Superman Series

Superman The Movie was one of my first movie going experiences and then as now I ate it up.  As I have mentioned before I do not read many comic books, (though I did read “The Death of Superman” when it came out in 1992), so my exposure to Superman has mostly been on the big and small screens. 

Unsurprisingly Christopher Reeve is my favorite Superman but my affinity for the Bond films has prepared me well for casting changes.  The other actors all have found their own approach to the role in their respective mediums.

In anticipation of my discussion of Batman v. Superman; Dawn of Justice film, I want to take a brief look back the other Superman films.  I was pretty mixed on Man of Steel, liking Henry Cavill’s portrayal and the alien discovery elements of the story,  but did not appreciate the excess of destruction and some of the horrible dialogue.  I have never rewatched it in full through I have seen a few moments on cable once or twice.  As always, this comes with a full spoiler warning.

Superman (1978)

The original film, directed by Richard Donner as an epic, introduces Superman as a baby on Krypton, and patiently takes us through his adolescence in Smallville and the education of his powers in the Fortress of Solitude.  By the time Superman goes on duty in Metropolis we completely understand his responsibilities, provided by his Kryptonian father, and his Midwestern values, which came from his upbringing.  Reeve perfectly captures Superman’s heroic presence, his pain when Lois’ life is threatened, and his good humor.  Reeve also has a lot of fun portraying Clark’s bumbling nature.  The entire film is to be savored but I particularly enjoy Superman’s subtle playfulness during the interview scene on Lois’ balcony.  Gene Hackman, who has played many nasty characters in his long career, is funnier than might be expected as Lex Luthor and Ned Beatty, who is a very smart man, convincingly plays the loyal, yet idiotic Otis.  The most enjoyable element of their interaction is Luthor’s unfiltered insults to Otis since Luthor has all the power in the relationship.  Marlon Brando provides distant intellectual warmth as Jor-El.  Margot Kidder plays Lois as a person whose body and mind seem to be on different tracks, often finding herself in situations she gets into a bit impulsively.  Kidders gets laughs at Lois’ expense but never looks foolish and has great chemistry with Reeve.   While the origin story takes time it is a full adventure, (there are 90 minutes left once the film gets to Metropolis) and although there are sequels the film does not spend much time setting them up.  The climactic earthquake sequence in California provides a showcase for Superman’s strength and humanity.  John Williams provides one of his best scores with three very memorable tracks (Krypton theme, Superman theme, the romantic theme). Reeve’s best moment in the film is when Lois is revived and he is very relieved but cannot show it, which Bryan Singer uses a variation of in the final scene of Superman Returns. *****

Superman II (1981)/ Superman II; The Richard Donner Cut (2006)

Many film fans are aware that Richard Donner filmed most of Superman II at the same time as Superman.  Filming stopped a couple of months prior to the release of the original in 1978 so Donner could focus on post production.  Donner intended to resume filming but a public feud with the father-and-son producing team of Alexander and Ilya Salkind led to the Salkinds replacing Donner with Richard Lester, who had directed the Beatles films A Hard Days’ Night and Help among others, and had a more comic sensibility.  In order to receive credit as director Lester needed to have helm more than half the film so several new sequences were created and the film was merged together with existing footage.  Normally this would be a recipe for disaster but Superman II is spectacular entertainment.  As a refresher, in the film Superman gives up his powers to be with Lois after she discovers his secret identity.  Unfortunately as this happens three villains from Krypton who Superman inadvertently freed wreak havoc on Earth, aided by Lex Luthor who has escaped from prison.  The film is interestingly structured, keeping Superman off the radar developing his romance with Lois as Zod (played by Terence Stamp who terrified me as a child), Ursa and Nom cause their destruction.  I think Reeve does his best work in this film, going between playing awkward Clark, Superman, Superman dressed as Clark when he reveals himself to Lois, and Clark/Superman stripped of his powers and suddenly vulnerable.  In 2006 a DVD using Richard Donner’s cut footage was assembled with much of the film to show audiences what Donner’s version would have looked like.  Zod is even scarier in this version (amplified by Stamp’s black beard in the Donner footage- it is salt and pepper in the Lester footage filmed later).  The scenes in which Superman gives up and then regains his powers are far more dramatic because they use Marlon Brando’s grand visage and father and son argue about it.  I especially like the touch of Jor-El giving Lois a very chilly look, anticipating her presence.  However several of the new scenes lack close-ups (such as when Clark stops Lois from falling in the opening and Lois during the scene in which Superman gives up his powers).  The other change is the scene in which Lois confirms that Superman and Clark are the same.  Donner never filmed his take in which Lois shoots Clark with a blank to see his reaction so he used footage from Reeve and Kidder’s auditions which looks out of place (and Reeve’s was filmed before he gained 30 pounds of muscle for the part so from shot to shot his appearance varies and he has different glasses).  It does allow Lois to be in control of the scene but I prefer Lester’s version in which Superman subconsciously trips and burns his hand and then starts to deny it but cannot lie to her anymore.  The shot in which he takes off his glasses, straightens up, and lowers his voice is marvelous.  I also prefer the build up to the fight in Metropolis in Lester’s version which Superman asks Zod to step outside, a throwback to the line in the diner.  If you look closely during the sequence in which the villains attack the Daily Planet in the Lester cut Lois’ hair and make-up vary between two different styles, clearly showing the sequence was filmed twice.  I think if both were complete I would slightly favor the Donner approach but as there is only one polished version I like that one a little better.  Theatrical Cut: ****

