Superman - The Movie [Blu-ray]
by Richard Donner
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DVD details
Actor: Christopher Reeve, Gene Hackman, Margot Kidder, Marlon Brando, Ned BeattyDirector: Richard Donner
Brand: Warner Brothers
Writer: David Newman
Writer: Jerry Siegel
Writer: Joe Shuster
Writer: Leslie Newman
Writer: Mario Puzo
Writer: Robert Benton
Writer: Tom Mankiewicz
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language)
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Digital Sound, Dolby, Widescreen
Picture Format: 2.40:1
Running Time: 151 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2006-11-28
Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Warner Home Video
DVD Reviews of Superman - The Movie [Blu-ray]
DVD Review: Great superhero flick looks as good as it likely can on Blu-Ray
Summary: 5 Stars
The movie:
"You'll believe a man can fly." That was the advertising tagline. Well, I can't think of many instances of it, but this was one time when a movie delivered on its hype. "Superman" fires on many cylinders, but the main one, the integral one, was believability. This film is an absolute achievement in terms of tone, style, and effects. For 1978, the effects are terrific, but also the performances and the writing really gel and sell the concept to the audience.
We haven't seen yet the actor who can top Christopher Reeve's Superman. The solidness, the goodness radiating from his presence in costume, combined with the vulnerability and sheer hilarity of his Clark Kent are (perhaps) impossible to top. Margot Kidder turns in a feisty Lois Lane, and their chemistry is great. Gene Hackman is a credible Lex Luthor, both funny and menacing at the same time. Supporting players fill out a cast that just really inhabits the world and never feels less than real.
The run time of the movie is perhaps a bit flabby, and this edition adds about 3 minute of new material. But I for one am quick to forgive it - it just so captures a feeling of innocence, wonder, Americana, that I'm willing to just bask in it, even when the action slows down.
The Blu-Ray:
Well, this is not one of the discs you'll pop in to show off "how great HD looks." The film was shot almost throughout with soft focus filters which bump up the haze of lighting and obscure detail.
BUT: It looks as good as it probably ever can and ever will. In A-B comparisons with the previous DVD (which was great for its day) the upgrade is subtle but evident. Some shots show very strong detail, when it's in focus. Check out the foliage in Lois' rooftop apartment. Some facial shots show exceptional detail in fine lines. Whenever the soft filter is absent, you can really tell you're watching an HD presentation. The colors are the main upgrade in the Blu-Ray - reds and blues really pop, and black levels are rock solid in most shots not involving visual effects. Film grain is present and generally not too obtrusive, except during some effects shots. But I prefer its presence to excessive digital noise reduction. In the end, how you feel about this Blu-Ray will depend on your emotions for the film itself (mine are very strongly positive), and how you feel about a home video accurately replicating the look and feel of the original presentation's film stock (something I'm also strongly in favor of).
Audio is presented in a strong Dolby Digital 5.1 channel mix. There isn't much of a workout for the surrounds, but John Williams' iconic score really sings, nonetheless.
Extras include an hour's worth of documentaries, reprises from the DVD edition. Casting tests, trailers, a commentary by Richard Donner and Tom Mankiewicz, and a wonderful score only track highlighting the music, round out the disc. Overall, at least average and probably slightly above average.
**********
I grew up with this film. I'm predisposed to enjoying it. As a Blu-Ray, it is hampered by the stylistic choices of the filmmakers, but still gives us a very good presentation of the film.
It's a five star film in my book. It's certainly in the top 5 comic book movies ever made (and was the true pioneer in terms of big budget successes from comic book material.) I considered downgrading this disc by one star simply because it can't overcome the flaws inherent to the source material. For the paltry sum Amazon is asking for it, you really can't go wrong, though. Kids of all ages (ages 3 to 83?) who just want to feel good about the world will be transported to a better, simpler, more beautiful place. Fans of 1970's cinema will find a lot to love, as well. There are many shots which really shine in detail, and almost all of the shots benefit from zippier colors. If you don't own this film otherwise, or are just a fan of the action/comic book genre, this is a must-buy. It's a classic.
DVD Review: In Its Own Right...
Summary: 3 Stars
To be as honest as possible, I really did not enjoy this 1st chapter as much as the later ones.
But that said, I will try to be as fair to this movie as possible, and review it in its own right. Part 1 starts off with Marlon Brando (the father of the infant Superman/Clark Kent) having trouble with his colleagues. (Marlon Brando knows Krypton will explode, but his peers are typical politicians and don't want to hear it.) Clark Kent/Superman is shipped to safety on earth, and is taken in by a kind married couple.
Clark Kent then goes to the north where there is a station where he can communicate with the spirit of his dead father. (Contrary to popular opinion, Marlon Brando does not disappear after the first 10 minutes. He has 2 additional scenes.)
Clark Kent/Superman then tries to make a life for himself as a reporter, where he of course meets Lois Lane. He loves her, but he can not reveal his true identity. (But if she is in danger, he can't let her get hurt either. Interesting puzzle.)
