Missed u Jen Murray, been too busy to go scrolling for content. But this reaction gave me pause; as I regard the double feature of Ilia Salkind produced Superman I & II are by far the best epic superhero movies ever put on the silver screen. Broadway stage play style flight effects and PG level violence for not overly super fighting is a lot less hard on the eyes & and more fun/entertaining in its simplicity of actors just acting out scenes instead heavily overlaid CGI like in the newer DC hero flicks. This is the film that set the standard for all comic book hero adaptations in blockbuster releases AND the actor Christopher Reeve is at the heart of why I love him as my Superman forever. He is so captivating in his portrayal for most people who see the movie to love it for how perfect a hero that Reeve played this role. Masterfully done. Even little kids love these movies after pointing out the 70s era cinematography. You will certainly appreciate this great work of untraditional live action cinema ALMOST ALL directed on a Broadway sound stage.
I like it when Clark goes to change into Superman to save Lois and he stops for a second to look at the pay phone. That had me laughing because in the old comics and in the old Superman tv series, Clark used to step into a phone booth to change into Superman and here he is taking a second to notice that there's a pay phone but no booth around it. lol
Fun fact but that is a bit of a myth. In the comics Superman never used a phone booth to change (someone actually checked and it was like maybe two or three times in the entire comics run). The famous cartoons from the Fleischer studios is where the phone booth comes from. But the image became so famous that this movie deliberately gets an easy laugh with that phone booth gag.
@@shuboy05 thanks for going into detail about it. I was a little kid when I first saw this movie so yea, I liked it because I was also watching those cartoons at the time and it's just something from my childhood that I liked & it's stuck with me.
What I love about Reeve, is that he changes character between Clark and Superman. His stance, gait, speech, mannerisms, everything. Evident in the glasses scene on his date with Lois after he'd flow her around as Superman. Reeve was also responsible for Superman's first flight at the end of the Fortress Of Solitude scene. The director and stunt crew simply couldn't figure out how to make it look good enough, and Reeve apparently said to hoist him up and swing him across the set as they'd already practiced. Reeve then banked his body to the left, and used his arms and legs as counterweights to make him swing outwards in a curve and past the camera. Hey presto, the Superman flyby shot was born and the way Superman flies was cemented into canon.
There's a scene in Superman 2 when they are in the room where you can see Clark "become" Superman in front of..... Spoilers...... lol. His posture changes... it even looks like he grows an inch or two.
Christopher Reeve was a goddamned good actor and people tend to forget about it because his filmography wasn't up to snuff. But DEATHTRAP was an excellent demonstration of what he could do.
@@Theomite It's worth repeating that he was one of only two students who were accepted into the advanced acting program the year he started at Julliard. The other student was Robin Williams.
Reeve's ability to communicate utterly un-selfconscious sincerity is almost as big a part of making this character work as his bodywork. If they'd made the Barbie movie back in 1978 or whenever, Reeve would have been a dream-casting as a Ken.
Christopher Reeve was a Superman in real life too. He was paralyzed in a horse riding incident. Quadriplegic. He continued making public appearances, raising awareness, and being an inspiration to the world on dealing with adversity.
My mom was a a huge superman fangirl, due to the George reeves show, the comics, and of course Chris's superman movies. Even more so when she lost her ability to walk due to M.S.. Chris was a big inspiration to her and he and superman pushed her to try to walk again; she got a standing frame that she could strap herself into it and it was also made to move her legs, not just have her standing still. Over a few months she actually had regained some movement and muscle control in her legs and feet. Christopher Reeves truly is a real life Superhero ❤
Fun fact: The parents of the little girl (Young Lois) on the train are Noel Neill and Kirk Allyan. The original Lois Lane and the first Live action Superman. That started the tradition of bringing actors from previous Superman projects onto the current ones.
Correct and the guy who plays Jimmy is actually in Jack’s night is just asleep as the cop and he was also in the return of Superman or Superman returns as the bartender. Lois Lane who was in the original Superman movie also returned in Superman returns in the beginning
I'm Brazilian and SUPERMAN for me is the best superhero movie of all time! I watched it at the cinema when I was a child and I still feel like a child today and I am enchanted by the action scenes and special effects! For me it will always be a wonderful and untouchable classic.
Ned Beatty as Otis is CRIMINALLY underrated in this movie. His performance is absolute art. He died one year and one day before this reaction was released.
This one always holds a special place for me, because I was 9 when it came out, and my mother took the day off work to take me to see it. That was the best movie day ever, besides all the times I took my daughter to the movies. :)
Your mother started the tradition, you daughter will do the same with her's. I saw this movie at 11, and I do the same with my son with every single marvel movie.
Hey Jen, as an 8-year-old kid I put on my cape and Superman t-shirt and headed for the back entrance stairwell, and jumped about 6ft to the soft lawn below. Once my mother banned that craziness I had to lay on my bed, belly first, and fly over an imaginary METROPOLIS. Ahhh Childhood. Anything was possible.
I like that movie, saw it on cable back in the day. Much later I found the novel that partly inspired it, Time and Again by Jack Finney (1970), highly recommended. Same author wrote the novel behind Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956).
@@AlanCanon2222 Time and Again is a great book. Though I would say it inspired Matheson's novel "Bid Time Return" only in the method of time travel used in the story. "Somewhere in Time" is one of my favorite films, but it took me decades to finally read "Bid Time Return", and I find it even more tragic than the film, if that's possible. I love them both for different reasons.
I said I’d rewatch this today and I’m glad I did. Christopher Reeve will always be Superman, I don’t blame you for crushing hard on him, he’s a very good looking man and I can’t think of anyone else who I’d rather watch the Christopher Reeve documentary with other than you Jen.
It was a box office and critical success making $300 million dollars against a $50 million dollar budget. It won the Oscar for Best Visual Effects. It would be an influencial superhero movie, giving us Batman, Wonder Woman, The Avengers, Captain America, Iron Man, X-Men, Justice League, Aquaman, and many others.
What a great reaction to the granddaddy of them all; and it has my favorite John Williams score in it! Christopher Reeve's' portrayal of Superman/Clark Kent is just perfect. This is a comicbook origin story that is 2nd-to-none, and the screenplay had just enough cheese for the audience to smirk along with. Star Wars was the first movie I saw where the audience cheered at the end. THIS film was the first movie I saw where the audience cheered in the 2nd act (saving Lous and the helicopter). Hero, villain, heart, action, suspense, rip-roaring saving-the-day sequences...Superman The Movie is a case study on how it should be done.
I absolutely agree with that statement. No reactor has done that movie and it is a fantastic but forgotten superhero movie. One of my absolute favourites. Put it on you list, Jen! I suspect that you will add the actor who plays The Rocketeer, to your hunk list.
@@dan2007kohn Got to meet Bill Campbell at a Ren Faire in Ojai. This was just after The Rocketeer. He was sort of in disguise, but a few figured out who he was.
The movie you should see with Christopher Reeve for romance is "Somewhere in Time." co-starring Jane Seymour. Christopher said it was his favorite movie to shoot. It's a great movie! I think you'll love it.
It's always been amazing to me how Christopher Reeve could use something as simple as a pair of glasses, a change in posture and changing the tone of his voice to actually make it look like he WAS two different people. He made it seem totally believable that no one realized that Superman and Clark Kent were the same person.
Fun fact: when Chris was dressed as Superman and went to lunch in the movie studio cafe, everyone was all smiles, saying hi, and noticed him a lot. When Chris was dressed as Clark and went to get lunch, no one recognized him, and all pretty much ignored him.
Well…. His greatest disguise was what he thought of the people he was protecting.. And he funneled all that into the Clark Kent persona.. Superman thought humans were weak and pathetic..
she really got it.. Superman is such a nice guy. just let him be that way, not every superhero has to be dark, and he is more an icon being nice with all that power.
