Fully embraces both its epic and silly moments. The first 52 minutes or so is where this film is at its best. There is a good deal of 70s psychedelia throughout. The score by John Williams remains iconic.
Richard Donner definitely had a vision for this film, and he does an exceptional job at his directing duties here. Donner and crew took this job seriously. They approached this as if they were working on an epic. Christopher Reeves and Marlon Brando remain the highlights. Reeves is still the best Superman/Clark Kent we’ve gotten.
Gene Hackman is good as Lex Luthor, though his portrayal isn’t my favorite. I’m also not a fan of Lex and posse being the primary source of comedic relief. The big threat doesn’t come into play until the last 32 minutes, meaning most of the runtime is spent following Superman’s origins (including the destruction of Krypton) and watching him thwart petty crime. The big time rewind at the end isn’t great either.
A large majority of Superman works. It still holds up exceptionally well today. I understand now why filmmakers for the last 47 years have been attempting to replicate this movie.
4.5 STARS
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