Rating: 
Summary: Up, Up & Away!
Review: With the release of the special edition of Superman: The Movie, we finally get to see the Superman we always wanted. By just re-adding eight minutes of Richard Donner's film, we now have chemistry between Kal-El & Jor-El. We get to see more footage of the Krypton Council, a cameo by veterans of the previous Superman incarnations, and the finale that makes more sense. Jor-El's warning about tampering with time no longer comes off as nagging, but rather commanding. Sadly, the relationship between Superman's time travel stunt to save Lois Lane and the release of the Phantom Zone criminals in Superman II is not fully covered. Oh well, the film is vastly improved and now stands as the premier superhero movie. Kudos to then unknown Christopher Reeve as Superman/Clark Kent. He is dead on as the Man of Steel. Thanks again for the Superman we were promised back in 1978. It was worth the wait!
Rating: 
Summary: Classic, no other comic book movie comes close
Review: Superman the Movie is by far the best comic book movie ever made. The acting is top notch led by Christopher Reeve, Marlon Brando and Gene Hackman doing a legendary portrayal of Lex Luthor. This movie is great for kids and grandparents alike. There is quite a bit of action, but not gratuitous violence so everybody can watch. This movie is a classic right up there with some of the best fantasy movies of all time, including "The Wizard of Oz". A perfect 10/10.
Rating:
Summary: Better than it was in 1978
Review: When I saw this movie for the first time a few days before Christmas in 1978, I was hooked. I was 14 years old. Now in 2003, this movie is even better on DVD. Although, I would prefer the director's cut I'm very happy with this edition.We all know the story-I don't think it's neccescary going into details of the film. The added scenes are a plus. I think the little girl on the train(who turns out to be little Lois Lane)is a very significant scene. She sees superman run home from school and tries to tell her parents what she saw. A short but important scene-because it adds more drama to the romance later in the film. I have a message for Warner Brothers: Put out the director's cut. I don't care how long the film is. I think that you should take full advantage of the capablties of the DVD format. The 3 documentries provide a lot of insights on how the film was made.
Rating:
Summary: Superman Movie Stands Test of Time
Review: Considering the proliferation of films based on comic book heroes (and anti-heroes) in recent years, it's hard to recall that this 1978 adaptation of the Superman comic strip and icon of Americana was a monumental gamble for the producers, the director, and its distributor, Warner Bros. The last major DC comic book character to hit the silver screen had been Batman, in 1966, but that movie -- although fun to watch -- had the same campy approach to the Caped Crusader that the then-current TV series on ABC had. Warner Bros., which owned DC Comics and the rights to Superman, feared that a campy Superman film would flop. So for years, the idea lingered in limbo. Indeed, had it not been for the vision of Alexander and Ilya Salkind, Warner Bros. might never had made Superman: The Movie at all. But the story of how Superman made it to the big screen is not for this reviewer to tell...although it is available in this wonderful DVDs extra features as part of the behind-the-scenes documentaries on the flip side of the single disc. What I can say about this Superman DVD is that of the four movies in the series, this first one is the best. Yes, the special effects are a bit dated by our CGI-dominated 2003 standards, but for the late 1970s these mostly hand-crafted visuals were eye-popping and wow-inducing. But effects alone do not make a good movie; Mario Puzo, David and Leslie Newman's smart, fast-paced script, Richard Donner's steady direction, Geoffrey Unsworth's fine cinematography, and John Williams' wonderful score combine with great visuals and interesting performances by such cast members as Marlon Brando, Gene Hackman, and Christopher Reeve. (I can't say enough about Reeve's acting: in essence, he plays Clark Kent very differently from Kal-El/Superman.) This DVD (which was released almost 2 years ago) presents Superman: The Movie in its full widescreen glory and with a crisp and clear transfer from film to digital. The movie itself is about eight minutes longer than the theatrical or VHS versions; the studio allowed Donner to restore material cut from the 1978 release version (but later seen on its ABC TV presentation). I personally don't know if that was really necessary, but I don't object violently to it, either. The sound quality is good, although since I don't have a home theater type sound system I can't claim to be an expert on the quality of Dolby Surround or stuff like that. It sounds good on my TV, that's all I can say for that aspect of the DVD. The extra features are also good. While the audio commentary is not as focused on technology used in the shooting of the movie, Richard Donner and creative consultant Tom Mankeweicz do provide some fascinating insights into the movie and its cast. Furthermore, they have good speaking voices and never bore you to death. Another nifty feature (for John Williams fans) is a music-only track that allows you to watch this movie as a two-hour-plus music video. The other extra features -- documentaries, screen tests, trailers, and additional music cues -- are on the B side of the disc. My only complaint is Warner Home Video's mostly-cardboard DVD cases and the double-sided DVD....one has to handle both with extra gentle care to avoid damaging either the package or the DVD. One additional note: The only other Superman movie (until the 21st Century feature is made and released) worth buying is Superman II. It is one of the few sequels of a good movie worth seeing, and this is in part because it was being made simultaneously with Superman I. (The original script by Puzo was so large it could be -- and was -- split into two movies.) The other two movies in the franchise fell into the bad-sequel-to-a-great-movie pit so common in Hollywood.
