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Superman (movie)

Superman, also known as Superman: The Movie, is a 1978 Warner Bros. sci-fi fantasy action movie based on the popular DC Comics character of the same name.

Christopher Reeve starred in the title role and that of Clark Kent, while top-billed Marlon Brando played Superman's father, Jor-El, for a fee, notorious at the time, of almost $4,000,000 for eight minutes of screen time; other prominent cast members were Gene Hackman as Lex Luthor, Margot Kidder as Lois Lane, Ned Beatty as Otis, Jackie Cooper as Perry White, Glenn Ford as Pa Kent, Valerie Perrine as Eve Teschmacher, Marc McClure as Jimmy Olsen and Maria Schell as Vond-Ah. It was directed by Richard Donner and executive produced by Alexander Salkind, with music by John Williams.

Superman received a "Special Achievement" Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. It was nominated for Best Film Editing, Best Music, Original Score and Best Sound.

The movie led to three theatrical sequels, Superman II (1980), Superman III (1983) and Superman IV: The Quest For Peace (1987); and inspired the movie Supergirl (1984).

Critical reaction

The critical reaction was largely enthusiastic with Christopher Reeve singled out for particular praise for his sincere performance. The visual effects were also praised for their believable visuals in contrast to the typically low budget live action productions of this kind in the past, while John Williams added to his glowing string of kudos for his film score which critics noted helped give the essential mythic grandeur to the character. While the critics were divided over their preference for the reverent origin sequence in the first part, or the more lively later sequence of Superman beginning his career, it has been considered one of the best superhero movies ever made.

The movie's legacy includes numerous television series', notably Superboy (produced, like the movie, by Alexander Salkind), Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Superman: The Animated Series, and the current prequel series, Smallville, which have all been influenced by the movie to some extent. A particular example of this influence is John Williams' Superman March, which is often played and parodied in movies with superheroes.

Synopsis

Spoiler warning: Plot or ending details follow.

The movie begins with a short introductory sequence that shows the Daily Planet during the midst of the Depression. Afterwards, the title sequence begins, which is shown as flying through space to the Krypton star system. After the planet Krypton is seen, the capital city is shown, with the high dome of that city.

The viewer is taken inside the dome, where the trial of three criminals is underway. Jor-El, the father of Superman and a member of the council is giving the closing arguments. The criminals are Non, a mute and incredibly violent man. Then there was the woman Ursa, whose hatred of all had endangered many innocent people. Finally, there was the leader, General Zod.

The opening line of the movie has Jor-El say, "This is no fantasy. No careless product of wild imagination. No, my good friends, these indictments I have brought you today, the specific charges listed herein against the individuals, their acts of treason, their ultimate aim of sedition. (Lifts up his crystal staff.) These are matters of undeniable fact. I ask you now to pronounce judgment on those accused. On this, this mindless aberration, whose only means of expression are wanton violence and destruction. On the woman Ursa, whose perversions and unreasoning hatred of all mankind have threatened even the children of the planet Krypton. Finally, General Zod. Once trusted by this Council, charged with maintaining the defense of the planet Krypton itself. Chief architect of this revolution, and author of this insidious plot, to establish a "New Order" amongst us. With himself as absolute ruler. You have heard the evidence. The decision of the Council will now be heard." (Jor-El turns and looks at a member of the council.)

One council member says, "Guilty." This is followed by a chorus of council members, they all say, "Guilty." Because the vote has to be unanimous, the final decision falls to Jor-El. He also casts his guilty vote, not orally but by illuminating his staff. At this, Zod swears revenge upon Jor-El and his family. After Jor-El leaves, the dome opens and the criminals are swept away into the Phantom Zone, which quickly leaves the planet.

As the three criminals are being carried into interstellar space by the Phantom Zone, Jor-El attends a council meeting. He tries to convince the council that the planet Krypton would explode in the very near future. The council refused to accept his findings, and threatend to have him also imprisoned in the Phantom Zone unless he remains silent. Jor-El relents, and the meeting is over. Jor-El returns home, and assembles a spacecraft to take his son to Earth. He feels that the enviornment and culture on Earth would give his son the advantage he would need to survive.

Jor-El finishes the vehicle. The parents make their final farewells to Kal-El. Meanwhile, the council learns that Jor-El is misusing energy, and begin to suspect that he is violating the agreement he had made. The council leader tells an officer to investigate this. But before any investigations are begun, the planet begins to fall apart. Jor-El launches his son into space. Soon afterwards the planet explodes, destroying nearly the entire Kryptonian civilization.

As in the comic series, Superman is the last survivor of the planet Kyrpton. The boy is raised by Jonathan and Martha Kent in Smallville, who give him the name Clark. His foster father dies after suffering a heart attack. Shortly afterwards, Clark discovers a crystal Jor-El sent with him. He feels drawn to make a journey to the Arctic region by a green crystal. Upon arrival, he is compelled to throw it into the ice where it creates his Fortress of Solitude. Inside, Clark is instructed about his origins and his intended role as his new home's champion by way of extensive recordings made by his biological father.

Upon reaching adulthood, Clark Kent takes a job as a reporter for the Daily Planet newspaper in Metropolis. It is in Metropolis that he first appears publicly as Superman when the helicopter of coworker and reporter Lois Lane crashes on the edge of the Daily Planet building and threatens to fall. After rescuing Lois, who he is smitten with, Superman has a busy first night where he stops crime all over the city and performs spectacular rescues, including the crashing Air Force One. He gives an interview to Lois and gives her a romantic demonstration of his flight power by taking her on an aerial trip above the city, all without revealing his alter ego of Clark Kent. Superman also comes to the attention of Lex Luthor, a criminal mastermind who has a secret headquarters in Metropolis' subway system.

Luthor has attempted to reprogram two ICBMs with nuclear warheads to hit the San Andreas Fault; his objective is to cause a major earthquake in California that will cause most of the state to slide into the ocean, thus making the vast tracts of worthless desert land he purchased skyrocket in value when it becomes the new West Coast of the United States. Determined not to have the superhero interfere, Luthor lures Superman to his hideout and attacks him with Kryptonite that he discovered in Addis Ababa. But Superman escapes with the help of Luthor's girlfriend, Eve Teschmacher, who makes him promise to first stop the missile mistakenly directed to Hackensack, New Jersey, by the bumbling of Luthor's henchman, Otis. Superman fulfills his promise, steering the Hackensack missile off course into the sky, but then sees the nuclear explosion from the California missile. Lois Lane is in California on a story for the Daily Planet. She is killed during the resulting earthquake while Superman is too occupied stopping the cataclysm and its collateral damage to help her.

Fraught with grief over Lois' death, Superman flies at super-speed around the earth numerous times. This takes him back in time and he rescues Lois from the earthquake. Superman then flies Luthor and Otis to jail and the movie ends as the superhero flies "up, up and away."