Superman: the Movie [HD DVD]

Arguably the best superhero movie of all time, and certainly the first decent one, is Superman: The Movie.

From the rousing opening credits to the iconic fly-by at the end, the film remains one of the most enjoyable spectacles you could ever see and even improves on dvd. The sound and picture quality is excellent although the full anamorphic frame is not always utilised in terms of setting scenes, it still looks great on a big tv.

Of course everyone knows the story, but what may surprise newcomers is the time frame in which it happens. Roughly 15/20 minutes are spent on Krypton, and another 25 minutes or so describing Clark Kent's early life. Many criticize this section for various reasons, including Brando's overpriced cameo. However, I think it adds to the epic scale of the film and makes it a true classic.

Christopher Reeeve IS Superman. His performance in both guises is spot-on and everything that he does manages to make you either smile or cheer. Gene Hackman is given plenty of one-liners and (too many) slapstick gags, but still comes across well as the genius who may just get the better of the Man of Steel. Margot Kidder is also terrific as Lois Lane, and although she gets a better-written part in the sequel, she captures the awe and amazement that we are all feeling.

The effects are probably the only thing that breaks the film up and (ironically) takes you away from the film's world. Although very impressive at the time, I'm sure, you just can't believe some of the flying images. Dont get me wrong,I hate CGI, but some of the rear projection shots don't seem to match with Supes' movements occasionally - for instance, one shot over the city sees Superman turning in the air, but the background seems to zoom in and pan etc. even though he's just turning...

But nevertheless, the overall tone and good-natured spirit of the film, combined with some of the more poignant moments, makes this an awesome feat and easily worth owning on dvd.

I first saw 'Superman, the Movie' when I was only 8 years old. I remember sulking before watching it because my mother wouldn't let me see Jaws 2 which was on the previous night. Furthermore, I assumed Superman would be crap anyway. But I was in for a surprise...

Superman the Movie blew me away, even moreso than Star Wars. I was absolutely flabbergasted by this, the most magical three hours of my childhood. It was an epic of all proportions ... brilliant characters, drama, effects, photography, story, romance, music, etc...

I even remember going to bed that first night and being unable to sleep because my mind had gone into overdrive, thinking about the movie I had just seen. And then, I think I spent the following two years on an hourly basis humming the tune, wearing the custume and/or basing Superman stories around my lego collection.

What I found particularly entrancing about the film was it's original ending.

I'm now 29 years old and that child is long gone. But my love for 'Superman, the Movie' remains ...

Superman - The Movie [Blu-ray] [1978]

I have only previously viewed Superman from TV transmissions and was somewhat surprised with the technical quality of this Blu ray disc.

Particularly as the cinematographer Geoffrey Unsworth won several prestigious awards for this film, yet I was viewing a workmanlike transfer to Blu Ray (markedly inferior to the Blu ray of "Quo Vadis" filmed twenty years earlier) with a continuous softness in the definition.

I am somewhat fanatical about image quality and every other Blu ray I have viewed have always met all my standards including sharpness.

However some research on the internet revealed the film was shot using diffusing filters to deliberately achieve this effect and therefore WHAT WE SEE IS WHAT THE DIRECTOR INTENDED, CANNOT COMPLAIN ABOUT THAT.

Unfortunately I am unable to compare it to the DVD version, however for a first purchase this is definitely the way to go.