The scene where Clark almost tells Lois who he is is one of my absolute favorites. Chris changes his height (he's about 2" shorter as Clark), pitch, word choice, and everything else about how he carries himself. It's wonderful.
I now think that cockpit scene is a little corny, but being fun and not too serious is such an important thread in the fabric of this movie, I really don't mind it, if the young reactors aren't thrown by it.
My favorite. I grew up watching this. That intro by John Williams - WOW! Funny sidenote when General Zod at the beginning of the movie threatens Jarrell he says “you will bow down before me both you and your heirs” all these years I thought he said you and your a**” 🤣
Superman's dad's name is spelled "Jor-El". El is kinda like his family name. Superman's birth name is Kal-El. Also, I think EVERYONE thought that Zod was saying "your ass." Even the Brunching Shuttlecock made light of that in one of their webpages.
This is one of my favourite movies. So pleased you enjoyed it. I met Margot Kidder a few years ago and she was an amazing person in real life. A real character. Didn't mince her words. She said that her and Chris were very good friends and it translated into romantic chemistry for the scenes in the movies but in life he was like her younger brother, and they would joke around and tease each other in between takes etc. She said wearing the harnesses for the flying scenes were incredibly uncomfortable, but the film looks so good even today. She told me I looked like Clark Kent and it made my year lol
When this came out in theaters, the audience was screaming and cheering the very moment he finally flew in the Fortress of Solitude. The effect was near perfect given the effects era it was made in.
John Williams raises everything he touches from good to great and from great to amazing. His music is unparalleled in my opinion, especially between about 1975 and 1990.
I'm glad you enjoyed watching. I absolutely loved the Christopher Reeve when I was a kid in the 90's. Ha I still do! He has, and always will be my favourite Superman welcome to the club. 😊🤝❤
Yes, definately watch Superman II. I suspect you'll enjoy it immensely. There are two versions. Make sure you watch the released version because the continuity will work better. The alternate one (called, The Donner Cut) is really great too, however some ideas had changed before the first film was released. Most of the two films were actually filmed together. There's in-depth info availible on this. Anyway, enjoy.
@@nebularain3338 Well I don't know about that, but I like the idea of Lara-El being in it as it would have been pretty crappy of Jor-El to have sent a copy of his mind and not include Lara-El. Otoh I understand thematically having Jor-El in it vis-a-vis the Donner cut, but I still like that Lara-El got some screen time.
Superman II is certainly worth watching- but you should stop there. Superman III really isn't that good- and Superman IV (temporarily at least) killed the franchise.
Two fun facts. #1. one of the creators of Superman was Canadian Joe Shuster, he was born in Toronto Ontario Canada and based the original skyline of metropolis after the Toronto skyline and #2. the smallville scenes were filmed in Alberta Canada. A lot of people don’t know but Superman has a lot of history with Canada.
Hey Jen, funny side note. the Chris Reeve "Superman" came out before Empire Strikes Back. So the"I am your father" line was not even close to being uttered, let alone being one of the most famous lines in movie history.
Traditionally, according to the comic books, Superman would change into his Superman suit in an enclosed telephone booth. By 1978, when the film came out, however, telephones were on small wall-less kiosks on poles. That's why, when he is first changing into Superman in the helicopter scene where he has to rescue Lois Lane, Clark does a double take when he looks at the phone. The scene was just a humorous homage to the Superman comics and films from the 1940's.
I don't know how the phone booth thing became a cliché. Superman changed clothes in a phone booth in one of the 1940 animated cartoons, and maybe 3 times in the first 30 years of Superman comic books. But somehow, everyone thinks he did it all the time.
Another movie with Christopher Reeve is a comedy called "Noises Off...", a hilarious one about a cast trying to put on a stage production and everything going wrong. Michael Caine plays the director. Some of the cast besides Reeve, who acts more like Clark than Superman, are Carol Burnett, Julie Haggerty (Elaine from Airplane!) and John Ritter.
@@eddyspecter I played Lloyd in a production years ago. Seeing/performing it on stage is extra fun because of the live audience laughter. But the movie is a hilarious classic!
@@eddyspecter , I helped with a Summerstock performance of Noises Off back in 1989. We did 6 plays in 9 weeks. I performed in 4 of the performances. I was 19. I love the movie so much! Highly underrated.
For the longest time most people thought that it was stupid that all Clark did to differentiate himself from Superman was wear a pair of glasses. This movie, and Christopher Reeve's performance in it, demonstrated how it would absolutely work. He not only wears a pair of glasses, as Clark he slouches, pitches his voice higher, speaks nasally, combs his hair differently, and wears a baggy suit to hide his muscles. After this movie, nobody made jokes about Clark not really wearing a disguise. Think about it, in the scene in Lois's apartment, Clark suddenly straightens up and takes off the glasses, and its no longer Clark standing there. Its Superman in a Clark Kent suit.
To this day, Superman: The Movie is still the best film of its genre. In fact, it's one of the best films...a classic. The music by John Williams is superior to all other such films. The direction, the writing, the editing are nearly perfect. Sure, the special effects are dated. And sure, some of the characters are portrayed in a tongue-in-cheek manner. But thats exactly how the Superman comics were portrayed prior to the '80's. My personal favorite superhero film. And Superman 2 is almost as good (although some would argue it's better). Superman 2 gives you that romantic payoff that you were craving from the first film. And the action is ramped up. Both films are fantastic.
@@beestingza Tyler Hoechlin plays Superman in the tv series "Superman and Lois" on the CW. Brandon Routh played Superman in Superman Returns which is a 2006 movie.
One of Superman's two creators (writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster), was actually born and raised in Canada (in Toronto), at least until he was a teenager -- Joe Shuster later moved with his parents to Cleveland, Ohio where he met Jerry Siegel, and the rest is history.
Thank you for a great reaction. You definitely need to react to Superman 2, it's a perfect sequel! If you enjoyed the romance in this movie, you will absolutely adore Superman 2!
Oh my. This video is so ice. This was my first movie in a theater back in 79 when I was 5. It's so refreshing too see your reactions, as they're very close to mine when I saw this film. I've seen it many times since but it's always a pleasure to see it through the eyes of a first-time viewer.
YES! It's worth watching Superman II. You'll get what you want, and more! However, I was not a huge fan of Superman III (even though Richard Pryor was awesome) or the fourth one because it had lost some of the magic from the first two, but I will agree with others on here that Christopher Reeve was the best actor for the job. I think the part was well suited for his strength and his character in real life. ❤️
I agree the junkyard scene was good. As for the bad guy in Supe 4, I think it was Nuclear Man. Even though I didn't talk up Reeve's last two Superman movies, I just ordered all four of them, lol! He will always be Superman to me! ❤️
I'm so glad you watched this. You've entered a whole new world. There's much to say about this franchise. As others will likely point out, the Superman sequel comes in several flavors. The cut people saw next, "Superman II" (1980), was of course in theaters. Then there's a version of the Superman you just watched, rereleased in 1981, which was extended to 188 minutes with scenes that were deleted from the theatrical cut. There's also a 182 minute network cut for television, released in 1982. Finally and importantly, there's "Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut" (2006). If you want to know why this cut exists, I would suggest setting aside an hour or two to read about it (after watching it). There's so much drama that happened behind the scenes for all four of the Superman films. In summary, Donner, the original director for Superman I & II, was fired and replaced during "II" even after most of the scenes were shot. The result was such a different film, that it affected the continuity from "I". Ultimately he was brought back decades later to complete his original vision. If you decide to watch the "Donner Cut" instead of the original theatrical cut, you will see where Donner would have changed the ending of "I" to fit "II" and it could become confusing. I don't have much advice to offer other than to watch every single cut, eventually. I think the differences are significant enough to warrant it, though you might want to avoid watching all of them for a TH-cam audience. I can't say which would be best for your audience if you just pick one. The 1980 cut would make the most sense for continuity, but the 2006 cut reveals more of what the first two films were supposed to be. I would have no objections to watching you watch both. The Christopher Reeve Superman franchise is the best superhero franchise as far as I'm concerned. The original soundtrack is my third favorite John Williams score to this day. As a kid I wore the cape (as I frightened my mother with pretending to jump off the roof of our house), and I had a chance to meet Christopher when he came to our city for a superhero tour. I walked directly past Lou Ferrigno as The Incredible Hulk performing feats of strength, anxious to see the better hero.
