Superman: The Movie Superman the Movie = STILL the greatest superhero movie

[afan]

Tarzan is a pulp hero, which are forerunners to superheroes (like the Shadow and Doc Savage). He's not commonly counted as a superhero, but then some people don't count Batman as a superhero either. My own definition of a superhero is simply a character based on Superman.

I understand your point, but consider this origin......

A baby is orphanned by the death of his parents.
He is found, adopted, and raised by parents who are not of his kind in a world alien to his birthright.
His given name is unknown to his new parents and they give him a new name and identity.
As he matures he develops abilities that place him above the capabilities of normal men.


........of Tarzan.

Makes one wonder who Superman is based on?

 

[Kevin Roegele]

I understand your point, but consider this origin......

A baby is orphanned by the death of his parents.
He is found, adopted, and raised by parents who are not of his kind in a world alien to his birthright.
His given name is unknown to his new parents and they give him a new name and identity.
As he matures he develops abilities that place him above the capabilities of normal men.


........of Tarzan.

Makes one wonder who Superman is based on?

I'm sure Tarzan did influence Supes to an extent. He's also based on a character from a novel called, "The Gladiator," and mythical heroes such as Hercules and Atlas.

 

[DrMylesOBoogie]

It's an amazing film but Batman Begins, Spidey 1 & 2 are better.

 

[Kevin Roegele]

It's an amazing film but Batman Begins, Spidey 1 & 2 are better.

How are they better?

 

[The Kid]

They aren't. these kids just like the flashy cgi and think that's quality filmmaking.

Well this movie is easily still the best. Reeve is magic. Williams is perfection. From frame one to the last, it's all captivating. only drawback is otis.

 

[Spider-Bat]

Superman is a good movie and a classic, but not the best. Gene Hackman wouldn't go bald, at least Spacey did that, Gene acted like a cheesy moron, he was not Luthor.

Otis was pathetic.

If Supes turned the world backwards it would not turn back time.

Lois couldn't spell, that was a dumb joke.

Everything else was okay.

The best Comic Book films are the Spider-Man Films. True to the books, and really well made.

 

[The Kid]

 

[mego joe]

They aren't. these kids just like the flashy cgi and think that's quality filmmaking.

Well this movie is easily still the best. Reeve is magic. Williams is perfection. From frame one to the last, it's all captivating. only drawback is otis.

Personally, I find the ending to be unsatisfying. It's great up until Luthor goes after the missiles. I also think the land scheme is a bit boring and uninspired. Additionally, I don't see what Superman see's in Lois, so the love story is a little flat.

 

[spider-neil]

for me its SM2 but that's just my opinion.
I think it was brilliant the way they showed the crime fighting side of his life was tearing him apart and keeping him from the one he loved and then he saw even though he has to put his life on hold saving lives was worth it. absoutely brilliant.

you can also toss in it had the one of the greatest ever action sequences commited to film. SM2 is about as close to art house as a summer blockbuster is likely to get.

but that's just my opinion, I can certainly see why people have S:TM/BB/X2 as their favorite of all time.

 

[The Kid]

Personally, I find the ending to be unsatisfying. It's great up until Luthor goes after the missiles. I also think the land scheme is a bit boring and uninspired. Additionally, I don't see what Superman see's in Lois, so the love story is a little flat.

Yeah but all that's merely a few smudges on an exquisite painting.

 

[Cryogenic]

It's a fantastic piece of filmmaking -- an audacious, genre-defining, financial, technical, logistical and artistic achievement, suffused with magic, humanity and wonder. A true marvel in the field of fantasy cinema!

The bucolic feel of the "Smallville" act, epic yet intimate, slow yet enervating, grand yet subtle, is still one of the greatest passages ever found in a motion picture. The dialogue, photography, music and performances cohere perfectly. It rivals a David Lean picture. And it's SUPERMAN! Lean may have mythologised the desert and the steamy jungles of Ceylon, but could he have done what Donner did and mythologised Superman?

