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| Christopher Reeve, Margot Kidder, Marlon
Brando, Gene Hackman, Ned Beatty, Valerie Perrine, Jackie Cooper, Glenn
Ford |
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Anamorphic
widescreen |
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Dolby Digital
5.1 |
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DTS |
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Trailer(s) |
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Featurette(s) |
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Documentary |
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Audio commentary
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Deleted scenes
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Concept art
/ storyboards |
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Clark
Kent (Christoper Reeve): Really, Lois, supposing that man had shot
you? Is it worth risking your life over ten dollars, two credit cards,
a hairbrush, and a lipstick?
Lois Lane (Margot Kidder): [looking down into her purse] How
did you know that?
Clark Kent: Know what?
Lois Lane: You just described the exact contents of my purse.
Clark Kent: Hmm. Lucky guess.
Superman
arrives on Earth from the planet Krypton and foils the evil plans of
arch criminal Lex Luthor.
 Superman
is the kind of foolish, non-sensical, over-the-top, entertaining blockbuster
that's almost impossible not to enjoy and can't help but make you wonder
how so little can actually happen in such a long movie. Its style is
all over the place, shifting gears wildly from earnest religious allegory
to small-town melodramatic Americana to sophisticated urban comedy blended
with high-octane action dynamics. This makes for a somewhat bumpy ride,
but it moves along at such a fast pace that one is rarely bored, and
the film is so accomplished at a technical level that even the most
tawdry scenes still manage to keep the eye - if not the brain - occupied
well enough.
The biggest names in the all-star cast prove to be the biggest disappointments:
Brando lumbers through his scenes like an overweight Charlton Heston
mumbling pretentiously about the destiny of Superman and mankind, while
Gene Hackman, supported by completely inept henchmen, hardly ever seems
either truly threatening or very funny as Superman's nemesis Lex Luthor.
Other major actors like Trevor Howard and Glenn Ford are thanklessly
reduced to window dressing, with no more than a handful of lines between
them. The film's lasting attraction comes purely from Reeve, perfectly
suited to his effortlessly heroic superhero role as well as his Cary
Grant-inspired turn as Clark Kent. There's a sweetness to him that's
impossible not to like, and this along with the still-impressive action
set pieces continues to make Superman an enjoyable ride to this
day. |
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First released on DVD as an impressive Special Edition release with solid audio, video and supplements, Superman: The Movie has now been revisited by Warner in an even more exhaustive four-disc set that includes the original theatrical cut of the film along with the longer director's cut from the previous DVD. All the extras from the earlier release have been recycled, with another disc full of extra material thrown in for good measure.
The
anamorphic widescreen image is framed at its original aspect ratio of approx.
2.35:1. Already impressive on its first DVD release several years ago, this new transfer shows further levels of improvement, most likely the result of developments in compression technology. The new transfer is noticeably sharper, more colorful and free of major print damage. The two versions of the film have slightly different color pallettes, with the theatrical version sporting brighter hues and the director's cut a somewhat cooler pallette.
The Dolby
Digital 5.1 sound mix for both versions is more a redesign than a restoration job,
as many of the audio masters turned out to be irredeemably lost or damaged
beyond repair. Many of the sound effects have been redone, and though
purists and overly nostalgic fans have argued that this mix doesn't accurately
represent the way the film originally sounded, the aggressive surround
mix presented here is quite an experience, and is in any case perfectly
suited to the film. This new release even includes the original stereo sound mix for the theatrical release as an alternative for the more contemporary-sounding 5.1 mix.
 Disc one holds the original theatrical cut of the film, accompanied by a new audio commentary track from producers Ilya Salkind and Pierre Spengler, who offer their perspective on the notoriously troubled production. The second disc houses the director's cut, which was expanded by the inclusion of eight
minutes of previously deleted scenes, which can also be accessed
separately.
The added scenes don't really add all that
much to the film, and they make a movie that was arguably already on
the long side a real stretch. The audio commentary track
from director Richard Donner and 'creative consultant' (read: 'uncredited
screenwriter') Tom Mankiewicz from the previous DVD is repeated here. Their commentary is laid-back, relaxed
and jokey, as the two clearly enjoy seeing the movie again after so
many years and spotting minor errors and inconsistencies, as well as
remarking on many of the amazing technical accomplishments made possible
by the work of so many talented crew members. More entertaining than
informative, this audio track provides a most enjoyable and often very
funny way of re-experiencing the film. John Williams' great score is
also available on this disc as an isolated music score track in Dolby Digital
5.0, and I expect more than a few will find themselves relistening to
this track just for the impossible-to-forget musical themes (as I did).
The third disc hold the bulk of the extras, which are a direct repeat from the previous DVD release. First and foremost
among them is a set of three half-hour documentaries called 'Superman:
Taking Flight', 'Filming the Legend' and 'The Magic behind the Cape'.
The first two might easily have been combined into a single documentary,
as the first charts pre-production and development and the second, derived
mostly from the same interview sessions, follows the film's production
history. The third documentary is hosted by Superman's optical
effects supervisor and reveals how the ground-breaking special effects
were achieved. All three documentaries provide outstanding insight into
the film's production and include great interview footage as well as
numerous tests and behind-the-scene material. Another nice addition
is a generous selection of screentest footage featuring Christopher
Reeve and several different tests for the roles of Lois Lane and Ursa.
Two more deleted scenes are also available, that - thankfully
- were not edited back into the film. Also on this side of the disc
are unused and alternate music cues, more great stuff from John
Williams. The teaser trailer, theatrical trailer and a
TV spot are also included. Lots of storyboards and screenplay
notes are available as DVD-ROM content.
The fourth disc in this impressive set brings together older Superman-related extras, including the vintage featurette 'The Making of Superman: The Movie', which adds little information to the already comprehensive third disc, but which holds interest for its interviews and behind-the-scenes footage. The hilarious pilot episode for th TV show The Adventures of Superman is also included here, for thos who want a taste of this legendary production. And finally, the best inclusion here is that of the first nine Superman cartoons produced in 1941 and 1942 by the Fleischer brothers. They have been lovingly restored, easily outshining the many public domain releases of these masterpieces of animation.
Dan
Hassler-Forest
Reviewed: December 19, 2006
Click
here for IMDB info on Superman: The Movie .
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