@@KittyBoom360 SPOILER ALERT The "Donner Cut" was in some ways meant to rewrite both "I" and "II", evidenced by the reuse of scenes and story from the theatrical cuts. The big continuity problem Donner faced was with the ending of "I", and it isn't as much an obvious error as it is an oddity that should never have happened. Donner didn't want "I" to end with Superman turning back time. That was just supposed to happen at the end of "II". "I" was supposed to end with Superman stopping BOTH missiles from causing the earthquake. As a result, there would be no need to turn back time. Instead, it was supposed to end with one of the missiles he hurled into space freeing the Kryptonians, precisely what you see being recapped in the beginning of the "Donner Cut" as if it happened in "I". Then there were changes to Lois in the "Donner Cut", making the character more serious than in "I" or "II" because of the film footage he had to work with. Donner had to use a lot of test footage to piece together this new cut. For example, the scene at the hotel where Lois pulls a gun on Clark was filmed before the rest of the movie, and almost certainly before some of the scenes in "I", so the two appear younger than they should for a sequel to "I". There are a lot of other inconsistencies between "I" and the "Donner Cut", but they're mostly minor. The bottom line is that people who are fans of "Superman: The Movie" (1978), should just go ahead and watch all the sequels and their various cuts. They all have something unique to offer. As poorly as "III" is often critiqued, it actually contains my favorite scene in the entire Christopher Reeve franchise. DOUBLE SPOILER ALERT The conflict between Clark and Superman is a masterpiece of acting. The dialogue could have been more polished, but Reeve executed the concept flawlessly. You really felt that inner struggle between good and evil manifested in the physical confrontation. Sometimes I just watch that scene and skip the rest of the movie.
This film came out in 1978 when I was a young child, and I saw it when it came on TV and I loved it! Before Superman, there weren't any real superhero films. Superman captured everyone's imagination. In the late 80's, I still loved the film and had a complete crush on Superman/Kent. Tall, dark-haired, blue eyes! Reeve was perfect for the role and for many people, is the greatest person ever to have played Superman. Because I "grew up" with Superman, it's almost hard for me to understand how you don't know anything about him. The first time Supes saves Lois Lane is a fabulous scene. For the time, the effects were fabulous. Supes was perfectly charming, Lois was fabulous and the dialogue is perfect! It remains, for me, one of the greatest scenes in cinema history. Viewing it now, there are parts that are a little dated, but generally, it's a fabulous film and has a lot of nostalgia. Oh, and the perfect musical score for a film! PS: Oh, yes, you have to watch the second film! It is sad how years later after making the films, Reeve was involved in a terrible horse-riding accident and sustained a high spinal fracture and was paralysed from the neck down. He died years later, aged only 52. Superman died.
The rocketeer is a wonderful pulp adventure film. It has a perfect script with almost no fat on it. Also Jennifer Connelly, in her 20s wearing late 1930s Hollywood starlet outfits.
Most of the viewers already know these things, but to help you get the feel Superman ... The older TV show starred George Reeves. When the movie came out the ad said "You will believe a man can fly!" I was in the military at the time and when I returned from lunch the office was empty. They had all gone out to watch the movie! The effects remember were not digital. All had to be created with film. A big part of the reason to work for a major newspaper was to keep tabs on what's happening in the world.
You should definitely watch 2. The third one has its problems and not as good as the first 2 but still watchable. If you like Christopher Reeve, you should check him out in "Somewhere in Time" which is a time traveling romantic film.
Yes you should definitely watch Superman 2 and now there's 2 versions of Superman 2 the theatrical cut and the Richard Donner cut the theatrical cut is better because that's the one I grew up watching and the story is great plus there are 4 Superman movies with Christopher Reeve there's more movies but to me Christopher Reeve will always be the true Superman and he'll always be number 1 rest in peace sir
33:48 His method clearly reverses the Earth's rotation! We all saw it! But yes, his flight speed would do the "trick" as it were, if his intention was actual Time Travel. In the comics, for our benefit whenever he was drawn flying through his time warp, they wrote the years on the colored rings within it! 😁
Interesting note, people often question the glasses part, how does no one recognize him? If you notice his voice, posture, the way he walks, everything changes, the one problem with Henry Cavill is he does not get the Clark part down as well. Also, Reeves got in great shape for the role, but he did not get very bulky as, if your strength is from being an alien, why would you be huge?
Lets face it the script in Man of Steel was average at best. I dont really blame Henry Cavill for the way he portrays clark kent. I could see him pull off that geeky glasses type, he is a good actor I just feel the writing isnt there for him and direction as a lot of people feel Zack Synder is kinda over rated.
Fun bit of trivia: this movie is where the screenwriting maxim of Save The Cat earned its name. Meaning that if you really want an audience to connect with your hero, have them do something completely selfless for a defenseless being very early in your story. It had been a principle of heroic storytelling for a long time, but Superman's example in this movie gave it a nice, 3-word label.
Jen! Sometime when you get a minute, look up the auditions for Lois, and you'll see why Margot Kidder got it. So many famous actresses and beautiful models tried out, but her school-girl crush take on the part killed it. The casting director knew they had their Lois.
Instead of giving you the links (which I'm afraid YT might delete), do a search on this exact title: Original Screen Tests for Lois Lane - Superman: The Movie.@@michaelceraso1977
back in the 60s I would read Superman in the comics- THE 2000s gave us Smallville about Clark Kent in High School years & such; the show SMALLVILLE 11 seasons
Watching this and hearing the incredible music by John Williams take me right back to 1978 when I was 8 years old sitting in a movie theater with my family and being totally blown away by this movie! Love this!
25:59 Actor Larry Hagman seemed to have specialized in playing funny military men, especially in "I Dream of Jeannie"! Yesterday I saw him be "Colonel Pitt" in "The Eagle Has Landed"! However, in the drama "Fail Safe" he didn't play for laughs. 🤔 He is also famous for being "JR Ewing" in "Dallas"! 🤠
Fun fact: all the scenes that took place in Kansas (Smallville) were actually photographed in Alberta, Canada! Other than some location shooting near Gallup, New Mexico and in New York City, the film was mostly shot on soundstages in England.
This movie was HUGE when it came out. It was before its time as far as superhero movies, which are the mainstay of Marvel & DC now. It's tragic what happened to Christopher Reeve. Deathtrap, starring Reeve and Michael Caine, is one of his best films.
Oh Jen, we _all_ crushed hard on *Christopher Reeve* as *Superman!* Hell, I'm 43 and _still_ crush on this Supes! So you're not alone, baby-girl 🥰💙❤️ Also, here's a fun fact for you: When young (teenage) Clark is racing the train, the girl we see witnessing it is actually a young Lois Lane; her parents were played by *Kirk Alyn* & *Noel Neill,* who played the _original_ live-action *Superman* & *Lois Lane,* respectively. Canonically, thanks to TheCW’s "Arrowverse," the correct way to watch these *Superman* movies is: 1. _'Superman: The Movie'_ (1978). 2. _'Superman II'_ (Theatrical Release) (1980). 3. _'Superman III'_ (1983). 4. _'Supergirl'_ (1984). 5. _'Superman Returns'_ (2006). 6. _'Crisis on Infinite Earths'_ (Arrowverse Crossover Event) (2020).
