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Is It A Bird, Is It A Plane?
The only thing preventing Superman - The Movie from being the greatest ever superhero film is the fact that it’s story was deliberately cut in two with Superman II being the second act of the script. It’s a wonderful film in its own right, don’t get me wrong, but there’s no escaping the feeling that the story doesn’t really go anywhere upon reaching it’s spectacular conclusion.
The first hour is certainly the best comic book origin story committed to film as we follow an infant Kal-El from the destruction of his home-world Krypton to his teenage upbringing on the Kent’s Smallville farm to his construction of the Fortress Of Solitude. Director Richard Donner gives us some unashamedly old fashioned cinema and the emotional story is heightened by interplanetary spectacle, lush American vistas, screen acting legend Marlon Brando and a moving mythic tale. It’s rousing, powerful stuff.
From then on the film’s tone is much more fluid, jumping from intense, exciting action sequences (the helicopter rescue is a doozy), romantic flying scenes all mixed in with the goofy romp of a Roger Moore Bond movie. Although these disparate tones do gel surprisingly well thanks to the assured, confident hand of Omen director Richard Donner…it’s the lack of a satisfying narrative conclusion which ultimately undoes the film.
There’s much to love. Christopher Reeve is perfect as both Superman and his clumsy alter-ego Clark Kent, Margot Kidder has energy and spunk as intrepid reporter/love interest Lois Lane while Gene Hackman and Ned Beatty are having the time of their lives as super villain and sidekick respectively.
Some of the visual effects don’t stand up too well today (the model shots are sometimes a little too obvious and the real projection stands out) although the Derek Meddings supervised FX really give the film a distinct signature. The action is appropriately epic, the film has a brisk pace and an appeal that’s attractive to all different age groups, there’s a lovely nostalgia to the film and it has what is undoubtedly the best piece of film music ever composed.
A fantastic, if lopsided classic, Superman The Movie is still better than most superhero films made today…and that’s saying something!
1 comment:
I love Superman The Movie. It's one of those touchstone film of my childhood and unreservedly adore everything prior to Metropolis (Krypton/Smallville/Fortress of Solitude) but have my reservations about the rest of the film. Yes, Chris Reeve is utterly awesome and untouchable in the title role, Hackman and Beatty are hilarious and Margot Kidder is the definitive Lois Lane. But the tone just gets a bit too wacky and the plot is, like you say, pure 70's Bond. Still, Donner manages to convey in spades an old fashioned sense of wonder to the whole thing and produces great specatacle despite some shonky minature FX. Just a shame he didn't get to properly make Superman 2.
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