It’s a bird. It’s a plane. It’s most definitely the best Superman film ever made. Even now, more than thirty years after its debut, Christopher Reeve’s “Superman” has no match. This is the movie that kicked off the introduction to comic book movie genre, and oh, what an impressive genre it is. The whole film is an epic adventure, devoid of any complaints. This is the movie that brought us the best theme song ever written short of “Star Wars,” and some of the best characters ever to hit the big screen. The incredible success of “Superman,” unfortunately, birthed several sequels that singularly destroyed the character for more than thirty years, but he is starting to make a comeback. Of course, no one will forget the stunning first entry to the series, the most superb superhero movie ever.
The film is essentially split into two parts: The first is the origin of Superman, which takes itself very seriously, and goes on for almost half of the movie. We get to see Marlon Brando in one of his best roles, the destruction of the Kryptonian home planet, and all the events leading up to Kalel’s first time wearing the iconic costume of Superman. The second part is his move to the city of Metropolis, where Superman joins the Daily Planet newspaper, humor begins to take prevalence, and the delightful Lex Luthor makes his entrance. Each half is like a separate movie, and both are well done.
No man has ever been as perfect for the Superman role as Christopher Reeve. He embodies the character effortlessly, and switches from the suave, confident Man of Steel to the bumbling, nerdy Clark Kent with remarkable duplicity. It almost makes you believe that no one can tell the difference between the two just because of a pair of glasses. Margot Kidder as Lois Lane and Gene Hackman as Lex Luthor were incredible, and they were actually a good match for the talent of Reeve himself. In addition, the characters of Ms. Tessmacher, Otis, Jimmy Olsen, and Perry White were great accents to complement the excellence of the film.
One of the very best parts of “Superman” is the great theme song. Composed by the musical genius John Williams, it is extremely catchy, and set a new musical standard for all movies. The sheer scale of the songs, and the blasting orchestra that sounds amazing whether you have surround sound or broken headphone speakers, is truly remarkable, and sets the tone of the entire film.
The excellent film that is “Superman” gets 10 out of 10 stars, for being everything a critic or viewer could possibly want in a movie. The film screams perfection, and superheroes can never be looked at the same again. This film will make you believe a man can fly.
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