Vampyre

We also do classic movies review feature in the paper (I know there could be arguments over what constitutes classic) and so the other day I wrote a review of Superman: The Movie for it. Here it is:

Superman: The Movie


The film industry is currently oversaturated with men in spandex saving the world from the next maniac who’s taken it upon himself to kill thousands of innocent people for personal gain, to improve the welfare of his kind or just through pure insanity. But there was a time when superheroes were rare and the sight of a man faster than a speeding bullet was incredible. Enter superman.

In 1978 Richard Donner brought us the Man of Steel’s second outing to the big screen (he first made his way to the screen in 1951’s Superman and the Mole Men). Telling the story of the destruction of Kal-El’s home planet krypton, his adoption by the Kent family, education and eventual emergence as Superman, Superman: The Movie was a fantasy of epic proportions.

Looking back now it is hard to imagine superman being played by anyone other than Christopher Reeve, but Donner was taking a big risk in employing an unknown for this huge role. Of course he didn’t take the same risk with his supporting cast, with Supe’s father Jor-El being played by Marlon Brando and his arch nemeses Lex Luthor being played superbly by Gene Hackman.

Whilst some of the special effects may not hold up in the modern world of digital imagery (in particular a young Clark racing a locomotive), the incredible set pieces still amaze, not just in quality but also in quantity. No sooner has Superman plugged up a rift in the earth caused by an earthquake than he’s stopping a burst dam from destroying a town. This relentless pace of feats has not been seen by any superhero since and literally leaves the viewer breathless.

Though amazing the viewer with its visual splendour Superman: The Movie doesn’t forget to develop its characters. Clarks love for both his adoptive parents and his dead father (with whom he communicates through holograms created from his fathers memories) is both heart-warming and poignant. His two pronged relationship with Lois the awkwardness of Clark and dazzling her as Superman is well developed. It is this two character side of Superman that is his biggest attraction. It is often joked how Lois never notices that Superman and Clark are the same man when all he does is put on a pair of glasses, but it’s the character of Clark that is so fundamentally different from superman that stops her from the realization. Other superheroes hide behind disguises to protect their identities. Clark’s character is Superman’s disguise.

Despite the stunning visuals and three dimensional characters Superman: The Movie never forgets its comic book origins, with Gene Hackman seriously camping it up to give Luthor and his imbecilic cronies a real cartoon feel, allowing for a comic relief during all the action.

Even when one ignores the messiah subtext running though the film, Superman: The Movie has enough depth and action to keep its viewer entertained through to the end. With the quantity of sub-par superhero films we are being flooded with it is refreshing to look back and see how the granddaddy of all superheroes puts them all to shame.

*****