@@jenmurrayxo glad I could help. I deliberately left off _'Superman IV: The Quest For Peace'_ (1987) because it’s both universally hate as the _worst_ *Superman* movie, in cinematic history, _and_ because it was erased from the now canonical timeline. All that being said, if you want to watch it, just to say that you’ve seen it, I of course 100% support that decision. In your own time (if you have the time), I’d also recommend the 90’s tv series _'Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman'._ Yes, the actor Dean Cain has some questionable ethics & behaviour, these days, but the series in which he played the titular *Clark/Superman* is still significant, and worth watching, imho. 🙂 *_Sending hugs_* as always 🥰❤️
10:38 In the comics they eventually realized how crowded they had made the North Pole! Superman and Doc Savage, each having their own "Fortress of Solitude" and Santa Claus having his North Pole Village! 😀 So eventually during one of many reboots, Superman was relocated to the South Pole! 😮
I went with my family to see this in a theater in NYC. I was 9 years old and fell head-over-heels in love with Christopher Reeve. 🥰 I saw it a bunch more times with my friends. And yeah, I love those Krypton suits at the beginning! (The destruction of Krypton is still harrowing.)
Clark just "broke the fourth wall" with his super strength! Seriously, he totally looked at the audience after he caught that bullet. It won't be the last time.
I agree with some of the other comments here, there’s four films in the series .. but part 2, is the only one of those remaining that is really worth watching. And, I also agree that with all due respect given to the director of Superman I, the theatrical cut is what I’d recommend over the extended and altered after the fact Donner cut. The theatrical cut just flows, so much more nicely. And I believe you’ll get what you’re looking for just fine out of the theatrical experience.
Yes, I was disappointed in the Richard Donner cut of Superman 2, but I imagine that's because it was made only with shots that were available to Richard Donner instead of ones he might have been able to shoot if he had been on the project all the way through.
I agree also the original release of part 2 , is much better . The Donner cut seems like a bunch of practice takes that were never perfected . It's ironic because most of part 2 was filmed by Donner , Lester i believe directed the Paris scenes , and the small town in Idaho scenes . But almost everything else had already been shot by Donner . I think the mix of Donner and Lester worked the best .
I LOVED the little speech he gives Lois after the helicopter rescue ("I hope this little incident hasn't put you off flying, Miss!") LOL Such a fantastic portrayal of Superman!
This is a pretty good movie, the first really “big” Superman movie although he had been on the screen many times from the 1940s onward. In fact Kirk Alyn and Noelle Neill, who played Clark and Lois in some of the older films, both appear in a brief cameo when young Clark is outrunning the train. (!) Very nice touch there. 💜
Remember seeing this as a kid, guess that's why it hits me soo hard. Clark's youth and discovery is so good. The movie set the standard still valid today.
In the comics he could travel in time back when this movie was made. He routinely travelled to the 30th century. Or rather, his younger self Superboy did.
But there was an interesting rule in the comics where history was unchangeable.. All the time-traveling was actually "part of history" and could never be changed.
Nice to see a reaction to this classic, there aren't many of them. Superman 2 is very much worth watching. As others have stated, the theatrical cut will make for a better first viewing. The alternate "Donner Cut" of Superman 2 is interesting but due to some clunky editing and re-used footage, it doesn't work well as a direct sequel. It functions much better as a supplement to the more complete theatrical version.
😄 Jen, your costume! 😃🤦♂️😁👍 4:37 🤣🤣🤣 I was born in '78, so this was the Superman of my childhood. In second place was the '50s TV show, staring George Reeves... Yes, the first actor to become famous as Superman was named Reeves. No relation to Reeve. 😄
Great review and reaction, Jen. Yes, Superman II is well worth watching and the romance continues, there are four Christopher Reeve Superman films in all, but the first two are the best ones, after Superman II it's downhill. There is a Supergirl film too, which is pretty good.
"What kills Superman? Anything? Nothing?" Funny you should ask that. It's actually so famous it has entered the everyday modern lexicon. We'll get there...! ❇️
Fun fact: The story, at least as I hear it, is that when they cast Superman, Christopher Reeve was a struggling theater actor around age 24. His agent had to fight hard for him to be considered-and when he was told that director Richard Donner was reluctantly going to interview him, he was unbelievably nervous. He hit the gym obsessively for weeks before the interview, because he was a skinny kid who didn't feel he had Superman's physique. He put on something like 30 pounds of muscle before meeting with Richard Donner at the Sherry-Netherland Hotel. Apparently, when we walked in as a 6-foot-4 wall of muscle, Donner was immediately unimpressed, as he'd been interviewing one macho bodybuilder after another for the part and was sick to death of them. But within seconds, reaching to shake his hand, Reeve was still not used to how much bigger his body had become, and he promptly spilled Donner's drink all over him. He had a minor freakout, and tried to clean it up: "Oh my God, I'm so sorry, Mr. Donner, I'm so sorry..." and was rattled for the rest of the interview. After the interview, which he thought went terribly, Donner apparently said, "I've seen a dozen good Supermans for the part. But that guy is my Clark Kent." Donner immediately set up Reeve's formal screen test, and pushed the producers for him, based on how he watched Reeve flip from a confident, imposing, impressive man entering the room to a meek, nervous kid in the space of about 5 seconds.
There are no words to express how this film exudes the legacy of the character from the comics to the culture. Oscar-winning and a box office champ as well. If you wish to pursue these films further, it might be complicated. 2 versions of Superman II exists:the Richard Lester cut is theatrical and the Richard Donner cut is the original vision. Superman III (1983) is from the director of Superman II and takes an interesting path with the character(s). Superman IV (1987) with the exception of Christopher Reeve being involved with the story, it's the most hated sequel and was the final chapter for awhile. Superman Returns (2006) takes place after the first 2 films. Refreshing the franchise with a sequel as the follow-up of those films only (Requel is the term). Parts 3 and 4 aren't not acknowledged. Other that that, enjoy the flight.
Superman 2 is definitely worth watching. I think they even filmed 1 and 2 concurrently. Remember those three villains at the beginning that got shot into space? Well, when Supe sends the nuclear rocket into space at the end, it accidentally shatters their prism prison, and they head straight to Earth, all three with the powers of Superman. It's pretty epic. Not as good as the first movie, but still very good. Oh, and yes, the romance continues with Superman and Lois in Part 2, so you definitely get more of that. Part 3 tried to turn into a comedy with Richard Pryor actually in it, and it doesn't work very well. Worth watching as a "so bad it's good," but Part 4 crossed the line into so bad it is just bad, and another Superman movie wasn't made for decades. Still, in my opinion (and many others) the 1978 original is STILL the best.
I never grew up with Christopher Reeve as Superman but he is my favorite Supernan. I nver liked Superman growing up, I was into Batman more. The animated series and Justice League didn't do much for me, but when I watched Christopher Reeve's movies, I fell in love with Superman. There was something charming about his movies that I still love it to this day, even if it is old.
A real joy to watch your reaction. Not spoiled by Superman spoilers throughout your life makes it very cool for us that we get to see you explore and learn. If you watch more Superman (after Christopher's), I'd suggest watching them in the order they were released. For a bonus and after you've watched a few more there is a documentary on a Tim Burton superman movie that was not made.
When Clark is racing the train in Smallville, the little girl on the train (Lois) that notices him is supposed to be a young Lois Lane seeing her first super-feat. She tries to get the attention of her mother, who is played by Noel Neill, the actress that played Lois Lane in the 40's and 50's.
