I love Superman the movie. It’s also my favorite superhero movie of all time.
Bought the 4K version in great quality.
Also bought a couple of months ago on blu ray a very long American TV version with a lot of extended and extra scenes and with a run time of 180 minutes, only once aired somewhere in the beginning of the 1980’s in America. I had never heard of it before, untill I saw the blu ray on Amazon.
1 Like
I’d argue that Superman the Movie had a good script. It does a great job capturing the spirit of the character and the comics and hits all of the major plot points you need for the first Superman film. Luthor is probably the biggest missed opportunity with the aforementioned real estate scheme and reliance on bumbling henchmen. But even then it’s not a complete loss. Lex got some truly great lines:
Some people can read War and Peace and come away thinking it’s a simple adventure story. Others can read the ingredients on a chewing gum wrapper and unlock the secrets of the universe.
Is that how a warped brain like yours gets its kicks? By planning the death of innocent people?
No, by causing the death of innocent people.
And his willingness to kill that many people to achieve his goal was properly villainous. I think that’s why I found that element disappointing; they were so close to getting it right. With better motivation and maybe some competent goons this could have been a great Lex Luthor but he’ll always fall a little short for me.
Both Mankiewicz lines incidentally. You could easily hear Kananga or Scaramanga saying them.
There are some incredible dialogue exchanges in that film, yes, but it’s story is awful, often relying on some awful joke to move the plot along. Salkind clearly wanted to make an offbeat slapstick, as everything in the series after Donner was fired demonstrated.
I really can’t see anything awful there. Give me an example for your reasoning of “awful joke to move the plot along”.
The bit that leaps to mind is the slapstick reprogramming of the missile with it’s two laps to do it because Otis misread the code. Both times have drawn out sketches to stop the convoy, the first having a horny general being distracted by Miss Tessmacher dressed as Marilyn Munro. John Williams scores them accordingly with a tuba. The lesser one is Otis scrawling Otisburg on a map, which is blatantly so they can show Miss Tessmacher having a change of heart but without the rest of the characters noticing. Written down, it’s blatant, but onscreen it’s become iconic because of Hackman and Beaty’s (improvised) exchange as it happens.
The first one does, to its defence, give one of the greatest lines Hackman ever delivers
“It’s not that I don’t trust you Otis, it’s just that…well, I don’t trust you”
Given what we got after Donner
The fact that there’s a few as there are, is a testament to what Donner did.
1 Like
I still don’t agree - I think the script works beautifully and gives Superman/Clark Kent a lot of dramatic material that actually drives the plot forward, adding just the right amount of comedy.
But hey, everything is subjective.
1 Like
This is true, and history, in this instance, puts me in the minority, given how the film is still a stated influence over every super hero movie and tv series.
Add to that The Omen, The Goonies and the first two Lethal Weapons, all masterpieces imo.
Sure Lethal Weapons 3 and 4 suck, but I still wish they’d green light a 5th one. Hopefully Donner would leave the comedy that sank the latter movies and return to a grittier tone with an ‘old man Logan’ angle. Would love to see the treatment (if there was one) for the 5th instalment that almost happened recently.
Also confirms Jeffery Wright as Gordon.
1 Like
Meh! Her very narrow range makes her by far the weakest link in Big Little Lies.
Jeffery Wright, though - fantastic. Bond gives him little opportunity to flex his chops, which are impressive in Boardwalk Empire and Westworld .
I’m liking for that alone. I so miss “meh” in a world where you have to think BEST THING EVER or BOYCOTT (insert your gripe here). “Meh” makes me excited for her. I can’t predict her quality in the way I can with the other 2 (watch Good Time or The Lighthouse if you still judge Pattinson for Twilight)
Completely disagree. She is great, especially in season 2 of BLL.
I like this choice a lot. The casting decisions have met my approval so far, and hope to see more news in the near future. But at least they have Pattinson, who is my main source of enthusiasm with the project - and now Wright, given his Bond connection. Fiennes as Alfred would be outstanding. Like Zoe, he did voiceover work in the LEGO Batman movie.
A great movie (which I reviewed on site a while back) and Pattison is great in it.
I’m fully behind Reeves choosing him; he may well have sold pattison to the suits with Twilight, but he knows he’s getting the actor from Cosmopolis, High Life and Good Time.
Brit director. Brit lead. Brit villain. Wanting the Brit Spider-Man in their film. As a Brit, I feel I should be proud…
Seriously though, the first one, though not spectacular, was an enjoyable 2 hours, wisely basing itself on Hardy’s dual roles. Harris as a villain gets me properly excited, given she is an actress who properly disappears in a role.
Onto another super hero villain leading a film
Between not budging on his tantrum, his own film being ditched in favour of Birds of Prey, then not being in Suicide Squad’s sequel…you’d think he’d get WB’s message…
Well, in all fairness Warner probably sang a different song as long as they thought his was the act to out-Joker every other performance in the role - it just didn’t turn out that way. I haven’t seen Suicide Squad, so I don’t count, but even from the wings I don’t detect a huge demand or desire of audiences to see more of Leto’s Joker.
1 Like
“It’s awesome, you beat Nicholson and Ledger! No person who ever plays the Joker will be better than you!!!”
Suicide Squad comes out
“The number you have dialled has not been recognised. Please hang up beep”
3 Likes
Having seen Suicide Squad, I won’t shed a tear over never having to see that interpretation of the Joker again.
2 Likes
This can’t get here soon enough. Will be the first trip to the theater in the summer in almost a decade.