I don't think many people quite realise what the filmmakers -- that's Donner, the Salkinds, Reeve and everyone else combined -- were truly up against, least of all the filmmakers themselves at the time! The film was a gargantuan effort and required nothing less than an Olympian show of strength and endurance to pull off. Read the "Making Of" by David Michael Petrou for more. They were facing near-impossible odds. It burns my heart that the Academy didn't decorate it but finally recognised a comparitive walk-in-the-park and relatively staid film like "Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" in the "Best Picture" fantasy field. People often rave about "Star Wars" and "The Empire Strikes Back", but they forget about "Superman" -- a picture that is at least their equal and possibly their superior.

I will admit that my loyalties are somewhat torn between "Superman" and "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" (the 1990 movie), since I rate both very highly. If "Superman" hadn't have come along, "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" would be the best, IMO -- but "Superman" did come along and that's really that. However, "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" might still have it because the ending is tighter and more sensible, whereas the ending to "Superman" strains the verisimilitude that Donner strived in earnest for. Superman should have paid some price for what he did. On the other hand, his actions are memorable and give the film an even greater poetry. It's a very tough call. Ultimately, "Superman" is the more important of the two. It's a movie that needs to be respected like fire.

 

[Arkady Rossovich]

I would agree that Superman the movie,is perhaps the best superhero film ever made.

 

[Sloth7d]

Don't care what Raimi or Singer thinks, I liked alot of superhero movies over Superman the movie. Not saying I don't like it, but my favorite is currently Spider-man3, followed by Spider-man, and Spider-man2. After that its the Batman films and the only two good Blade films.

 

[Sloth7d]

They aren't. these kids just like the flashy cgi and think that's quality filmmaking.

Well this movie is easily still the best. Reeve is magic. Williams is perfection. From frame one to the last, it's all captivating. only drawback is otis.

That has nothing to do with it.
It all comes down to
-What superhero you like the best
-how well you liked the movie
-and how its put togethor

And thats it. And in the end all of this is subject to opinion. Though if a good majority says that Superman is a better film, then its just that, a good majority which I can accept. But it doesn't change the fact that I don't think thats true.

 

[Scarlet Spider]

That has nothing to do with it.
It all comes down to
-What superhero you like the best
-how well you liked the movie
-and how its put togethor

And thats it. And in the end all of this is subject to opinion. Though if a good majority says that Superman is a better film, then its just that, a good majority which I can accept. But it doesn't change the fact that I don't think thats true.

You're right, it does all come down to opinion.

Generally speaking, I wouldn't except someone who isn't a big Superman fan to prefer STM over their favorite characters films. Especially since we've had some great films in this genre these last couple of years.

The one thing the can't be denied is that Donner's Superman is by far the most influential Superhero film ever made. It's the blueprint for the genre. Pretty fitting too, since the character itself was the blueprint for the Superhero comic.

There has yet to be another Superhero film made that will have, or has had the same impact as STM.

 

[The Kid]

That has nothing to do with it.
It all comes down to
-What superhero you like the best
-how well you liked the movie
-and how its put togethor

And thats it. And in the end all of this is subject to opinion. Though if a good majority says that Superman is a better film, then its just that, a good majority which I can accept. But it doesn't change the fact that I don't think thats true.

Then catwoman is the best ever!!!

Let's have some standards... com on!

Here's the way it is:

STM
STM 2 Donner cut
All of Batman TAS
Batman89
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Hulk
Batman Returns
X2X1
Rocketeer
Blade
Blade 2
Superman Returns
daredevil
Batman Begins

Then a bunch of cheeseball movies.

 

[mego joe]

Yeah but all that's merely a few smudges on an exquisite painting.

Comparitively, I find almost no smudges on the BB painting or the Spider-Man paintings. IMO, these films translated the concepts more substantively than S:TM especially when it comes to the villains.

With that said, the first 2/3's of S:TM are FANTASTIC, yes good enough to be all caps, however, there is a drop off with the last 1/3 that I don't find present in BB and Spider-Man, and Spider-Man 2, or even Spider-Man 3.

We are talking best Comic Book Movie ever, so I feel I have to include the whole thing.

 

[The Kid]

Well I don't know what else to say except I respect your views though I disagree completely.

edit: no, actually I don't respect them. That's bloody ridiculous. STM set the bar and hasn't been touched yet. spidey's a silly kiddie cartoon full of dancing and crap. Batman Begins has a boring storyline but overrated because it came after batman and robin. STM reigns supreme!