SUPERMAN II: th-cam.com/video/kdd8BmQFqlE/w-d-xo.html
SUPERHERO Playlist: th-cam.com/play/PLQHhQlj8i5dopvtiurLnZTGXuc5ngzQD6.html
Missed u Jen Murray, been too busy to go scrolling for content. But this reaction gave me pause; as I regard the double feature of Ilia Salkind produced Superman I & II are by far the best epic superhero movies ever put on the silver screen. Broadway stage play style flight effects and PG level violence for not overly super fighting is a lot less hard on the eyes & and more fun/entertaining in its simplicity of actors just acting out scenes instead heavily overlaid CGI like in the newer DC hero flicks. This is the film that set the standard for all comic book hero adaptations in blockbuster releases AND the actor Christopher Reeve is at the heart of why I love him as my Superman forever. He is so captivating in his portrayal for most people who see the movie to love it for how perfect a hero that Reeve played this role. Masterfully done. Even little kids love these movies after pointing out the 70s era cinematography. You will certainly appreciate this great work of untraditional live action cinema ALMOST ALL directed on a Broadway sound stage.
Ur pretty Jen ❤❤💜💜
My dad saw this at the show, way before ur time
Jen did you know that Joe Shuster, one of the co-creators of Superman, was Canadian 🙂 I have blue eyes but I'm not 6'4 and muscular...I'm 5'7" lol 🙂
th-cam.com/video/ScFwRoLhR2s/w-d-xo.htmlsi=znsfgVSRL7ZcJHJI some info about the creators of superman
I like it when Clark goes to change into Superman to save Lois and he stops for a second to look at the pay phone. That had me laughing because in the old comics and in the old Superman tv series, Clark used to step into a phone booth to change into Superman and here he is taking a second to notice that there's a pay phone but no booth around it. lol
Fun fact but that is a bit of a myth. In the comics Superman never used a phone booth to change (someone actually checked and it was like maybe two or three times in the entire comics run). The famous cartoons from the Fleischer studios is where the phone booth comes from. But the image became so famous that this movie deliberately gets an easy laugh with that phone booth gag.
@@shuboy05 thanks for going into detail about it. I was a little kid when I first saw this movie so yea, I liked it because I was also watching those cartoons at the time and it's just something from my childhood that I liked & it's stuck with me.
You just said that he did do it 2 or 3 times in the comics and he did do it in that cartoon. So it's not a myth at all lol
@@jamesdee759 The phone booth definitely stuck with me too. I was floored to learn this wasn't something that happened often in the comics.
@@jamesdee759 Correct, but the comics have been printed since 1938! Two or three times out of a thousand comics would be considered rare.
What I love about Reeve, is that he changes character between Clark and Superman.
His stance, gait, speech, mannerisms, everything. Evident in the glasses scene on his date with Lois after he'd flow her around as Superman.
Reeve was also responsible for Superman's first flight at the end of the Fortress Of Solitude scene.
The director and stunt crew simply couldn't figure out how to make it look good enough, and Reeve apparently said to hoist him up and swing him across the set as they'd already practiced.
Reeve then banked his body to the left, and used his arms and legs as counterweights to make him swing outwards in a curve and past the camera.
Hey presto, the Superman flyby shot was born and the way Superman flies was cemented into canon.
There's a scene in Superman 2 when they are in the room where you can see Clark "become" Superman in front of..... Spoilers...... lol. His posture changes... it even looks like he grows an inch or two.
Christopher Reeve was a goddamned good actor and people tend to forget about it because his filmography wasn't up to snuff. But DEATHTRAP was an excellent demonstration of what he could do.
Reeve said that he owned a hang glider.
@@Theomite It's worth repeating that he was one of only two students who were accepted into the advanced acting program the year he started at Julliard. The other student was Robin Williams.
Reeve's ability to communicate utterly un-selfconscious sincerity is almost as big a part of making this character work as his bodywork. If they'd made the Barbie movie back in 1978 or whenever, Reeve would have been a dream-casting as a Ken.
He will forever be my Superman. RIP Christopher Reeve.
Agree.
strongest man in the world.
Mine too...my 1st childhood crush
There have been other valiant efforts, but none to match him.
Same Here
Christopher Reeve was a Superman in real life too. He was paralyzed in a horse riding incident. Quadriplegic. He continued making public appearances, raising awareness, and being an inspiration to the world on dealing with adversity.
Not to mention acting and directing.
He was told that if he had landed millimetres in either direction, he'd had walked away from the fall. Must've been tough hearing that.
My mom was a a huge superman fangirl, due to the George reeves show, the comics, and of course Chris's superman movies. Even more so when she lost her ability to walk due to M.S.. Chris was a big inspiration to her and he and superman pushed her to try to walk again; she got a standing frame that she could strap herself into it and it was also made to move her legs, not just have her standing still. Over a few months she actually had regained some movement and muscle control in her legs and feet. Christopher Reeves truly is a real life Superhero ❤
An absolutely delightful film. Christopher Reeve was perfection. His performance will never be bettered.
"You will believe a man can fly" was the movie's tagline. It's still true. I still believe. Christopher Reeve, RIP. We miss you, Superman.
Fun fact: The parents of the little girl (Young Lois) on the train are Noel Neill and Kirk Allyan. The original Lois Lane and the first Live action Superman. That started the tradition of bringing actors from previous Superman projects onto the current ones.
Oh cool, I didn't know that. Thanks for the fun fact Teresa!
I really need to read other peoples comments before I post lol. I'm leaving mine too.
Neill is even wearing an outfit very similar to what she wore in the 50's series.
wow.
Correct and the guy who plays Jimmy is actually in Jack’s night is just asleep as the cop and he was also in the return of Superman or Superman returns as the bartender. Lois Lane who was in the original Superman movie also returned in Superman returns in the beginning
I'm Brazilian and SUPERMAN for me is the best superhero movie of all time! I watched it at the cinema when I was a child and I still feel like a child today and I am enchanted by the action scenes and special effects! For me it will always be a wonderful and untouchable classic.
The opening when the theme finally greets SUPERMAN across the screen… Always brings tears to my eyes.
It helps that the three note motif of the main theme sounds like it's singing "Su ... per-MAAAAN!" ...
Ned Beatty as Otis is CRIMINALLY underrated in this movie. His performance is absolute art.
He died one year and one day before this reaction was released.
Williams’ theme for Superman still makes me smile like no other has since.
Fun fact, Terrance stamp who plays zod, also plays the disembodied voice of Superman's father model on smallville.
This one always holds a special place for me, because I was 9 when it came out, and my mother took the day off work to take me to see it. That was the best movie day ever, besides all the times I took my daughter to the movies. :)
Nice! :)
8 in '84 at the theater,movies were IT back then,didn't have cable 'til 92.
That's wonderful ❤️ it must be great to have a good mother - I can only imagine ...
Your mother started the tradition, you daughter will do the same with her's.
I saw this movie at 11, and I do the same with my son with every single marvel movie.
i was 5 but still.
Christopher Reeve is the greatest Superman of ALL time. Perfectly cast and no one will ever replace him.
Hey Jen, as an 8-year-old kid I put on my cape and Superman t-shirt and headed for the back entrance stairwell, and jumped about 6ft to the soft lawn below. Once my mother banned that craziness I had to lay on my bed, belly first, and fly over an imaginary METROPOLIS. Ahhh Childhood. Anything was possible.
Love it! :)
Best line in the movie: "Don't worry miss, I've got you. If you've got me, who's got you?!"
You liked romancing Christopher Reeve so much that you should definitely put Somewhere in Time (1980) on your list.
Totally agree. I had such a thing for Jane Seymour in that movie! One of my guilty pleasure flicks for sure.
also watch switching channels
I like that movie, saw it on cable back in the day. Much later I found the novel that partly inspired it, Time and Again by Jack Finney (1970), highly recommended. Same author wrote the novel behind Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956).
@@AlanCanon2222 Time and Again is a great book. Though I would say it inspired Matheson's novel "Bid Time Return" only in the method of time travel used in the story. "Somewhere in Time" is one of my favorite films, but it took me decades to finally read "Bid Time Return", and I find it even more tragic than the film, if that's possible. I love them both for different reasons.
Absolutely, I love that movie. It's worth watching.