Rating:
Summary: Great acting makes this movie fly.
Review: The special effects of this movie look somewhat dated. But it does not matter. Everytime I watch this movie I appreciate it more, mainly because of the acting. Everyone is just fantastic, especially Reeve. His Clark Kent/Superman performance is one of the best performances I've ever seen. Hackman is also in prime form. And after watching this movie over the years with its washed-out colors and grainy look, the dvd picture, by contrast, looks FANTASTIC. The other features on the dvd are just ok, but they do provide some interesting inside information.
Rating:
Summary: The Only DVD of the Saga You Should Own!
Review: Yes, that's right. DO NOT buy any other movie in the Superman Saga besides this one. Why? Because it's the only one that actually takes full advantage of DVD's higher image quality. For those of you who still haven't seen this film even 25 years after its original theatrical run, it's a very simple story. Superman (or Kal-El) is the last survivor of the planet Krypton, sent to Earth to help us with our problems--renegade nuclear missiles, evil geniuses and muggers. If you have owned any copy of the film previous to this release, you will be amazed. Completely remastered for a theatrical release that never took place, it sounds and looks even better than it did in 1978. Even more interesting is the audio commentary featuring director Richard Donner and Creative Consultant (a Salkind euphemism for screenwriter) Tom Mankiewicz, as well as two making-of featurettes which finally reveal more about the tensions between Donner and the Salkinds which resulted in his firing from "Superman II"--which took Mankiewicz, Marlon Brando, Gene Hackman and composer John Williams with him, and almost scuttled the project when Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder threatened to quit as well. In short, don't waste your money on the other three DVDs in the saga; this is the only one worth owning. BTW, in "Superman II," most of Donner's footage was reshot, but all of his work with Gene Hackman (shot from the front; all back shots were done by Richard Lester with a double) remains.
Rating:
Summary: The absolute best superhero movie ever made!
Review: All superhero movies bow down to this one. This is the best one ever to be made. My only complaint is that the remastered sound changed the sound effects of Superman's mighty roar at the end and it also changed the sound of him spinning around the Earth. I'm at a loss as to why this has happened. Other than that this is the best DVD that I own.
Rating:
Summary: The best DVD Treatment - you will be AMAZED!
Review: Superman is, of course, the best, the sequels were so-so. Considering it was filmed in 1977, the special effects are still stunning. The DVD has been given the ultimate restoration in a way that makes the film seem brand new. The picture is pristine, and the soundtrack - well, where do I begin with how brilliant it is? The 5.1 remix sound has been carefully done to give the viewer an experience like no other. It's the first DVD older movie I have experienced with exceptional 5.1 sound. Nothing can quite prepare you for how brilliant it is. Even if you don't really like the film, buy it because the sound effects will blow your mind. Margot Kidder is great in this film, whereas she became annoying in the other Superman films.
Rating:
Summary: The Man of Steel is Real...
Review: Superman-The Movie soars because of Richard Donner, Christopher Reeve, Marlon Brando, Geoffrey Unsworth, Roy Field, Zorin Perisic, and so many other brilliant players. There will never be a "family" like this one again who came together and created magic in filmmaking. This film is not about special effects. It's an actor's, director's, and cinematographer's film. The writing is unmatched (especially when you compare it to the other Superman films), and the performances are powerful, innocent, charming, and original. Christopher Reeve is THE reason for watching this movie. He was born to play the character. What made his performance so perfect (besides his good lucks, charm and acting talent) was that he purposely underplayed the characters, especially Superman. There will never be another Man of Steel, on film or in real life, like Chris.
I was research consultant on the DVD restoration (see my name as the last credit in the documentaries), and what an honor and thrill it was to be involved in such a fun and exciting project. I was extremely pleased with the results. I saw the remaster projected in San Antonio in March 2001 and was blown away. It definitely looked and sounded superior to what I remember in 1978. I sent about 100 pounds of photos and promotional items to Warner Bros. for consideration in the documentaries/supplemental section of the DVD. A lot was used, however, a stills gallery was rejected because WB wanted to stay with a one disc, dual-sided DVD package. I decided to create the CapedWonder website to showcase the images that didn't make it on the DVD. Check it out sometime. To all who made this wonderful film from March 1977 to October 1978, and to those who remastered it in 2000 and 2001...Thank You! I believe... Jim Bowers
CapedWonder
Rating:
Summary: True to Form!!!
Review: This has to be one of the best in the series. It's even above the others in the series, due to its being so genuine and true to the original story. In fact, it goes beyond the original, to where Superman came from. We see the original planet, with his original parents (with an expensive role from Marlon Brando), and we see the young child learning incredibly as he orbits to Earth. Then we see the villains get banished (to come back again, of course), and then we see the crash and Superman"s (Clark's Earthly parents) pick him up and call him their own. There is so many good points about this film and when he enters adulthood and meets up with Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen, you get the chills, and then there's Perry White. Where oh where did the original series go to? This gets better and better. Christopher Reeve found his role in this movie quite well, and to watch him on film, you actually believe, through the magic of the movies, that he can fly. Gene Hackman, as "Lex Luthor" is another brilliant move, what with his evil henchman look and sarcastic humor, he pulled it off well. A very enjoyable movie, and highly recommended!!!
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