Film Forum

U.S., 1978
Directed by Richard Donner
Based on Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster’s Superman
Starring Marlon Brando, Christopher Reeve, Gene Hackman, Ned Beatty
WINNER Academy Awards® – Best Visual Effects, 1979
Approx. 143 min. DCP.

An alien refugee from the destroyed planet Krypton, Christopher Reeve’s Superman (alias Clark Kent) is instructed to accept his superhero responsibilities by father Marlon Brando, which means stopping evil genius Gene Hackman from launching a pair deadly missiles — but can he also save the woman he loves, Margot Kidder?

Reviews

“This was a pre-digital triumph of scale models, matte paintings, and Reeve on a wire. Plus, John Williams’s score knocks its modern counterparts into orbit like a Superman uppercut.”
– The Times (UK)