Donner Version ***

Superman III (1983)

Superman III, which was directed solely by Richard Lester is one the first films that bored me.  Hackman’s Luthor is absent and Margot Kidder only appears in two scenes.  Luthor does not need to be the villain of each Superman film but Robert Vaughn’s Ross Webster has no menace.  Richard Pryor as Gus Gorman is in too much of the film and has a lot of flat comic moments.  Annette O’Toole’s earnest, yet perpetually flustered Lana Lang refreshingly does not look down on Clark as Lois tends to, and appreciates the stability that Clark seems to offer.  Reeve also plays Clark with a little more confidence this time.   The opening sequence in which Lorelei, a smart busty blond who works for Webster who acts ditsy, walks through Metropolis causing a chain of accidents, the worst of which require Superman’s interference is inventively staged.  Also after the kryptonite turns Superman into a mean selfish drunk in the second act Reeve seems to savor having a new angle to play with.  Two scenes of this sequence stick out. First, when Superman starts hitting on Lana before the dark side has really taken over the audience feels how helpless she is.  Reeve’s slight smarm amplifies the effect.  Second, the fight scene in the junkyard is the showcase of the film.  The question is what we are seeing literal (are Clark and Superman really fighting as two separate bodies) or is this a physical representation of the struggle inside Superman’s head.  The finale is a pretty limp sequence of Superman facing off against a Gus’ computer. **

Superman IV: The Quest For Peace (1987)

Reeve’s final turn as Superman is often regarded as one of the worst films ever.  I agree it feels like a TV Reunion movie with its small budget but I have always had a soft spot for it, due to a few key scenes.  For starters I will mention the deficiencies.

The plot, involving Superman’s attempts to halt an arms race by ridding the world of nuclear weapons was timely in the mid 1980s but is presented ineptly, with no debate between the U.S. and Russia as to whether one or both sides would even like this to happen.   The effects are subpar and cartoonish (even the flying scenes look absurd), Lex Luthor’s henchman, Nuclear Man relates through growls and scowls, Superman seems to have new powers (he uses a trick from his eyes to rebuild pieces of the Great Wall of China and can even move the moon), and the story seems a bit underdeveloped.  The weak effects are emphasized by the intended scope of the film, especially in Superman’s first battle with Nuclear Man.  It is pretty obvious that Superman is not actually holding the Statue of Liberty or moving the top of a volcano so why even try to show something of that scale?  Also, the film has been cut shoddily with entire sequences missing.  For example, Clark and Lacy set up a date but it is never shown (there is a longer cut that was trimmed down heavily after poor test screenings).

Some of the positives were the staging of the opening of Lois’ flight with Superman beginning with the visual of Superman wearing Clark’s glasses.  Superman letting down his guard if only for a few moments is nice but it does remind the audience of how Superman II was a much better film.  I also wonder how if anyone looking out the window would have noticed Clark turning into Superman since they were on the balcony. Lacy’s attraction to Clark creates a nice dimension and gives  Lois more of a sisterly affection for Clark this time out.  However at some points Lois seems to subliminally sense that Clark and Superman are the same, especially when she visits Clark after the first Nuclear Man battle.  Reeve is especially strong as Clark in this film continuing the more confident approach to the role from Superman III.  Clark remains a bit clumsy but is steadfast in his convictions.  I also enjoyed seeing Clark briefly back in Smallville and in his apartment.

**

Superman Returns (2006)

I love this film and am moved by it during each viewing.  When I first saw it in the cinema I was so excited I stayed for the next showing and watched through the airplane rescue scene.  For some reason the public reception was largely lukewarm and the dislike has only grown in the ten years since its release.  The worst thing that can be said about it is that follows a lot of the template of the original, which to me is not a bad thing, but with a more serious approach.  Both films have a sequence with Clark on the Kent farm, then going to Metropolis, introducing himself to society after saving Lois from a crashing aircraft (with the same line-and music cues- about air safety), a montage of him helping Metropolis citizens, a romantic nighttime flight with Lois, and a third act protracted battle with Lex Luthor who has a real estate scheme, that involves an earthquake, and Luthor disabling Superman with kryptonite and dropping him in the water.  Both films contain a strong father-son theme.  The final shot of Superman Returns recreates the final shot of all four Christopher Reeve films with Superman above the earth flying toward the camera, and then smiling as he flies above it before cutting to the credits.  Since Brandon Routh does not have Reeve’s magical smile, he goes for a more subtle grin.  Director Bryan Singer also uses a lot of John Williams’ original score.