 

[Rockbottom]

no, actually I don't respect them. That's bloody ridiculous. STM set the bar and hasn't been touched yet. spidey's a silly kiddie cartoon full of dancing and crap. Batman Begins has a boring storyline but overrated because it came after batman and robin. STM reigns supreme!

Only thing you can find wrong with Batman Begins is that you find it boring? Thats a pathetic arguement considering 9/10 people dont find it boring. Im not saying 9/10 people think BB is a better movie than STM there either. Also STM might have set the bar but I didn't inspire every Superhero movie from there on. I see very little/nothing of STM in Batman 89. Spiderman movies had dancing in 1 of the 3, as much as I strongly hate the dancing, I refuse to judge a movie series on 10 minutes of three two hour plus movies.

Personally I like STM, but I find 4/5 Batman movies more fun to watch because he is my favourite hero. Its that simple.

 

[The Kid]

That's what I'm talking about. People are running around acting like begins was flawless when it has it fair share too. But they blind themselves to it because batman and robin was so horrible, they want wB to think they did batman perfectly now.

If i were to detail my thoughts on where begins went wrong, someone would just spin all my arguements on it so Its pointless.

 

[Jochimus]

Of all the comic book movies I've seen, NONE of them holds a candle to S:TM in my eyes.

I used to think Spider-Man was a better movie, until I saw SM2 and realized that in terms of capturing the character, Tobey was the perfect Peter Parker, but he was a lousy Spider-Man. Where were the wisecracks? The one-liners that he could only get away with when he has the mask on? Plus, between the two of them, there was way too much sap. Character development is always a plus, but c'mon...enough of trying to woo MJ already; give Aunt May a near-fatal blood transfusion or something - at this stage in the game I'd have taken the Master Planner over Venom easily. I can't bring myself to actually sit through SM3 - 'Hey, Sam! Here's an idea! Let's make our supervillain the REAL killer of the hero's father-figure!' To quote Hedley Lamarr, I hate that cliche.

Also, I think Batman Begins is far and away the best Batman movie, but Bale didn't do anything that Keaton hadn't already done (speaking in a raspy voice whenever he has the mask on, for instance). He just looked better than anyone else before him who'd played Batman. Plus the best menace they could come up with for him to fight was a bunch of ninjas with a biological weapon - which, IIRC, was the exact same menace posed in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret Of The Ooze. My older brother, who's the REAL comic-book geek in our bloodline, can't even convince himself to watch Batman Begins, simply because of Katie Holmes.

Granted, S:TM may look today like it was made in 1978, and some of the dialogue is on the cheesy side, but I've been able to watch that movie over and over and over and not get tired of it. Reeve's the glue that holds that sucker together, with a little help from John Williams.

 

[Rockbottom]

I actually think the finest Batman movie is MOTP. Although it doesn't could in this debate obviously. I never said Begins was flawless because it isnt, I think i probably prefer 89 to it actually.

 

[The Kid]

Oh ok... I'm too defensive aren't I. Ya know, when you grow up watching power rangers, you tend to have really well grounded fundamental views on the types of entertainment out there... and I belive that's where I come from... Shakespeare? Opera? Wtf, give me a megazord and some putties.

So when I criticize begins for blatant problems like the corny lines and the shift in tone from 7 years in tibet to james bond, I'm not trying to say it was the worst thing i've ever seen but batfans take it that way... I don't mean to lump you in with those few who do that.

I need to see MOTP again, it kinda put me to sleep when I first saw it...

 

[C. Lee]

Oh ok... I'm too defensive aren't I. Ya know, when you grow up watching power rangers, you tend to have really well grounded fundamental views on the types of entertainment out there... and I belive that's where I come from... Shakespeare? Opera? Wtf, give me a megazord and some putties.

So when I criticize begins for blatant problems like the corny lines and the shift in tone from 7 years in tibet to james bond, I'm not trying to say it was the worst thing i've ever seen but batfans take it that way... I don't mean to lump you in with those few who do that.

I need to see MOTP again, it kinda put me to sleep when I first saw it...

Too much Power Rangers could explain many things about you.

 

[Superman-Prime]

**** Power Rangers

Superman The Movie rocks!

about Christopher Reeve. *sigh* Gosh, I miss this man.