Superman (1978)
Average Rating: 8/10
Reviews Counted: 59
Fresh: 55 | Rotten: 4
Superman deftly blends humor and gravitas, taking advantage of the perfectly cast Christopher Reeve to craft a loving, nostalgic tribute to an American pop culture icon.
Average Rating: 7.4/10
Critic Reviews: 8
Fresh: 6 | Rotten: 2
Superman deftly blends humor and gravitas, taking advantage of the perfectly cast Christopher Reeve to craft a loving, nostalgic tribute to an American pop culture icon.
liked it
Average Rating: 3.5/5
User Ratings: 281,683
Movie Info
Richard Donner's big-budget blockbuster Superman: The Movie is an immensely entertaining recounting of the origin of the famous comic book character. Opening on Krypton (where Marlon Brando plays Superman's father), the film follows the Man of Steel (Christopher Reeve) as he's sent to Earth where he develops his alter-ego Clark Kent and is raised by a Midwestern family. In no time, the movie has run through his teenage years, and Clark gets a job at the Daily Planet, where he is a news reporter.
Watch It Now
Cast
-
Marlon Brando
Jor-El -
Gene Hackman
Lex Luthor -
Christopher Reeve
Clark Kent/Superman -
Margot Kidder
Lois Lane -
Ned Beatty
Otis -
Jackie Cooper
Perry White -
Glenn Ford
Jonathan Kent -
Trevor Howard
First Elder -
Jack O'Halloran
Non -
Valerie Perrine
Eve Teschmacher -
Maria Schell
Vond-Ah -
Terence Stamp
Gen. Zod -
Susannah York
Lara -
Jeff East
Young Clark Kent -
Marc McClure
Jimmy Olsen -
Sarah Douglas
Ursa -
Harry Andrews
Second Elder -
Lee Quigley
Baby Kal-El -
Aaron Smolinski
Baby Clark Kent -
Kirk Alyn
Young Lois Lane's fa... -
Vass Anderson
3rd Elder -
Bill Bailey
State Senator -
David Baxt
Burglar -
Phil Brown
State Senator -
Larry Hagman
Major -
David Calder
3rd Crewman -
John Cording
2nd Hood -
Michael Ensign
Newscaster -
Rex Everhart
Desk Sergeant -
-
-
Lise Hilboldt
1st Secretary -
John Hollis
4th Elder -
Chuck Julian
Assistant -
Stephen Kahan
Officer 1 -
Larry Lamb
1st Reporter -
Penelope Lee
9th Elder -
Vincent Marzello
1st Copy Boy -
Billy Mitchell
1st Editor -
Noel Neill
Couple on Train -
Robert O'Neill
Admiral -
Brian Protheroe
Co-Pilot -
John Ratzenberger
1st Controller -
Rex Reed (II)
Himself -
Bo Rucker
Pimp -
William Russell
8th Elder -
Scott Antony
5th Reporter -
Diane Sherry
Lana Lang -
John Stuart
10th Elder -
Phyllis Thaxter
Maftha Kent -
Alan Tilvern
2nd Controller -
Lawrence Trimble
1st Crewman -
Burnell Tucker
Agent -
Paul Tuerpé
Sgt. Hayley -
Robert Whelan
2nd Crewman -
-
Ray Evans
6th Reporter -
Robert Henderson
2nd Editor -
Randy Jurgensen
Officer -
Colin Skeaping
Pilot -
David Yorston
Petty Officer -
Jayne Tottman
Little Girl -
John Allen Cassady
3rd Reporter -
Norwich Duff
Newscaster -
Ray Hassett
Officer 2 -
-
-
Robert Dahdah
Newspaper Customer -
Weston Gavin
Mugger -
Robert MacLeod
General -
David Neal
7th Elder -
Matt Russo
News Vendor -
-
Norman Warwick
Superchief Driver -
Roy Stevens
Warden -
Graham McPherson
Lieutenant -
ADVERTISEMENT
Superman Trailer & Photos
All Critics (60) | Top Critics (8) | Fresh (55) | Rotten (4) | DVD (35)
Superman doesn't have enough conviction or courage to be solidly square and dumb; it keeps pushing smarmy big emotions at us -- but half-heartedly.
Top CriticIt's the simple, earth-bound quality of the film that makes this comic-book fantasy soar.
The film is best when it takes itself seriously, worst when it takes the easy way out in giggly camp -- as it does, finally and fatally, when Lex Luthor enters the action.
By keeping the spectacular possibilities open, through the opening scenes of the destruction of Krypton, and the subsequent growth to manhood of the planet's only son on the plains of the Midwest, the film allows naiveté and knowingness to coexist.