I said I’d rewatch this today and I’m glad I did. Christopher Reeve will always be Superman, I don’t blame you for crushing hard on him, he’s a very good looking man and I can’t think of anyone else who I’d rather watch the Christopher Reeve documentary with other than you Jen.
Thanks D! Looking forward to it
It was a box office and critical success making $300 million dollars against a $50 million dollar budget.
It won the Oscar for Best Visual Effects.
It would be an influencial superhero movie, giving us Batman, Wonder Woman, The Avengers, Captain America, Iron Man, X-Men, Justice League, Aquaman, and many others.
What a great reaction to the granddaddy of them all; and it has my favorite John Williams score in it!
Christopher Reeve's' portrayal of Superman/Clark Kent is just perfect. This is a comicbook origin story that is 2nd-to-none, and the screenplay had just enough cheese for the audience to smirk along with.
Star Wars was the first movie I saw where the audience cheered at the end. THIS film was the first movie I saw where the audience cheered in the 2nd act (saving Lous and the helicopter).
Hero, villain, heart, action, suspense, rip-roaring saving-the-day sequences...Superman The Movie is a case study on how it should be done.
Couldn't have said it better myself
Supes is king
I recommend the movie "The Rocketeer" (1991)!
Very fun movie.
The Rocketeer was one of my favs as a kid!!!
I absolutely agree with that statement. No reactor has done that movie and it is a fantastic but forgotten superhero movie. One of my absolute favourites. Put it on you list, Jen! I suspect that you will add the actor who plays The Rocketeer, to your hunk list.
@@MovieVigilante "Mary Cherry" has reacted to it 8 months ago!
@@dan2007kohn Got to meet Bill Campbell at a Ren Faire in Ojai. This was just after The Rocketeer. He was sort of in disguise, but a few figured out who he was.
The movie you should see with Christopher Reeve for romance is "Somewhere in Time." co-starring Jane Seymour. Christopher said it was his favorite movie to shoot. It's a great movie! I think you'll love it.
*Reeve
It's always been amazing to me how Christopher Reeve could use something as simple as a pair of glasses, a change in posture and changing the tone of his voice to actually make it look like he WAS two different people. He made it seem totally believable that no one realized that Superman and Clark Kent were the same person.
And then the knowing smirk he throws after doing something Superman-y as Clark Kent. He crushed it as Clark Kent!
Fun fact: when Chris was dressed as Superman and went to lunch in the movie studio cafe, everyone was all smiles, saying hi, and noticed him a lot. When Chris was dressed as Clark and went to get lunch, no one recognized him, and all pretty much ignored him.
Well…. His greatest disguise was what he thought of the people he was protecting.. And he funneled all that into the Clark Kent persona..
Superman thought humans were weak and pathetic..
This is what a lot of other actors from subsequent films and shows have missed. I do love Henry Cavil as Superman but his Clark side is lacking.
@@jscan4442
Lol, it’s from the comic books, genius.. Well established ethos, no need for it to get Quentined..
This is how I choose to remember Christopher Reeve. R.I.P., gorgeous man
she really got it.. Superman is such a nice guy. just let him be that way, not every superhero has to be dark, and he is more an icon being nice with all that power.
He's always a nice guy in the films. The comics/TV cartoons make him dark.
@@volourn9764 Snyder made him a super-depressed sad sack who hates being Superman.
The scene where Clark almost tells Lois who he is is one of my absolute favorites. Chris changes his height (he's about 2" shorter as Clark), pitch, word choice, and everything else about how he carries himself. It's wonderful.
This movie made me believe not only that a man could fly, but that a superman could hide behind a pair of glasses!
"Did he put himself in a love triangle where two of the people are him??"
I loved this movie so much when I was young! The pilot saying “don’t look, just… fly” is so wonderfully funny and I love it to this day.
I now think that cockpit scene is a little corny, but being fun and not too serious is such an important thread in the fabric of this movie, I really don't mind it, if the young reactors aren't thrown by it.
Still the greatest superhero theme music ever!
My favorite. I grew up watching this. That intro by John Williams - WOW! Funny sidenote when General Zod at the beginning of the movie threatens Jarrell he says “you will bow down before me both you and your heirs” all these years I thought he said you and your a**” 🤣
Superman's dad's name is spelled "Jor-El". El is kinda like his family name. Superman's birth name is Kal-El.
Also, I think EVERYONE thought that Zod was saying "your ass." Even the Brunching Shuttlecock made light of that in one of their webpages.
Don't sweat it, Sweetie!!! We were ALL crushing on Superman when this film came out!!!🔥🔥🔥💖💖💖
This is one of my favourite movies. So pleased you enjoyed it. I met Margot Kidder a few years ago and she was an amazing person in real life. A real character. Didn't mince her words. She said that her and Chris were very good friends and it translated into romantic chemistry for the scenes in the movies but in life he was like her younger brother, and they would joke around and tease each other in between takes etc. She said wearing the harnesses for the flying scenes were incredibly uncomfortable, but the film looks so good even today. She told me I looked like Clark Kent and it made my year lol
That rooftop scene (aka the "Lois Lane is THIRSSSTAYYYY" scene) is absolutely masterful. Most of the jokes went over my head when I was a kid. 😀
When this came out in theaters, the audience was screaming and cheering the very moment he finally flew in the Fortress of Solitude. The effect was near perfect given the effects era it was made in.
John Williams raises everything he touches from good to great and from great to amazing. His music is unparalleled in my opinion, especially between about 1975 and 1990.
I'm glad you enjoyed watching. I absolutely loved the Christopher Reeve when I was a kid in the 90's. Ha I still do! He has, and always will be my favourite Superman welcome to the club. 😊🤝❤
Yes, definately watch Superman II. I suspect you'll enjoy it immensely. There are two versions. Make sure you watch the released version because the continuity will work better. The alternate one (called, The Donner Cut) is really great too, however some ideas had changed before the first film was released. Most of the two films were actually filmed together. There's in-depth info availible on this. Anyway, enjoy.
The Donner cut is more of a curiosity than a movie. Great for fans, but the theatrical version has more consistency and better performances.
It has the advantage of the Brando scenes being restored in it.
There are fan edits which combine the best of both versions.
@@nebularain3338 Well I don't know about that, but I like the idea of Lara-El being in it as it would have been pretty crappy of Jor-El to have sent a copy of his mind and not include Lara-El. Otoh I understand thematically having Jor-El in it vis-a-vis the Donner cut, but I still like that Lara-El got some screen time.
Superman II is certainly worth watching- but you should stop there.
Superman III really isn't that good- and Superman IV (temporarily at least) killed the franchise.
Two fun facts. #1. one of the creators of Superman was Canadian Joe Shuster, he was born in Toronto Ontario Canada and based the original skyline of metropolis after the Toronto skyline and #2. the smallville scenes were filmed in Alberta Canada. A lot of people don’t know but Superman has a lot of history with Canada.
Hey Jen, funny side note. the Chris Reeve "Superman" came out before Empire Strikes Back. So the"I am your father" line was not even close to being uttered, let alone being one of the most famous lines in movie history.
Reeve
Traditionally, according to the comic books, Superman would change into his Superman suit in an enclosed telephone booth. By 1978, when the film came out, however, telephones were on small wall-less kiosks on poles. That's why, when he is first changing into Superman in the helicopter scene where he has to rescue Lois Lane, Clark does a double take when he looks at the phone. The scene was just a humorous homage to the Superman comics and films from the 1940's.
I don't know how the phone booth thing became a cliché. Superman changed clothes in a phone booth in one of the 1940 animated cartoons, and maybe 3 times in the first 30 years of Superman comic books. But somehow, everyone thinks he did it all the time.
The audience burst out laughing in the movie theater when he dismissed the phone booth.
Another movie with Christopher Reeve is a comedy called "Noises Off...", a hilarious one about a cast trying to put on a stage production and everything going wrong. Michael Caine plays the director. Some of the cast besides Reeve, who acts more like Clark than Superman, are Carol Burnett, Julie Haggerty (Elaine from Airplane!) and John Ritter.
