Common Sense Note
Parents who grew up in the 1970s may have a warm spot in their hearts for this 1978 blockbuster that made Christopher Reeve a star, but the first half drags a little establishing Superman's origins. Many characters are in peril before Superman saves the day, including Lois who is buried alive after an earthquake. Superman can't save his adopted dad from a heart attack, however, and is shown mourning his death.
Younger kids will enjoy the action sequences, but may want to skip the origin story and go straight to the second half. Older kids and preteens who were fans of the 1990s "Superman" TV cartoon will probably be disappointed by the movie's bloated structure, but enjoy the exploits of Lex Luthor and his cohorts. Teen and adult comics fans and those feeling nostalgic for the 1970s may have enough patience for this movie.
The film also deals with adult themes of death and identity. Families may want to use the film as an opportunity to talk about adoption and other family structures.
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Ed Grant
As the planet Krypton is about to explode, administrator Jor-El (Marlon Brando) ensures his son's safety by putting him in a spaceship intended for Earth. The Kents, a farm couple, discover the boy from space and raise him as their son, Clark.
Upon adulthood, Clark Kent (Christopher Reeve) sets out for Metropolis, where he lands a job as a reporter on The Daily Planet. He also fights crime as "Superman," a name given him by reporter Lois Lane (Margot Kidder), a coworker on the Planet whom Clark secretly loves.
Meanwhile, criminal mastermind Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman) develops a plan to cause a deadly earthquake in California, thereby increasing the value of his desert property. When Lois becomes a victim of the earthquake, Superman must literally turn back time by flying around the Earth with enough speed to temporarily reverse its orbit.
Superman was conceived of as a Hollywood blockbuster of the first order. The producers poured a great deal of money into the movie in order to ensure its success, trying valiantly to get a big name to play the lead role. Among the superstars who declined to play the Man of Steel were Robert Redford, James Caan, and Clint Eastwood!
Ironically, a "no-name" performer, soap actor Christopher Reeve, proved an ideal Superman, with just the right level of steadfast simplicity. The two gentlemen who got top billing offered wildly different amounts of support: Marlon Brando has a one-note turn as Jor-El, while Gene Hackman almost single-handedly breathes life into the movie's second half as the tyrannical Lex Luthor.
Even with Reeve as Superman, the producers' emphasis on larger-than-life moviemaking (they won a Special Achievement Oscar for visual effects) results in a movie that drags in parts. The quartet of writers -- who individually had dreamt up the stories of The Godfather and Bonnie and Clyde -- concocted an overlong spectacle that spends an inordinate amount of time recounting Superman's origin, then fragments into episodic crime-fighting vignettes.
Younger viewers may not have the patience to wait through the first third of the movie before getting a glimpse of Superman's famous costume, and the picture is more than half over before he begins fighting crime in Metropolis.
Thus, the movie will appeal primarily to adults looking to relive their youth by watching a 1970s-style blockbuster. Kids will find a far more engrossing (and far shorter) version of Superman's origin in Superman: The Last Son of Krypton. The SuperReeve series improved immeasurably with the action-oriented sequel, Superman II.
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ViolenceSuperman stops breaking-and-entering crimes. Clark Kent intercepts a bullet intended for Lois by a mugger who accosts the two of them. The citizens of Krypton are killed when their planet explodes. Various people are imperiled during an earthquake, including Jimmy Olsen, but all are saved by Superman. Clark's father, "Pa" Kent, is shown having a fatal heart attack; Clark mourns his death at his funeral. Before he turns back time, Superman discovers Lois buried alive in her car. |
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Social BehaviorSupervillain Lex Luthor acts in a sociopathic manner. |
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