History Film / Superman

Produced (concurrently with its first sequel) in the late 1970s and released in 1978, ''Superman'' almost wasn't even made, since the studio feared it would be two hours of campiness in the vein of the 1960s ''{{Franchise/Batman}}'' [[{{Series/Batman}} TV series]]. Once a screenplay written by Mario Puzo (''Film/TheGodfather'') was approved, Creator/RichardDonner was hired to direct and history was made. Part of what Donner did to make it so good was his commitment to verisimilitude, an artistic ambience to the story that makes the whole SuperHero concept feel real on a gut level. The fact that it employed innovative visual effects to make Superman's flying look convincing helped further that goal as well.

* DeadArtistsAreBetter: Christopher Reeve's paralysis from a riding accident later in life has certainly helped raise popular opinion of this version of Superman to near-god-like levels. Not that he wasn't popular before but suffering tragedy and becoming a living martyr sealed his place in pop culture heaven.

* TheTapeKnewYouWouldSayThat: Well, the ''hologram''...

* RougeAnglesOfSatin: Despite being an accomplished reporter, Lois is ''terrible'' at spelling.

The film was followed by 1980's ''Film/SupermanII'', 1983's ''Film/SupermanIII'', and 1987's ''Film/SupermanIVTheQuestForPeace'', as well as the related (and unsuccessful) 1984 spinoff ''Film/{{Supergirl}}''. The last two films did poorly with critics and the box office, which caused a planned fifth film to sit in DevelopmentHell for nearly two decades. Writers and directors such as TimBurton and KevinSmith attempted to reboot the franchise with their own unique takes, but had no success in convincing Warner Bros. to greenlight the project. In 2006, the fabled fifth film was finally released: ''Film/SupermanReturns'', both a sequel and a SpiritualSuccessor to the first two films, was released, directed by BryanSinger of the ''Film/XMen'' film series fame. Unfortunately, the film proved too slavish a retread of the Donner film's plotting and BrandonRouth just could not emerge out of Reeve's shadow; it became a disappointment that finally killed the series.

The success of ''{{Franchise/Superman}}'' opened the door for other [[SuperHero masked marvels in colorful costumes]] -- and 1978's '''''Superman: The Movie''''' did the same for superhero films. (As with the comics, {{Zorro}} asserts his influence here as well: the producers of the Christopher Reeve films, Alexander and Ilya Salkind, admitted they decided to make a Superman film after seeing a billboard of Alain Delon as Zorro in a French film.)

''Superman'' had a star-studded cast -- ''except'' for the two main characters. Casting the titular hero was a real hunt, but the studio hit the jackpot with Creator/ChristopherReeve, who is likely the best actor ever to play the role. ([[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIaF0QKtY0c Watch the scene where he transitions between the character's identities on camera in Lois' apartment if you need convincing.]]) Finally, composer Music/JohnWilliams supplied a grand score that gave the story a powerfully majestic heroic tone to the story, even while it didn't take itself too seriously.

* SkywardScream: [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxF3kNmJ7tk Heartbreaking and chilling.]]

* FreudianSlip: Perry White tells Jimmy Olsen to get him a coffee black with two sugars, and after Jimmy says, "Yes, Chief", Perry adds, "And don't call me sugar."

** Clark meets Jor-El's VirtualGhost in [[Comicbook/TheManOfSteel two different]] [[SupermanSecretOrigin comic versions]] of his origin written years after the movie, but the encounters are not as fundamental to his becoming Superman as in the movie. The later version was particularly influenced by the visuals of the movie so its Jor-El is middle-aged and silver-haired like Brando's, whereas he's most often depicted as [[IdenticalGrandson physically identical]] to Superman.

** Not to mention Lex's dad, who apparently told him to "get out" when he was only 6.

* AbusiveParents: Strongly implied with the girl whose mother slaps her for "telling lies" about a flying man.

* DeadpanSnarker: Miss Teschmacher.

-->'''Lex:''' ''(chuckling)'' Before that!...
** And later:

* HoistByHisOwnPetard: Averted in Jor-El's case, as he would have been sent to the Phantom Zone had Krypton not been destroyed. Played with in Superman's case with the lead box in Luthor's lair.

* HonorBeforeReason: Superman deflected the first missile because he promised he would, but couldn't reach the second one in time. It goes off, triggering a massive earthquake.
** Then again, a giant nuke going off in a populated area is worse than one going off in the desert...[[TakeThat even if that area is]] {{Joisey}}.

-->''But he won't ''be'' one of them.''

-->''Do you...eat?''

** Lois Lane

* MythologyGag: Clark glances briefly at a pay phone (a half-height, exposed phone kiosk, not a full-fledged PhoneBooth) in the first movie before changing costume in a revolving door.
** Also, during the mugging scene. "Faster than a speeding bullet" indeed!

* OhCrap: Watch Superman's face as the missile hit San Andreas and later when he realized Lois needed saving after he'd contained the flooding.

* RetCanon:

** [[Film/OnHerMajestysSecretService David DeKeyser AKA Marc Ange Draco]] dubbed over the voice of the jail warden at the end.

* TookAShortcut: It is made clear by Jor-El's narration that Superman's journey to Earth took thousands of years but he only aged a few years due to the effects of relativity. Oddly enough, Lex Luthor pinpoints 1948 as the year of Krypton's destruction.
** Perhaps Lex Luthor meant that the light from far away Krypton exploding reached Earth in 1948.

* DeathGlare: Ursa gives one to Jor-El, more intense after he calls her hatred of men "unreasonable".

** In a deleted scene from ''SupermanReturns'', Kal finds Jor-El's lab relatively intact, however, he flies further and all that remains of the rest of the planet is some debris.

* ConvenientlyClosePlanet: A chunk of planet. There's a bit of Krypton right there on earth, easily stolen.

-->'''Otis:''' Looks like a burnoose... ''Luthor shakes his head.'' Gasp! Are we going to Addis Abbaba, Mr. Luthor!?

-->'''Miss Teschmacher:''' I wonder what they're wearing in Addis Abbaba...

-->By now you will have reached your eighteenth year, as it is measured on Earth. By that reckoning, I will have been dead many thousands of your years.
** When Kal-El went back to the Fortress of Solitude after his first night out, Jor-El lets it slip that a Kryptonian day has 28 hours, not 24.