History Film / Superman

** In a deleted scene, Lex Luthor is about to feed Miss Teschmacher to his pit of wild cats, at which point Superman whooshes in to save her and relays her mother's love. One can only assume that the scene was deleted because it involved an otherwise-realistic Lex Luthor owning ''a pit of wild cats.''

** GoKartingWithBowser: In ''Returns'', a nasty-looking henchman with a Badger tattoo on his BaldOfEvil head passes some time playing "Heart and Soul" on the piano with Lois Lane's son, Jason. Until he tries to kill Lois a short while later.

* SugarWiki/FunnyMoments: Just before the EnforcedMethodActing exchange below, Kitty angrily strides up to [[BadBoss Luthor]] (possibly [[BadassNormal the most dangerous mortal]] in TheDCU, and quite [[KillEmAll the]] [[CrossesTheLineTwice scary]] [[TakeOverTheWorld dude]] in these movies), who turns to face her just in time to take a surprise pimp-slap to the face.

** A case could be made that the reason the 2nd missile was headed for Hackensack was because Luthor had originally intended for ''only'' one missile to go off course, but Otis screwed up entering the coordinates into the first missile and so Luthor had to reprogram a second one. If Miss Tessmacher hadn't rescued Superman and the missile had killed her mother, it would have been Otis's fault!

* ReplacementScrappy: In ''Superman Returns'': Kitty's just no Teschmacher for many viewers. Also, Kate Bosworth (Lois Lane) was very unfavourably compared to Margo Kidder.

* BaldOfEvil: Played for laughs by Gene Hackman, who wears a series of unconvincing wigs until whipping off the last one to reveal his baldness during his final rant after Superman dumps him in prison at the end of the first film.

* ReplacementScrappy: Kitty's just no Teschmacher for many viewers.

** '''WROOOOOOOOOOONG!!!'''

* MemeticMutation: The aforementioned "[[KneelBeforeZod KNEEL BEFORE ZOD!!!]]" and "WROOOOOOOOOONG!!!"

* {{Fanfare}}: If you haven't heard it, go to YouTube ''now''.

* MoodWhiplash: In ''Superman II'', after Superman has been crushed under the bus that Non and Ursa threw, the people of Metropolis assume him dead and band together to attack the Kryptonian crimanals... who simply stand still and begin blowing them away with their gale-force wind equivalent breath. In what is supposed to be a scene showing the utter futility of regular mortals attempting to oppose such beings, with even cars being thrown around, we have such moments shown like; a couple being blown away after coming out of a take-away, completely oblivious to everything happening, and the waitress who served them following suite (they'd forgotten their cheque), a guy in a telephone booth having a seemingly hilarious conversation, continuing to laugh even as the phone booth is dragged down the street, and the wigs of a man and woman being blown off. All of a sudden, it can almost be seen where the ridiculous opening from ''Superman III'' came from. In the Richard Donner cut of the film however, these scenes are left out, leaving just the destruction, averting this.

** Especially the continued use of Lex Luthor. Hackman's and Spacey's performances notwithstanding, the Lex of the movies is somewhat petty compared to his comic book incarnation and, especially in Superman Returns, a lot of fun has been poked at Superman having nobody to punch.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Fans got a taste of this when the [[DirectorsCut Richard Donner cut]] of ''Supeman II'' was released (though it obviously wasn't as polished as it would have been had he been able to properly complete it). The "reversing time" trick was originally intended as a finisher for II, but Donner decided to use it as a memorable climax to the first movie. The directors cut restored it as originally planned, though Donner said he would have worked out a new ending if he was kept on.

Finally we got ''Superman Returns'' in 2006. Getting BryanSinger (of ''Film/XMen'' fame) to direct, it ignored [[CanonDiscontinuity III and IV]] and focused on Superman returning to Metropolis after several years, the world's reaction and Luthor's newest dastardly plot. It decided to take a much more "DoingItForTheArt"-type approach, [[TooGoodToLast which naturally means it was ignored]]. The fanbase was instantly divided and remains so to this day. The absolute love the filmmakers had for the character was evident, but the story was fraught with problems and ultimately very derivative of Donner's '78 film. Even the filmmakers realized that the pace was a little slow, and they had written themselves into a corner with some of the key plot points.

Interestingly, the Superman movie franchise was the only continuity (until SupermanTheAnimatedSeries) where only one of Clark Kent's adoptive parents (his mother) is alive. In [[TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks Golden Age]] and [[TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver Age]] comic books, both of the older Kents died, and in the PostCrisis materials, his father has only recently died.

* HighOctaneNightmareFuel: During the FinalBattle of ''Superman III'', the rogue supercomputer [[CombatTentacles shoots out cables and wires]], drags [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Ross Webster's]] sister into its circuitry and spits her out as a horrific HollywoodCyborg to join the attack on Superman. Then it tries to do the same to Big Blue himself. Thank Rao for HollywoodAcid.

Interestingly, the Superman movie franchise was the only continuity (until SupermanTheAnimatedSeries) where only one of Clark Kent's adoptive parents (his mother) is alive. In the GoldenAge and SilverAge comic books, both of the older Kents died, and in the PostCrisis materials, his father has only recently died.

** Although this is pretty much how Superman went from the original puny thing into the demigod of the SilverAge.

Interestingly, the Superman movie franchise was the only continuity where only one of Clark Kent's adoptive parents (his mother) is alive. In the GoldenAge and SilverAge comic books, both of the older Kents died, and in the PostCrisis materials, his father has only recently died.

* MonumentalDamage: Hoover Dam (and in a deleted scene, the Hollywood sign) in the first film. In the sequel, Mt. Rushmore and the White House. In the fourth film, The Great Wall of China.

* MonumentalDamage: Hoover Dam (and in a deleted scene, the Hollywood sign) in the first film. In the sequel, Mt. Rushmore and the White House.

* FauxSymbolism: Lots of [[EveryoneIsJesusInPurgatory Christ symbolism]], especially in ''Superman Returns''.
-->''Live as one of them, Kal-El, to discover [[ComesGreatResponsibility where your strength and your power are needed]]. Always hold in your heart the pride of your special heritage. They [[HumansAreSpecial can be a great people]], Kal-El, they wish to be. They only lack [[TheParagon the light to show the way]]. For this reason above all, [[RousseauWasRight their capacity for good]], I have sent them you... my only son.''
** Not to mention the MosesInTheBullrushes symbolism of his birth and ejection into [[SpaceIsAnOcean Space]].

* MonumentalDamage: The Hoover Dam in the first film. In the sequel, General Zod and Co. destroy or damage other landmarks (like Washington Monument or the faces on Mt. Rushmore).

* PrettyInMink: Kitty wears some, and even Miss Teschmacher wears one in a deleted scene in the Ricard Donner cut of the second film. It's not the other trope, since it's established they are not actually evil.