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Amazon.co.uk Review
Modern blockbuster cinema came of age with the release of three huge science fiction/fantasy extravaganzas in the late 1970s. In 1978 Superman was the last of these, a gigantic hit unfairly overshadowed by Star Wars (1977) and Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977). Christopher Reeve is completely convincing as both Superman and mild-mannered alter ego Clarke Kent, sparking real chemistry with Margot Kidder's fellow reporter Lois Lane. Very much a film of two halves, the opening tells the origin of Superman from the apocalyptic fate of Krypton to his nostalgically rendered boyhood in the mid-West. After a wonderful sequence introducing the Fortress of Solitude the film changes gear as the adult Clarke Kent arrives in Metropolis and Superman battles arch-nemesis Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman). Though the tone becomes lighter and introduces comedy, Superman succeeds because Donner plays the titular character straight. From Marlon Brando's heavyweight cameo to the surprisingly wrenching finale, Superman unfolds as an epic modern myth, a spiritual fable for a secular age and a fantastic entertainment for the young at heart. With breathtaking production design, still special effects, gorgeous cinematography, thrilling set-pieces, wit, romance and John Williams' extraordinarily rich music score, Superman has the power to make you believe a man can fly.
On the DVD: Superman is presented in an extended director's cut which adds eight minutes to the theatrical original. The restored material is so artfully integrated many viewers may not even notice, but it would have been nice to at least have the opportunity to watch the original via seamless branching. The sound has been remixed into extraordinarily powerful Dolby Digital 5.1--the superb main title sequence is worth the price alone--and the anamorphically enhanced 2.35:1 image is, except for some unavoidably grainy effects shots, pristine. The commentary by Richard Donner and writer Tom Mankiewicz reveals more about the background than all but the most dedicated fan will ever need to know, while film music aficionados will revel in the opportunity to listen to John Williams' score isolated in Dolby Digital 5.1. On the second side of the disc are a eight alternate John Williams music cues, a selection of deleted scenes and the screen tests of a variety of would-be Lois Lanes, introduced and with optional commentary by casting director Lynn Stalmaster. These are fascinating, and show how right for the part Margot Kidder really was. A DVD-ROM only feature presents the storyboards plus various Web features, while the real highlight is a 90-minute documentary divided into three sections covering pre-production, filming and special effects. The picture quality on all the extras is very good indeed. An enthralling package, DVD doesn't get much better than this. --Gary S Dalkin
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format: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.
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.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Blu-ray
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.
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.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format: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 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 ...
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
didn't realise it was not region 2.
great film, great to see it on bluray, but it's a region 1 disc. doh
You'l need a multiregion player, which mine is so thats ok
You'l need a multiregion player, which mine is so thats ok
Published 5 months ago by Mr. D. Richardson
Superman The Movie
Excellent film brought back loads of memories of watching this film in the pictures in the 1970s excellent acting and superb filming all good stuff
Published 5 months ago by Sharyn T
"Even though you've been raised as a human, you are not one of...
Moments before his home planet Krypton is destroyed, loving father Jor-El kisses his only son before sending him away to Earth - giving him a chance of life on another suitable... Read more
Published 9 months ago by GeekZilla
Hmmm a little disapointing to say the least
Now I have the DVD's of the movies and thought I would upgrade such a timeless classic as this , but was stunned when I bought this Blu-Ray that half the features that you get on... Read more
Published 11 months ago by Julian123
"Oh Superman, Where Are You Know?"
This is a truly wonderful film, which I so much enjoyed when I first saw it at the age of 13. Even though I have watched a fair number of times over the last 30 years, I bought... Read more
Published 14 months ago by Andrew Johnson
Dated in places but still the ultimate superman experience
The film for me is the best of the superman films. From the beginning sequence on krypton to the end where superman tries to save Lois and the emotions he feels at his failure the... Read more
Published 14 months ago by C. P. Ryan
Landmark movie & my all time favourite movie scene
Have to agree with others who have described this movie as a "landmark". I am watching the movie on television as I write, and have ordered it on DVD without hesitation, I had... Read more
Published 17 months ago by M. Crombleholme
Superman The Movie
This is a great film. First half of two great Superman adaptations. From the music, to the acting and the revolutionary special efffects, this film is brilliant. Read more
Published 17 months ago by The Academate
great retro films for under 12s
Both my sons (5&9) love these films. It's a shame more weren't made with Chrisopher Reeve.
Published 20 months ago by Mimi
Superman Forever!!
OK i had to comment!! To compare Superman to modern Batman,Spiderman or any other Super hero film today is utterly unfair and cruel, Superman was in 1978, it was a foundation of... Read more
Published 20 months ago by Paul
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