Superman: The Movie Review

Superman: The Movie


Release Date: 21st December 1978 - Australia


Production Companies
Warner Bros. Pictures
Dovemead Films

Film Export A.G.
International Film Production


Genre: Sci-Fi

Rating: PG

Runtime: 143 minutes
                 146 minutes
                 (extended)


Budget: $55,000,000

Box Office Gross: $300,478,449 (Worldwide)


Plot Summary
The planet Krypton is heading to imminent self-destruction, as predicted by scientist Jor-El when he tries to warn the ruling council of its implosion. To ensure the survival of the Kryptonian species, he takes certain precautions to send his infant son Kal-El on a ship to Earth. And under its yellow sun, he will attain great powers before becoming the hero of truth and justice. After being sent to Earth, Kal-El lands in Smallville, where an elderly farm couple, the Kents, raised him as Clark Kent and instilled their values. Clark would learn of his origins and must use his

powers for good.

When he moves to Metropolis, the adult Clark joins the Daily Planet as a mild-mannered reporter while becoming the caped wonder known as Superman.

Meanwhile, the world's greatest criminal mastermind, Lex Luthor, is hatching an evil plot to trigger an earthquake that will destroy all of California. Can the Man of Steel thwart this diabolical scheme before it is too late?

Cast
Christopher Reeve - Clark
Kent/Superman
Gene Hackman - Lex Luthor
Marlon Brando - Jor-El
Margot Kidder - Lois Lane
Jackie Cooper - Perry White
Marc McClure - Jimmy Olsen
Valerie Perrine - Eve Teschmacher
Ned Beatty - Otis
Glenn Ford - Jonathan Kent
Phyllis Thaxter - Martha Kent
Jeff East - Teenage Clark Kent
Susannah York - Lara
Terence Stamp - General Zod
Jack O'Halloran - Non
Sarah Douglas - Ursa
Maria Schell - Vond-Ah
Trevor Howard - 1st Elder
Harry Andrews - 2nd Elder
John Hollis - 4th Elder
Lee Quigley - Baby Kal-El
Aaron Smolinski - Baby Clark Kent
Diane Sherry Case - Lana Lang
Larry Hagman - Major (Cameo)
Paul Tuerpe - Sgt. Haley
Bo Rucker - Pimp
Rex Everhart - Desk Sergeant
Roy Stevens - Warden
Rex Reed - Himself (Cameo)
John Ratzenberger - 1st Controller
Phil Brown - State Senator

Steve Kahan - 1st Officer

Kirk Alyn - General Sam Lane (Cameo) (Uncredited)

Noel Neill - Ella Lane (Cameo) (Uncredited)

Shane Rimmer - Naval Transport

Commander (Uncredited)

Crew
Director - Richard Donner
Superman Creators - Jerry Siegel and

Joe Shuster

Story/Screenplay - Mario Puzo
Screenplay - David & Leslie Newman

and Robert Benton
Creative Consultant/Screenplay
(Uncredited) - Tom Mankiewicz

Continuity Supervisor - Elaine Schreyeck
Executive Producers - Alexander (Uncredited)

& Ilya Salkind
Producer - Pierre Spengler
Casting Director - Lynn Stalmaster

English Casting Director - Mary Selway

Physical Trainer: Christopher Reeve -

David Prowse (Uncredited)
Production Designer/Second Unit Director -

John Barry

Supervising Art Director: Canada &

New Mexico - Bill Brodie
Supervising Art Director: England &

New York - Maurice Fowler
Art Directors - Norman Reynolds,
Ernest Archer, Leslie Dilley, Stuart Craig,
Norman Dorme and Tony Reading

Art Directors: USA - Phillip Bennet,

Stan Jolley and Gene Rudolf

Model Construction Manager - Michael Redding
Set Decorator - Peter Howitt
Creative Supervisor of Makeup &

Special Visuals - Stuart Freeborn

Makeup Artists - Sylvia Croft, Graham &

Kay Freeborn, Nick Maley, Basil Newall,

Connie Reeve and Phil Rhodes

Costume Designer - Yvonne Blake

Additional Costumes - Ruth Morley
Cinematographer - Geoffrey Unsworth

Additional Photographers - Jack Atcheler

and Alex Thomson

Additional Photographer: New Mexico -

Robert E. Collins

Additional Photographer: Alberta -

Reginald H. Morris

Additional Photographer: New York - Sol Negrin

Camera Operators - Ken Coles, James Devis,

Roy Ford, Ginger Gemmel, Geoff Glover,

John Harris, Gordon Heyman, Jack Lowen,

Peter MacDonald, John Morgan, George Pink

and Ronnie Fox Rogers

Camera Operators: USA - Howard Anderson III,

Lou Barlia, Mike Cheavlier, James A. Contner

and Jack Courtland

Production Supervisor: North America -

Timothy Burrill

Production Supervisor: New Mexico -

Tim Hampton

Production Manager - Dusty Symonds
Assistant/Second Unit Director - David Tomblin

