Nerds That Geek Movie Review: 'Superman'

Written by John Edward Betancourt

‘They can be a great people, Kal-El. They wish to be. They only lack the light to show the way. For this reason above all, their capacity for good...I have sent them you...my only son.’
- Jor-El ​

I think it is safe to say that if there is a 21st Century equivalent to magic, it is filmmaking. From the sets, the CGI, the foam latex, the acting to even the music, a simple series of images captured on a sound stage become an eventful two hours of our life that can make us laugh, cry or grin with joy.  

Of course, sometimes the illusion fails us. It could a rough bit of CGI, or a poor paint job on that foam latex or just plain bad acting that takes you out of the experience. But when the illusion is flawless the experience can be incredible, as was the case with one film that brought an iconic superhero to life in spectacular fashion, 1978’s Superman.

The planet Krypton is dying. Renowned scientist Jor-El knows this, but his warnings fall upon deaf ears. With the end approaching, he launches a desperate plan to save not only the Kryptonian way of life, but its people by sending his son; Kal-El, to the distant planet of Earth. Adopted by Jonathan and Martha Kent upon his arrival on our world, Kal-El becomes Clark Kent, an average Midwestern American. Or so it would seem. For Clark's unique genetic makeup, combined with our yellow sun gives him incredible powers that will allow him to become the world's greatest hero...Superman.  

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Directed by Richard Donner and held together by an incredible cast that included Gene Hackman and the legendary Marlon Brando, Superman is truly modern-day magic. Though some of the special effects are horribly outdated in this film, they can be overlooked thanks to the stellar performances of this cast. Gene Hackman does an outstanding job channeling the clever evil of Lex Luthor and Brando's turn as Jor-El, while brief, is the stuff of legend. But while these actors do a wonderful job, there is one man who made this film legendary with his performance; Christopher Reeve.  

He is without a doubt one of the biggest reasons this film is so magical simply because Reeve IS Superman in this film. Sure, his bumbling and forgettable Clark Kent is fine acting as well, but the instant those glasses come off and the S is revealed this guy really is the Man of Steel and that stellar performance makes the movie all the more enjoyable. The way he put his body into something as simple as flying pulls you right into the movie. In fact, Christopher Reeve is what sells the picture's tagline; 'You'll believe a man can fly.'

Take all these incredible performances, throw in some big time special effects that for the most part still look good today, and finish it off with a story that works on every single level and you have one of the finest comic book films to ever grace the silver screen. 

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