Superman is good, clean, simple-minded fun...
Superman is a pure delight...
...a studio product, certainly, but also something that could have grown from one of Smallville's sun-kissed cornfields.
The most influential, if not definitive comic book superhero origin story we'll ever see.
Christopher Reeve makes the character of Superman his own, while also reminding us of why we love the character.
Christopher Reeve essays the title role and makes it his own, combining correctly chiseled features with a likable comic humanity, while the film itself nicely balances special effects with the romance of Superman and Lois Lane.
Superman still remains the best superhero movie ever made, full of humor, heart, and an iconic performance by Christopher Reeve as the Man of Steel.
Super-nostalgic superhero adventure still soars.
... a lot of fun, and the lot of talented people involved have managed to get a lot of their talent very enjoyably on view.
Manages to capture the pure heart and spirit of this comic book Americana.
With a triumphant score by John Williams, the searing sincerity of Christopher Reeve and a preposterous grand finale, it is impossible not to root for Superman in this most enjoyable of feel-good movies.
Arguably still the most solid 'origin' and emotion-churning superhero story on the big screen.
The only time in five tries that a Superman movie actually managed to capture the essence of what makes the Man of Steel such a potent, classic symbol of American optimism.
The film ranks among the greatest crowd pleasers in cinema history, an achievement it will surely hold for a long time.
In Christopher Reeve, the casting department found someone with just the right charisma to pull it off.
Vem envelhecendo bem justamente por compreender que, mais do que respeitar o espectador (e respeita), é fundamental respeitar seu próprio universo.
...the film has aged incredibly poorly in the years since its 1978 debut.
Donner keeps his film briskly funny and exciting, with smart and spectacular action....The greatest effect of all, however, is Reeve's miraculous performance.
This Superman has the right mix of seriousness and humor.
Audience Reviews for Superman
Super Reviewer
Super Reviewer
Movies Like Superman
-
- Jor-El: Your name is Kal-El. You are the only survivor of the planet Krypton. Even though you've been raised as a human, you are not one of them. You have great powers, only some of which you have as yet discovered.
-
- Jor-El: They're a good people, Kal-El. They need only to be shown the way.
-
- Clark Kent/Superman: Actually she's silver haired....
-
- Lois Lane: Thats Clark nice....
-
- Clark Kent/Superman: Is that how a warped brain like yours gets its kicks? By planning the death of innocent people?
- Lex Luthor: No, by causing the death of innocent people.
-
- Lex Luthor: [to Otis] Do you know why the number two hundred is so vitally descriptive to both you and me? It's your weight and my I.Q.
Discussion Forum
What's Hot On RT
New Desolation of Smaug trailer!
Naomi Watts is Princess Di
Gravity sets new record
Trailer for a squirrely heist flick
See what's on TV tonight
Latest News on Superman
May 22, 2013:
Comic Book Movies You Can Watch OnlineComic book movies are all the rage these days, and every year we see more of them hitting theaters...
June 29, 2012:
Weekly Ketchup: Batman and Superman Join Forces for LEGO MovieThis Week's Ketchup has a lot of comic book related news (4 of the ten, three of which involve...
May 19, 2011:
Five Favorite Films with Stuntman Vic ArmstrongHis name may not be instantly familiar, but his work most certainly is: over a prolific career, Vic...
Fresh Links
Featured
Halloween Movies For Wimps
Scary movies too scary for you? Here are some alternatives for October 31st.
10 Best Superhero TV Shows
HitFix combs through TV history to compile a superpowered list.
Ridiculous Movie Mistakes
RollingStone proves even the best movies miss a details here and there.
Deadly Movie Kids
Moviefone lists 11 Movie Kids Who Could Kick Our Asses.
50 States, 50 Movies
For July 4th, TimeOut has compiled 50 state-specific movie choices.
Promos
Follow RT on Twitter!
Spice up your feed with hourly Tomatometer updates!
Featured on RT
- Primetime Preview: Beauty and the Beast, Sleepy Hollow and More 0
- NYFF: Joaquin Phoenix and James Gray talk The Immigrant 1
- Box Office Guru Wrapup: Gravity Stuns with Record $55M Launch 43
- Primetime Preview: Witches of East End, Once Upon a Time and More 2
- Weekly Ketchup: Disney Plans Live Action Cruella de Vil Movie 36
- Primetime Preview: Last Man Standing, The Neighbors and More 5
- Critics Consensus: Gravity is Certified Fresh 68
Top Headlines
Foreign Titles
- Superman (1978) (DE)
- Superman (1978) (UK)
