Superman I-IV (1978-1987) December 21, 2006
Posted by gproject in : Recently Viewed , trackbackI’d never seen the original Superman movies before, not having been a big Superman fan in my youth. I actually think of Superman: The Movie as ‘old’, and while it may be approaching it’s 30th anniversary, it’s hardly harking back to the silent era. Either way, I’d always held these films in lower regard compared to, for example, the original Batman movies. With this summer’s release of Superman Returns [review] however, I felt it was time to give the heralded man of steel a chance. Would I believe a man could fly?
Superman: The Movie (1978)
Directed by: Richard Donner
The first outing is definitely the best, but you know, I still wasn’t overly thrilled. Maybe it’s because my childhood memories of Superman are from the Lois & Clark TV show or something? I watched the ‘2000 restoration’ re-release version which clocks in at 151-minutes, making it an epic for comic book movies. But the running time isn’t actually a huge problem. There’s plenty of story to tell, with Kal-El (that’s Superman, kids) making his way to earth before his home planet is destroyed, and being taken in by the kindly Kent’s who raise him as their own. Clark, as he is then named, grows up happily with his super powers until the death of his Earth father prompts him to leave Smallville for the bright lights of Metropolis.
Christopher Reeve does make a great man of steel, playing both a bumbling Clark Kent and an ultra-cool Superman so they feel like different people in the same body. The villainous Lex Luther (Gene Hackman) is slighty campy at times, but still enjoyable for the most part. In fact I don’t really know what it is that made me find this movie so average. I wish I’d been around on its original release because it might mean something more to me then.
Superman II (1980)
Directed by: Richard Lester
I think the controversy over Richard Donner’s ousting as director is more interesting than the movie itself. Filmed back-to-back with Superman, the late change does have a huge effect on the movie. Richard Lester adds more jokes and more camp than Donner ever had planned for this sequel, and although the film is lighter, it lacks the epic feel that was present in the original.
I also think it’s a shame that the two movies weren’t linked better, as was originally planned. This time Superman goes up against three criminals who were banished from his home planet of Krypton. On Earth they share all of his strengths, and so set about trying to take over the planet, naturally. Lex Luther is there also, but in a less threatening role this time.
So maybe this movie is more of a wasted opportunity than anything. I don’t think Superman benefits from the addition of gags, although some people like this instalment for that very reason. For those interested in glimpsing what this movie could have been, Richard Donner has just released his version of Superman II on DVD – with his original footage wherever possible, and even some newly created shots to fill in the gaps (see the summary section for details). Sounds interesting.
Superman III (1983)
Directed by: Richard Lester
What the hell happened? I don’t think I’ve seen a stupider movie in quite a while. And I just saw Date Movie. Yeah, that’s right.
Superman III really takes a turn for the worst right from the opening sequence, involving people in Metropolis getting into increasing amounts of trouble due to a string of unfortunate slapstick accidents. The Superman III logo is proudly overlaid on a shot of three people trapped in tipped over phone booths. Hilarious?
The plot has Richard Pryor turning from out-of-work nobody to the worlds best computer programmer in a couple of days. But in a movie which is so reliant on computers, you’d think that the writer might take the time to learn a little bit about them. Apparently not. It might be 1983 but just because you say a computer can do something in a voiceover doesn’t make it so. Well, Pryor gets involved with power-hungry Robert Vaughn (no Gene Hackman, who refused to take part after the whole Donner/Lester incident in part II), and from there they use computers to change the weather in Columbia, redirect oil tankers, stop petrol pumps working, control satellites, and discover the chemical makeup of Kryptonite (!). Then somehow Pryor (who is funny, but in the wrong movie) develops a computer that can do ANYTHING on seven scraps of paper.
And just when I didn’t think it could get any worse, someone turns into a robot.
So it was with reluctance that I sat down to watch…
Superman IV (1987)
Directed by: Sidney J. Furie
Luckily this instalment helps restore things slightly, and while not a great movie by any means, at least it bothers to try and make a bit more sense. Gene Hackman returns to the Lex Luthor role, and creates Nuclear Man – a villain based on Superman’s own powers, and so powerful he could destroy the man of steel. Meanwhile, Superman is charged with the task of removing all the nuclear weapons from Earth.
Production values were clearly not a priority on this flick, with the fight sequences especially coming off as almost a comic parody at times. Unbelievable to think that this was only a mere four years before the sublime SFX work in Terminator 2. Still, the film earns points for dealing with a real-world concern: the increasing use of nuclear weapons for war. And while it was the movie that essentially killed the Superman franchise, I don’t think it’s the worst outing. It’s still rubbish though.
Summary
So what did I really get out of this experience? One alright, but unimpressive film, two average outings, and one diabolical mess. Nothing that’s going to change my life that’s for sure.
For those interested, all the movies (including Richard Donner’s cut of Superman II) have recently received the Special Edition DVD treatment – a 4-disc set for the original movie, a 2-disc release for Superman II, and single-disc releases for parts III and IV. Depending where you live, the Richard Donner cut of Superman II will be available as a 3-disc set with the new SE, or as a stand-alone disc.
If that’s not enough, you’ll be able to pick up the ‘Christopher Reeve Superman Collection’: an 8-disc set comprising of Superman (4-discs), Superman II (2-discs), Superman III & Superman IV. And while they’re at it, there’s an ‘Ultimate Superman Collection’ too! This 14-disc mega-set collects all 8 discs above, plus Superman Returns (2-discs), Richard Donner’s Superman II (1 disc), Bryan Signer’s production diaries (1 disc), and two discs of documentaries on the Superman legacy.
Whew… it’s going to be a busy Christmas for Superman fans.
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