Superman: The Movie

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Superman: The Movie

PG

1978

2h 23m

Adventure

Sci-Fi

Action

Fantasy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

87%

Tomatometer

123 Reviews

86%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

Just before the destruction of the planet Krypton, scientist Jor-El (Marlon Brando) sends his infant son Kal-El on a spaceship to Earth. Raised by kindly farmers Jonathan (Glenn Ford) and Martha Kent (Phyllis Thaxter), young Clark (Christopher Reeve) discovers the source of his superhuman powers and moves to Metropolis to fight evil. As Superman, he battles the villainous Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman), while, as novice reporter Clark Kent, he attempts to woo co-worker Lois Lane (Margot Kidder).

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Critics Consensus

Superman: The Movie 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.

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Zaki Hasan

San Francisco Chronicle

07/16/2025

Reshaping a comic book adaptation into a modern myth told with wonder, sincerity and soul, “Superman: The Movie” didn’t just make you believe a man could fly, it made you want to.

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Gene Siskel

Chicago Tribune

07/08/2025

3/4

The film is a delightful mess. Good performances. Sloppy editing. Cheap nonflying special effects. Funny dialog. In sum, Superman is the kind of picture critics tear apart, but still say, "You ought to see it."

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Susan Stark

Detroit Free Press

07/08/2025

What was fun in the comic books, what is still fun in the comic books 40 years later, is also fun in the movie. The fun is scaled up, to be sure. The fun is spectacular. But it is never snide, never mocking.

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Richard Freedman

Newark Star-Ledger

Jan 12

"Superman" is a superbore.

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Alan Jones

Radio Times

Sep 19

5/5

This big-budget, epic-scale version of the Man of Steel legend is irresistible, fabulous entertainment.

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Yasser Medina

Cinefilia

07/13/2025

7/10

It is, to me, a superhero film that, at a breakneck pace, still maintains a sense of wonder with Christopher Reeves' legendary performance as the man who flies high as an plane to defend truth, justice, and the American way. [Full review in Spanish]

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kyle

Jan 7

Love the old Superman movies

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Patrick

Jan 5

The best Superman film!

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Mr. Hollywood

04/26/2023

The classic superhero movie still holds up. Some scenes are campy for sure but the whole film is enjoyable and is better than most current superhero movies out there. RIP Richard Donor, Christopher Reeves, Margot Kidder, Marlon Brando etc

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Adam P

04/20/2023

Greatest superhero movie ever made

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Eduardo

04/19/2023

I really enjoyed watching this movie on the big screen for the 1st time.

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Doug S

04/19/2023

Still the bar for superhero movies to strive for. Idealistic. Wholesome. Joy filled. John Williams! Yes dated in many ways but holds up. Wonderful to see on a big screen again. My daughter looked at me during the opening credits & said do you feel like youre 8 again? Yes I did.

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Richard Donner

Director

Christopher Reeve

Clark Kent

Gene Hackman

Lex Luthor

Marlon Brando

Jor-El

Margot Kidder

Lois Lane

Ned Beatty

Otis

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Superman: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

Just before the destruction of the planet Krypton, scientist Jor-El (Marlon Brando) sends his infant son Kal-El on a spaceship to Earth. Raised by kindly farmers Jonathan (Glenn Ford) and Martha Kent (Phyllis Thaxter), young Clark (Christopher Reeve) discovers the source of his superhuman powers and moves to Metropolis to fight evil. As Superman, he battles the villainous Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman), while, as novice reporter Clark Kent, he attempts to woo co-worker Lois Lane (Margot Kidder).

Director: Richard Donner
Producer: Pierre Spengler, Richard Lester, Alexander Salkind
Screenwriter: Jerry Siegel, Mario Puzo, David Newman, Robert Benton, Tom Mankiewicz, Leslie Newman
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co: Dovemead Films, Film Export A.G., International Film Production
Rating: PG
Genre: Adventure, Sci-Fi, Action, Fantasy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 15, 1978, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 1, 2008
Runtime: 2h 23m
Sound Mix: Surround