A big budget film featuring a comic book Superhero isn't unusual, because, now, Hollywood has been making that kind of film since 1978. Superman The Movie, was the first, but it did not lay template for the films that followed: films which feature escalating action building to a really dramatic special effects driven fight. The film is unique in its presentation of Superman, in terms of the awe and wonder of encountering an alien on earth.
While it did not end with fight, according to the DVD commentary the creators were struggling with how to end the with sufficient drama, and this is why they Lois die only to be brought back by time travel, and in many ways this was cheating. Not that a movie, with an alien who speaks English, can fly, and looks human, could be logical to start with. However, it does add a twist to the movie that no would expect, and current superhero movies are very much a formula that we expect, with limited room for surprise.
Kryptonians are not very alien. These aliens speak English, have a political system that could be imagined on earth and look human. Yet, the film is such that viewer feels we have met an alien race, and feel all the hope and fear associated with first contact. While science fiction is more popular than ever before, the sense of awe at how it would feel to encounter alien life is generally absent, in contemporary movies.
Christopher Reeve's performance was so elegant and correct, that at the time it was hardly noticed that he had managed to pull off playing the roles of two people. After more than three decades of watching excellent actors play superheroes, it has become clear how strong the performance was. It is impressive that the cynicism of the character comes off as so believable. Lois's (Margot Kidder's) response to "Truth, Justice and the American Way," is that he will have to trash the people in Washington, but we never doubt Superman is serious.
The movie fails basic logic, gives you a card carrying villain (Gene Hackman, "The greatest criminal of our time"), and a naive hero, all of which would be easily ridiculed. Yet, fans accept it because of the sheer awe in inspires. There are many movies about Clark Kent, Superman II and the Man of Steel have great merit. Yet, there is only one Superman.
Film Unique Achievement. (Spoilers)
A big budget film featuring a comic book Superhero isn't unusual, because, now, Hollywood has been making that kind of film since 1978. Superman The Movie, was the first, but it did not lay template for the films that followed: films which feature escalating action building to a really dramatic special effects driven fight. The film is unique in its presentation of Superman, in terms of the awe and wonder of encountering an alien on earth.
While it did not end with fight, according to the DVD commentary the creators were struggling with how to end the with sufficient drama, and this is why they Lois die only to be brought back by time travel, and in many ways this was cheating. Not that a movie, with an alien who speaks English, can fly, and looks human, could be logical to start with. However, it does add a twist to the movie that no would expect, and current superhero movies are very much a formula that we expect, with limited room for surprise.
Kryptonians are not very alien. These aliens speak English, have a political system that could be imagined on earth and look human. Yet, the film is such that viewer feels we have met an alien race, and feel all the hope and fear associated with first contact. While science fiction is more popular than ever before, the sense of awe at how it would feel to encounter alien life is generally absent, in contemporary movies.
Christopher Reeve's performance was so elegant and correct, that at the time it was hardly noticed that he had managed to pull off playing the roles of two people. After more than three decades of watching excellent actors play superheroes, it has become clear how strong the performance was. It is impressive that the cynicism of the character comes off as so believable. Lois's (Margot Kidder's) response to "Truth, Justice and the American Way," is that he will have to trash the people in Washington, but we never doubt Superman is serious.
The movie fails basic logic, gives you a card carrying villain (Gene Hackman, "The greatest criminal of our time"), and a naive hero, all of which would be easily ridiculed. Yet, fans accept it because of the sheer awe in inspires. There are many movies about Clark Kent, Superman II and the Man of Steel have great merit. Yet, there is only one Superman.