We then meet Lex Luthor who is planning to cause a disaster for the purpose of conducting some 'interesting real estate business.' As he says: "You have to buy for a little, and sell for a lot."
The scenes that steal this 1st movie are undoubtedly the romantic scenes where Lois Lane flies with Superman. If I say much more, I will probably ruin it for those of you who haven't seen it. But I will say there is one 'Superman cheat' to save an already dead person, that may make you say: "That's cheating even for a Superman movie."
All in all, it is a decent movie that ended up being just the start of a series.
DVD Review: Superman Takes Off On The Big Screen
Summary: 5 Stars
Man, time flies........not just Superman. I say that because I vividly remember when this movie came out in the theater and the excitement it caused. This was the first Superman anyone had ever seen with modern-day special effects, and I on the big screen, so it was pretty cool, to say the least. Now,
It's still very entertaining, and the more I watch this the more I'm amused with the villain (Gene Hackman as "Lex Luthor") and the lines he delivers. He's a funny guy. Christopher Reeve, meanwhile, was always a popular "Man Of Steel" and the special effects are still fun to watch, from the long opening scenes showing the end of the planet Kryton all the way to the ending credits. There's a solid soundtrack to this, too.
Personally, I never cared for Margot Kidder as Lois Lane but then again, Lane's character in the 1950s TV series was a bit annoying, too. I guess it comes with the territory. However, being a kid growing up with that series with all its innocence it was just too weird watching this movie and hearing Lois ask Superman what color her panties were! (The purity of the `50s is lone gone!)
Whatever, this is still great entertainment. As a superhero, Superman has always been THE MAN. Three sequels followed this film, the second one being the best in my opinion.
DVD Review: Superman Soars On Blu-Ray
Summary: 4 Stars
I was lucky enough to have seen Superman in the theatres when I was a child back in the 70s, and the sense of wonder it evoked in me then is renewed every time I watch it as an adult. Its epic grandeur, its sense of gravitas, has never been equaled by any other superhero movie (I mean, Marlon Brando, Glenn Ford, Trevor Howard, Gene Hackman, Mario Puzo, all screen legends of the time for a film based on comics? What were they thinking!). Christopher Reeve is the quintessential Superman, incredibly handsome, incredibly wholesome and good-natured, and his heroism on screen is all the more poignant in the light of what happened to him in real life. I still think that the CAN YOU READ MY MIND night-flying sequence is among the most romantic scenes in all cinema. This blu-ray version is beautiful. If you're looking for the sharpness of IRONMAN or BATMAN BEGINS on blu-ray, you will be disappointed. Much of the film is shot in a soft-glow style, and this look has been preserved in the blu-ray transfer. The Krypton sequences seem to take place behind a veil of haze, which might be frustrating for those of us used to the crystal-clear images of hi-def. But the Smallville sequences are beautifully awash in golden sunlight and lush colours and the sharp outlines of prairie houses. They could have made the whole film sharper and clearer in the transfer, but this would have altered the sweeping, romantic, film-like feel of the cinematography. What you get here is better colour saturation. It's a pity that the studio did not offer the latest Dolby True-HD or DTS-HD Master Audio sound format; but the Dolby 5.1 sound here still soars (John William's magnificent score is itself worth the price of admission). Compared to the earlier DVD edition, the channel separation in this blu-ray is more pronounced; towards the end when Jor-El warns Superman against tampering with history, check out how impressively his disembodied voice scans across all 5 speakers. If you never had the chance to catch Superman in the theatres--or if you simply want to relive that experience-- the next best thing is to get this blu-ray and watch it in a darkened room at home on a large projector screen with surround speakers. (5 stars for movie, 4 stars for the blu-ray).DVD Review: Great pic
Summary: 5 Stars
The movie looked nothing like it was old picture. Bluray does make a difference. Love it.
Description of Superman - The Movie [Blu-ray]
A new, updated version of the popular comic book hero "Superman." The story begins with Superman's birth on the doomed planet Krypton and follows him on his arrival to Earth, his childhood in Kansas and his career as reporter for the Daily Planet.Richard Donner's 1978 epic about the Man of Steel showed how a film about a superhero could be a moving and romantic experience even for people who long ago gave up comic books. Beginning on the icy planet Krypton, the story follows the baby Kal-El, whose rocket ship lands in Smallville, Kansas. He is found there by a childless couple and raised as the shy Clark Kent (the young Kent is played by Jeff East). The film is perhaps most touching in these sequences, with expanses of wheat fields blowing in the wind and with a young man who can't figure out what part in destiny his great powers are meant to play. The second half, with Reeve taking over as Clark/Superman, is bustling, enchanting (the scene in which Superman flies girlfriend Lois Lane--played by Margot Kidder--through the night sky is great date material), and funny, thanks largely to Gene Hackman's sardonic portrayal of nemesis Lex Luthor. --Tom Keogh
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