Noises off is one of my favorite movies
My wife and I are in this play right now! She plays Belinda and I play Selsdon.
That movie is hilarious.
@@eddyspecter I played Lloyd in a production years ago. Seeing/performing it on stage is extra fun because of the live audience laughter. But the movie is a hilarious classic!
@@eddyspecter , I helped with a Summerstock performance of Noises Off back in 1989. We did 6 plays in 9 weeks. I performed in 4 of the performances. I was 19. I love the movie so much! Highly underrated.
For the longest time most people thought that it was stupid that all Clark did to differentiate himself from Superman was wear a pair of glasses. This movie, and Christopher Reeve's performance in it, demonstrated how it would absolutely work. He not only wears a pair of glasses, as Clark he slouches, pitches his voice higher, speaks nasally, combs his hair differently, and wears a baggy suit to hide his muscles. After this movie, nobody made jokes about Clark not really wearing a disguise.
Think about it, in the scene in Lois's apartment, Clark suddenly straightens up and takes off the glasses, and its no longer Clark standing there. Its Superman in a Clark Kent suit.
Absolutely! Wonderful direction and a wonderful performance by THE Superman.
Still gets me after all these years.
To this day, Superman: The Movie is still the best film of its genre. In fact, it's one of the best films...a classic. The music by John Williams is superior to all other such films. The direction, the writing, the editing are nearly perfect. Sure, the special effects are dated. And sure, some of the characters are portrayed in a tongue-in-cheek manner. But thats exactly how the Superman comics were portrayed prior to the '80's. My personal favorite superhero film. And Superman 2 is almost as good (although some would argue it's better). Superman 2 gives you that romantic payoff that you were craving from the first film. And the action is ramped up. Both films are fantastic.
I have met Tyler Hoechlin and Brandon Routh but Christopher Reeve will always be my favorite Superman actor.
@@beestingza Tyler Hoechlin plays Superman in the tv series "Superman and Lois" on the CW. Brandon Routh played Superman in Superman Returns which is a 2006 movie.
One of Superman's two creators (writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster), was actually born and raised in Canada (in Toronto), at least until he was a teenager -- Joe Shuster later moved with his parents to Cleveland, Ohio where he met Jerry Siegel, and the rest is history.
Helicopter rescue = best superhero moment until Steve Rogers in Endgame. 40 years of unsurpassed awesomeness. Bravo, Christopher Reeve, bravo.
I'd probably go with Thor in Infinity War
"bring me Thanos!!!"
@@Jarsia Heresy! But they both involve Norse artefacts after all so I'll let it pass.
Thank you for a great reaction. You definitely need to react to Superman 2, it's a perfect sequel! If you enjoyed the romance in this movie, you will absolutely adore Superman 2!
Oh my. This video is so ice. This was my first movie in a theater back in 79 when I was 5. It's so refreshing too see your reactions, as they're very close to mine when I saw this film. I've seen it many times since but it's always a pleasure to see it through the eyes of a first-time viewer.
YES! It's worth watching Superman II. You'll get what you want, and more! However, I was not a huge fan of Superman III (even though Richard Pryor was awesome) or the fourth one because it had lost some of the magic from the first two, but I will agree with others on here that Christopher Reeve was the best actor for the job. I think the part was well suited for his strength and his character in real life. ❤️
I'd watch Superman 3 for the junkyard/quarry scene, the rest is throw away...
as a child i used to root for the badguy in part 4. forgot his name.
I agree the junkyard scene was good. As for the bad guy in Supe 4, I think it was Nuclear Man. Even though I didn't talk up Reeve's last two Superman movies, I just ordered all four of them, lol! He will always be Superman to me! ❤️
Watch the Richard donner cut of Superman 2. He was the original director but was replaced part way thru.
I already watched theatrical cut if Superman 2 but would like to see Donner cut in future
Again the genius of John Williams’ score made the movie that much better.
I'm so glad you watched this. You've entered a whole new world. There's much to say about this franchise. As others will likely point out, the Superman sequel comes in several flavors. The cut people saw next, "Superman II" (1980), was of course in theaters. Then there's a version of the Superman you just watched, rereleased in 1981, which was extended to 188 minutes with scenes that were deleted from the theatrical cut. There's also a 182 minute network cut for television, released in 1982.
Finally and importantly, there's "Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut" (2006). If you want to know why this cut exists, I would suggest setting aside an hour or two to read about it (after watching it). There's so much drama that happened behind the scenes for all four of the Superman films. In summary, Donner, the original director for Superman I & II, was fired and replaced during "II" even after most of the scenes were shot. The result was such a different film, that it affected the continuity from "I". Ultimately he was brought back decades later to complete his original vision.
If you decide to watch the "Donner Cut" instead of the original theatrical cut, you will see where Donner would have changed the ending of "I" to fit "II" and it could become confusing. I don't have much advice to offer other than to watch every single cut, eventually. I think the differences are significant enough to warrant it, though you might want to avoid watching all of them for a TH-cam audience.
I can't say which would be best for your audience if you just pick one. The 1980 cut would make the most sense for continuity, but the 2006 cut reveals more of what the first two films were supposed to be. I would have no objections to watching you watch both.
The Christopher Reeve Superman franchise is the best superhero franchise as far as I'm concerned. The original soundtrack is my third favorite John Williams score to this day. As a kid I wore the cape (as I frightened my mother with pretending to jump off the roof of our house), and I had a chance to meet Christopher when he came to our city for a superhero tour. I walked directly past Lou Ferrigno as The Incredible Hulk performing feats of strength, anxious to see the better hero.
@@KittyBoom360 SPOILER ALERT
The "Donner Cut" was in some ways meant to rewrite both "I" and "II", evidenced by the reuse of scenes and story from the theatrical cuts.
The big continuity problem Donner faced was with the ending of "I", and it isn't as much an obvious error as it is an oddity that should never have happened. Donner didn't want "I" to end with Superman turning back time. That was just supposed to happen at the end of "II".
"I" was supposed to end with Superman stopping BOTH missiles from causing the earthquake. As a result, there would be no need to turn back time. Instead, it was supposed to end with one of the missiles he hurled into space freeing the Kryptonians, precisely what you see being recapped in the beginning of the "Donner Cut" as if it happened in "I".
Then there were changes to Lois in the "Donner Cut", making the character more serious than in "I" or "II" because of the film footage he had to work with. Donner had to use a lot of test footage to piece together this new cut. For example, the scene at the hotel where Lois pulls a gun on Clark was filmed before the rest of the movie, and almost certainly before some of the scenes in "I", so the two appear younger than they should for a sequel to "I".
There are a lot of other inconsistencies between "I" and the "Donner Cut", but they're mostly minor.
The bottom line is that people who are fans of "Superman: The Movie" (1978), should just go ahead and watch all the sequels and their various cuts. They all have something unique to offer. As poorly as "III" is often critiqued, it actually contains my favorite scene in the entire Christopher Reeve franchise.
DOUBLE SPOILER ALERT
The conflict between Clark and Superman is a masterpiece of acting. The dialogue could have been more polished, but Reeve executed the concept flawlessly. You really felt that inner struggle between good and evil manifested in the physical confrontation. Sometimes I just watch that scene and skip the rest of the movie.
34:56 He bypassed the courts system! 😁
This film came out in 1978 when I was a young child, and I saw it when it came on TV and I loved it! Before Superman, there weren't any real superhero films. Superman captured everyone's imagination. In the late 80's, I still loved the film and had a complete crush on Superman/Kent. Tall, dark-haired, blue eyes! Reeve was perfect for the role and for many people, is the greatest person ever to have played Superman.
Because I "grew up" with Superman, it's almost hard for me to understand how you don't know anything about him.