Assistant Directors - Michael Dryhurst,

Allan James, Gareth Tandy and Vincent Winter

Assistant Director/Flying Unit Coordinator -

Dominic Fulford

Second Assistant Directors - Roy Button,

Patrick Caddell, Michael Green, Michael Hook,

Peter Jacobs, Steve Lanning, Keith Lund,

Charles Marriott, Simon Milton, Michael Murray,

Kieron Phipps, Vic Smith and Gerry Gavigan

(Uncredited)

Second Assistant Directors: USA -

Peter L. Bergquist and Candace Suerstedt

Second Unit Director/Visual Coordinator -

David Lane

Second Unit Directors - John Glen, Robert Lynn,

Andre De Toth and Peter Duffell (Uncredited)

Stunt Coordinators - Vic Armstrong and Alf Joint

Helicopter Pilot: New Mexico - Marc Wolff

Creative Supervisor & Director of Special

Effects - Colin Chilvers

Special Effects: Canada & New York -

John Richardson

Flying Effects - Robert Harman

Creative Supervisor of Mattes & Composites -

Les Bowie

Creative Director of Process Photography -

Denys N. Coop

Flying Systems & Process Projection - Wally Veevers

Creative Supervisor of Optical Visual Effects -

Roy Field

Optical Sequences - Peter Parks

Model Effects Director & Creator - Derek Meddings

Additional Model Effects - George Gibbs

and Brian Smithies

Model Photography - Paul Wilson

Special Visual Effects/Main Titles

Designer - Denis Rich

Zoptic Special Effects - Zoran Perisic

Supervising Editor of Optical & Special Effects -

Peter Watson

Editor - Stuart Baird

Film Editor - Michael Ellis

Assistant Editors - George Akers,

David Beesley, Neil Farrell, Tim Jordan,

Christopher Morris, Mike Round, Gary Shepherd

and Colin Wilson

Supervising Sound Editor - Chris Greenham

Sound & Re-Recording Mixer - Gordon K. McCallum

Sound Mixers - Norman Bolland,

Roy Charman and Brian Marshall

Assistant Dubbing Mixers - Graham V. Hartstone

and Nicolas Le Messurier

Music - John Williams

Music Editor - Robert Hathaway


Awards

1979 Academy Awards
Special Achievement Award for Visual Effects -
Les Bowie (Posthumously), Colin Chilvers,

Denys N. Coop, Derek Meddings and

Zoran Perisic (Won)

------------------------
Best Sound - Gordon K. McCallum,
Graham V. Hartstone, Nicolas Le Messurier
and Roy Charman (Nominated)
Best Film Editing - Stuart Baird (Nominated)
Best Original Score - John Williams (Nominated)


Review
Film Guru Lad is here and now to continue the Superman marathon. It's time to travel back to the first movie that gave birth to the superhero genre during the late 70s and brought the Man of Steel to a significant era in Hollywood. It has been many years since the first Superman movie was released. It has never met the standards the series of more recent films set. Some of the special effects are now outdated.

Christopher Reeve is well-matched for the lead role of Superman, giving warmth and outspoken traits to the main hero and proving to the audience that he is the best and the original Man of Steel. Margot Kidder was terrific in her role as Lois Lane. I'm biased toward the comical portrayal of Lex Luthor, who is not very threatening and only greedy for his real estate obsession. While Gene Hackman was a talented actor, his performance was too hammy as he was guilty of overacting and not suited to this character. Marlon Brando did an excellent job in his outstanding portrayal of Jor-El.

Also, a big bonus for the crystal landscapes of Krypton and the actor Terence Stamp for another standout role as General Zod, KNEEL BEFORE ZOD! The music score is done again by John Williams, and it's here that he makes another of his best film scores. He is now at the top of his game.

I give SUPERMAN a 4 out of 5 stars, even though it has a lot of cheesiness. It's still a good-natured and fantastic film that people and fanboys will remember as entertaining.

Star rating: (4/5) Good Movie

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