posted 09-05-2001 04:08 PM               

I may not believe a man can fly, but I do believe that Superman: The Movie is the best superhero movie to hit the screen. I prefer to see that less as an indictment of every succeeding attempt over the last 20-odd years and more as a testament to Richard Donner, Tom Mankiewicz, Christopher Reeve and the rest of the cast and crew. Joel Schumacher, take note: this is how you do it right.

The movie works by taking itself seriously without forgetting it's supposed to be a fun action movie. The Superman mythos is full of absurd and ridiculous elements (Beppo the Super-Monkey, Superman's power of super-ventriloquism) that could pull the story irredeemably into the realm of camp; Donner and company strip the story down to its core and play the characters up without taking them over the top. I'm not going to argue that these are all highly nuanced, three dimensional characters, because for the most part they're not - they're archetypes. But they feel real, and so do the crises they endure.

Credit for this must go to Christopher Reeve, who embodies Superman's nobility and innocence perfectly. The man walks around in tights, but never looks ridiculous doing it. (Kudos to the costuming people for that.) He also has a wit and playfulness about him that keeps the character from being the boring boy scout that he's often accused of being. I'm less fond of his portrayal of Clark Kent, not because Reeve does a bad job, but because I have never been too fond of the Kent-as-bumbler characterization; in most versions of the Superman story, that portrayal never made sense to me. I give credit to this film for making that portrayal more logical, but I liked the moments where Reeve, as Kent, relaxes his guard and lets some of his strength and self-confidence show through. That's probably a rant for another time, though.

The rest of the cast is great, too - Margot Kidder is a fine Lois Lane, and Gene Hackman brings a perfect blend of ego, brilliance and amorality to Lex Luthor. Hackman, Ned Beatty and Valerie Perrine have some very good chemistry in their scenes in Luthor's underground lair, and Jackie Cooper as Perry White holds down the scenes at the Daily Planet quite well. Glenn Ford does a brief but fine job as Jonathan Kent, using a few scenes to suggest the kind of upbringing that formed Clark's character. And I shouldn't neglect Jeff East's job as the young Clark Kent, even though Reeve ended up dubbing the lines - even without dialogue, East does a good job at expressing Kent's adolescent doubts about who he is and what his role is meant to be.

The cast is ably supported by the technical and creative crew. The movie's effects look a little dated now, but no worse than a TV movie or some of the more ambitious attempts to use CG effects in films today. The cinematography and set designs do a wonderful job of making Krypton, Smallville and Metropolis feel like real places - Luthor's underground recreation of Grand Central Station and the crystalline structures of Krypton and the Fortress of Solitude are high points. And of course, there's John Williams' score, which I used to confuse with his theme from Star Wars as a kid, but which I now can't stop humming. The rest of the score (highlighted by a music-only track on the DVD) is adventurous, fun, and dramatic, with the possible exception of the ill-advised spoken-word performance of 'Can You Read My Mind?', which I think disrupts the flow and wonder of the sequence where Superman takes Lois flying for the first time.

From a look at the credits, there would seem to be little hope of this movie succeeding. Screenplay credit is split between four people, plus Mankiewicz's Creative Consultant credit. The warning about too many chefs would seem to apply, and while that doesn't guarantee a disaster, it can lead to a muddled movie that tries to cobble together pieces of multiple visions instead of showcasing one. However, Superman doesn't feel incoherent at all, despite its having three extended story arcs - Krypton's destruction, Clark Kent growing up in Smallville, and Superman's arrival in Metropolis. Each arc has its own style, but all fit into the coming of age/arrival of the hero/"origin" story.

And, in fact, the DVD suggests that the writing of the film was not nearly as muddled as the credits would imply - Mankiewicz wrote most, if not all, of the script with little reliance on the earlier drafts. This, and many of the other behind-the-scenes elements of the DVD, illustrate the turmoil the production suffered from, and which culminated in Donner's being fired from Superman II. This DVD project is pretty clearly a celebration of Donner - all the actors and crew members praise him constantly, and of course he gets the director's commentary to discuss his vision and experiences not just on this film but on Superman II - which was being filmed simultaneously with the first film - as well. There are three documentary featurettes hosted by Marc McClure (Jimmy Olsen), covering the development of the film, production, and special effects. These are highly informative and full of interviews, including one with Christopher Reeve that sets up a brief discussion of Reeve's current condition. The affection and admiration these people felt for each other and the project is either well-forged or prominently displayed.

Other bonus features include a number of deleted scenes, some of which were reintegrated into the film (making this a 'director's cut' version of the film.) The entire film has been restored, and the color looks beautiful. There are screen tests of Reeve, Kidder, and some of the other auditioners for the part of Lois - it's interesting to hear the casting directors comment on the other candidates, especially as he seems totally unwilling to say a bad word about anyone. Last but not least, the photo stills that accompany each menu are absolutely gorgeous - I sometimes leave my TV on just to have them as part of the room's décor.