Superman (1978) Review

So today is July 4th and for me there is no other character in film history that makes me think of America is that of Superman, more specifically Christopher Reeve's Superman. So to honour the day I thought I would watch and review his first film in the role - Superman. The premise of the film sees a young alien sent to Earth from his dying planet Krypton, he becomes their first superhero as Superman.

Main Character

So as mentioned Christopher Reeve plays Superman and he is perfect for the role at this time. I love his difference between Clark Kent and Superman, as Clarke he is this bumbling and timid reporter, whereas as Superman he is charming, charismatic and heroic. It's similar to Christian Bale's Batman as this feels like two completley different performances and they both hit the mark fantastically. Plus if you get someone who just looks like Superman then Reeve is perfect and I love his rendition of the character. 

Supporting Characters

The great Marlon Brando plays Jor-El and even though he doesn't know how to say the word Krypton he is great here. He just brings his star power and charisma to the role and even though he isn't in the film long he is very memorable here. Gene Hackman is here as Lex Luthor and he is on the right side of being cheesy and maniacal, he is over the top but he pulls it off and it makes him a fun villain and antagonist for Superman here. Margot Kidder plays Lois Lane and I thought she worked for this role, I thought her and Reeve had good chemistry and it made it a nice duo in this film. 

Story

The story is good here, seeing this man having to choose to show off his powers is well handled and I liked how the reporter link is used to get him out into the public. But I must be honest Lex Luthor's plot is hilarious in this film, it makes no sense and it just feels like he is being a bad guy for being a bad guy's sakes, also the ending of the film is quite abrupt and feels very easy for Superman. 

Script

The script is very of it's time, it is cheesy and over the top but it works to a certain extent. It is not great but it does enough. There isn't anything particularly memorable which holds it back from it being a truly memorable script.

Style

Now the style of this film is pretty iconic, the suit is perfect, seeing him fly is great and my goodness the John Williams score is breathtaking and possibly the greatest ever made. But this film hasn't held up that great, it amazes me that this film came out roughly the same time as Star Wars as the effects are nowhere near that level. Plus this film's first act is a bit slow and it takes an hour for us to even see Superman in all of his glory. 

Overall

Overall, this is an iconic film. It does a good job and still holds up in some elements, but if you haven't seen the film then unless you are a Superman fan then maybe this might not be for you.

Rating - 7/10