However JJ Abrams took the template from the original Star Wars film when creating The Force Awakens and the public adored it.  Superman is an equally beloved film so I do not know why people did not respond in the same way.  Perhaps the slower pace and the relative lack of physical fighting did not appeal to the younger crowds which may be why Man of Steel is crammed with fights. The Force Awakens equally does not lack for action scenes, though gratefully they are presented more tastefully.

There is a lot of silence in the film as much of the conflict is related through non-verbal cues. 

Brandon Routh effectively portrays Superman’s noble struggle, though admittedly he does not have quite the same presence as Reeve.  Routh, however truly excels as Clark.  He expertly conveys Clark’s awkwardness and always looks smart but a bit unsure of himself.  The film might have been helped if we had seen a few more scenes of Clark.  An excellent touch is that Clark spends time with his mother before going back to work since on the Kent farm Clark can be himself.  If Routh had been able to play Superman a second time I think he would have been even better.

Prior to Superman Returns’ release it was publicized that Superman would be returning after being away for five years.  I wondered how the public would not realize that Clark was gone for exactly the same time.  The answer is hardly anyone noticed that Clark was not around since only Jimmy Olsen pays much attention to him.  Lois is nice to Clark but is usually thinking of something else when talking to him.

Speaking of Lois, Kate Bosworth’s interpretation is more serious than Kidder’s and just as relentless.  I did wonder how Lois survived five years’ of Superman’s absence.  Lois here is bitter because she was left pregnant by Superman (although I do not think she was in a relationship with him) but has moved on with James Marsden’s Richard, a warm caring man.  Lois is carrying the secret that her son’s father is not Richard but Superman.

Superman Returns does continue the continuity of the previous series (I and II but ignores III and IV in which Martha Kent had passed on), although every part except for Jor El has been recast.  Some people have wondered if Superman impregnated Lois in II.  It is possible although if it is in the original cut then I think Jason would not have any special powers since Superman was human then. 

Some additional thoughts I have about Superman Returns include:

The key moments between Lois and Superman have an extra weight.  Lois never had closure on Superman leaving her but has moved on and feels a little guilty and knows her feelings for Superman are not fair to Richard who is probably a far more suitable father figure and who is raising her child. 

As such the flight between them at the film’s midpoint is a lot less playful as they are both struggling to reconcile their feelings with the new situation.  The new score teases the old film’s Lois score throughout the sequence and then finally plays the chorus at the end of the flight.

Superman feels a lot of pain seeing Lois with another man and is hurt that she wrote the article.

The airplane/shuttle sequence is worthy of the scale of a Superman film.  The conclusion, in which Superman, with great effort, saves the plane in a baseball diamond during a game serves as a perfect reintroduction for the public and audience to our hero.   As a sometime watcher of the 90s’ show La Femme Nikita I enjoyed star Peta Wilson’s appearance as the airline spokeswoman.

Lois sees Superman flying next to the plane and looks before he appears as if sensing him.

Kevin Spacey is ideally cast as Lex Luthor, displaying menace but with a humorous glint, rather than humor with a bit of menace as Hackman did.

Marsden conveys Richard’s mixed feelings for Superman during the very suspenseful rescue scene from the yacht; he is grateful for Superman saving his family but is a bit uncomfortable that Superman can X-ray Lois’ body.  He shows great humility in offering to take Lois to see Superman near the end of the film, putting her needs far ahead of any concerns for their relationship.

Jason, Lois’ son, makes for a cute foil and adds another dimension to Lois, leading to her drastic mistake to bring Jason on board the yacht.  Jason’s asthma complicates the obvious question as to his parentage when we first meet him.  Presumably the sequel would have explained his biology a little further since at a couple of points he reveals super powers.

When Lois walks out of the hospital amongst the crowd is Martha Kent, who of course cannot get access to see her son without revealing his secret identity.

Superman’s speech to his sleeping son is touching, echoing word for word what Jor El said to him in the beginning of the original film.

The final scene is beautifully staged.  Lois choosing not to the light the cigarette because she knows Superman would not want her to smoke and then realizing he’s alive because Jason calls for him.  For the first time we are seeing two parents and their son.  Bosworth shows Lois’ relief, then quick composure since she can no longer show her heart to Superman, to calm smile as she finally has some peace with the dynamic.   *****

Although I feel we were ultimately robbed of more of the story if any of the films had not been of the same quality of Superman Returns then they might have been a disappointment so I feel content that I have this excellent film to enjoy.