to the series. There are a whole host of other wonderful little touches. We expect nothing less than to see young Clark Kent eating Cheerios back in Smallville. The dialogue is as snappy as the prose Perry White extols. Wonderful is the scene of Superman's arrival in Metropolis. The helicopter crashes, and Clark Kent looks for a place to change. He walks up to what used to be a phone booth (now, in the late 1970's two pieces of plexiglas open to all) and seeing no place to change, his look says "damn". Then, the greatest compliment of all from a local pimp (the first earthling to see him in costume): "Say, Jim, that's a BAD out-fit!" When Superman catches a falling Lois Lane and reassures her of her safety, she has a great line: "You've got me, but who's got YOU". Wonderful supporting work by all. Ned Beatty does great work as bumbling sidekick Otis, and Jackie Cooper is Perry White. However, the award for first among equals must go to Gene Hackman, who showed his versatility as Lex Luthor, The Greatest Criminal Mind Of Our Time. His lines, looks and attitude are worth the price of the disc. So what if a few of the plot turns were implausible! Yeah, I guess one could not reverse the earth's rotation backwards, and thereby make time go in reverse. Maybe one cannot "seal" the San Andreas Fault. But what the hell, if you can suspend your imagination to the point of a flying man, why not cover these little tricks too? And if you cannot suspend your imagination, this is not the movie to see. For the rest of us, happily not so afflicted, this is a great way to spend a couple of hours.
|