The first time Supes saves Lois Lane is a fabulous scene. For the time, the effects were fabulous. Supes was perfectly charming, Lois was fabulous and the dialogue is perfect! It remains, for me, one of the greatest scenes in cinema history.
Viewing it now, there are parts that are a little dated, but generally, it's a fabulous film and has a lot of nostalgia.
Oh, and the perfect musical score for a film!
PS: Oh, yes, you have to watch the second film!
It is sad how years later after making the films, Reeve was involved in a terrible horse-riding accident and sustained a high spinal fracture and was paralysed from the neck down. He died years later, aged only 52. Superman died.
Christopher Reeve was the sexiest Superman that there ever was.
Yes. Yes, The Rocketeer! Such a simple, fun , satisfying story.
Jen, from the thumbnail you look like Supergirl!
Great film!
The Rocketeer! What a bloody great movie. A shame it never received the acclaim it deserved.
The rocketeer is a wonderful pulp adventure film. It has a perfect script with almost no fat on it. Also Jennifer Connelly, in her 20s wearing late 1930s Hollywood starlet outfits.
Most of the viewers already know these things, but to help you get the feel Superman ... The older TV show starred George Reeves. When the movie came out the ad said "You will believe a man can fly!" I was in the military at the time and when I returned from lunch the office was empty. They had all gone out to watch the movie! The effects remember were not digital. All had to be created with film. A big part of the reason to work for a major newspaper was to keep tabs on what's happening in the world.
You should definitely watch 2. The third one has its problems and not as good as the first 2 but still watchable. If you like Christopher Reeve, you should check him out in "Somewhere in Time" which is a time traveling romantic film.
And remake of Village of the Damned with Kirsty Alley.
The Donner Cut of Superman 2 was great, but not very polished.
Even though I worked on Mackinac Island, and knew many of the extras in Somewhere in Time, that movie was awful on so many levels.
Yes you should definitely watch Superman 2 and now there's 2 versions of Superman 2 the theatrical cut and the Richard Donner cut the theatrical cut is better because that's the one I grew up watching and the story is great plus there are 4 Superman movies with Christopher Reeve there's more movies but to me Christopher Reeve will always be the true Superman and he'll always be number 1 rest in peace sir
Was going to suggest the same thing to her Joe about checking out "Somewhere in Time" but you beat me too it haha.
33:48 His method clearly reverses the Earth's rotation! We all saw it! But yes, his flight speed would do the "trick" as it were, if his intention was actual Time Travel. In the comics, for our benefit whenever he was drawn flying through his time warp, they wrote the years on the colored rings within it! 😁
Interesting note, people often question the glasses part, how does no one recognize him? If you notice his voice, posture, the way he walks, everything changes, the one problem with Henry Cavill is he does not get the Clark part down as well. Also, Reeves got in great shape for the role, but he did not get very bulky as, if your strength is from being an alien, why would you be huge?
Lets face it the script in Man of Steel was average at best. I dont really blame Henry Cavill for the way he portrays clark kent. I could see him pull off that geeky glasses type, he is a good actor I just feel the writing isnt there for him and direction as a lot of people feel Zack Synder is kinda over rated.
@@Andy2481 IMO, as an alien invasion movie, "Man of Steel" wasn't bad. As a Superman movie, it missed the mark.
Fun bit of trivia: this movie is where the screenwriting maxim of Save The Cat earned its name. Meaning that if you really want an audience to connect with your hero, have them do something completely selfless for a defenseless being very early in your story. It had been a principle of heroic storytelling for a long time, but Superman's example in this movie gave it a nice, 3-word label.
LETHAL WEAPON 3
did it too
Jen! Sometime when you get a minute, look up the auditions for Lois, and you'll see why Margot Kidder got it. So many famous actresses and beautiful models tried out, but her school-girl crush take on the part killed it. The casting director knew they had their Lois.
wow Id like t o have that link or is the Margot kidder audition here on Y Tube? Its a shame she died so young, I only read that she was down and out.
Instead of giving you the links (which I'm afraid YT might delete), do a search on this exact title: Original Screen Tests for Lois Lane - Superman: The Movie.@@michaelceraso1977
back in the 60s I would read Superman in the comics- THE 2000s gave us Smallville about Clark Kent in High School years & such; the show SMALLVILLE 11 seasons
Watching this and hearing the incredible music by John Williams take me right back to 1978 when I was 8 years old sitting in a movie theater with my family and being totally blown away by this movie! Love this!
That's such iconic music, shame we don't get to hear it in any newer movies.
Me too! Left theater thinking … I know he can’t really fly but maybe he can just a little bit. Just blown away as a 7 year old.
Same..7 amazing..that and Star Wars
25:59 Actor Larry Hagman seemed to have specialized in playing funny military men, especially in "I Dream of Jeannie"! Yesterday I saw him be "Colonel Pitt" in "The Eagle Has Landed"! However, in the drama "Fail Safe" he didn't play for laughs. 🤔
He is also famous for being "JR Ewing" in "Dallas"! 🤠
Fun fact: all the scenes that took place in Kansas (Smallville) were actually photographed in Alberta, Canada! Other than some location shooting near Gallup, New Mexico and in New York City, the film was mostly shot on soundstages in England.
Perfeito roteiro desse filme: Superman dar a volta ao mundo e redefinir os acontecimentos... digno de Oscar ❤
The mirror prison is called The Phantom Zone.
I saw it in the theater. The 'phone booth' bit had everyone in hysterical laughter.
This movie was HUGE when it came out. It was before its time as far as superhero movies, which are the mainstay of Marvel & DC now. It's tragic what happened to Christopher Reeve. Deathtrap, starring Reeve and Michael Caine, is one of his best films.
Thank you for dressing the part. You understood the assignment. Great reaction. I hope you enjoy Superman II. 😊
😍👍
Oh Jen, we _all_ crushed hard on *Christopher Reeve* as *Superman!* Hell, I'm 43 and _still_ crush on this Supes! So you're not alone, baby-girl 🥰💙❤️
Also, here's a fun fact for you:
When young (teenage) Clark is racing the train, the girl we see witnessing it is actually a young Lois Lane; her parents were played by *Kirk Alyn* & *Noel Neill,* who played the _original_ live-action *Superman* & *Lois Lane,* respectively.
Canonically, thanks to TheCW’s "Arrowverse," the correct way to watch these *Superman* movies is:
1. _'Superman: The Movie'_ (1978).
2. _'Superman II'_ (Theatrical Release) (1980).
3. _'Superman III'_ (1983).
4. _'Supergirl'_ (1984).
5. _'Superman Returns'_ (2006).
6. _'Crisis on Infinite Earths'_ (Arrowverse Crossover Event) (2020).
Thanks Brit! Definitely want to see more of Supes! 😆👍
@@jenmurrayxo glad I could help.
I deliberately left off _'Superman IV: The Quest For Peace'_ (1987) because it’s both universally hate as the _worst_ *Superman* movie, in cinematic history, _and_ because it was erased from the now canonical timeline. All that being said, if you want to watch it, just to say that you’ve seen it, I of course 100% support that decision.
In your own time (if you have the time), I’d also recommend the 90’s tv series _'Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman'._ Yes, the actor Dean Cain has some questionable ethics & behaviour, these days, but the series in which he played the titular *Clark/Superman* is still significant, and worth watching, imho. 🙂
*_Sending hugs_* as always 🥰❤️
No nuclear man on the timeline booo 😂😂😂
@@imbatmanhi3363 #5 will not be mentioned. Even Christopher hated it.
@@jenmurrayxo Only this one and the sequel are great films. You'll love the next one. 🦸
10:38 In the comics they eventually realized how crowded they had made the North Pole! Superman and Doc Savage, each having their own "Fortress of Solitude" and Santa Claus having his North Pole Village! 😀 So eventually during one of many reboots, Superman was relocated to the South Pole! 😮
I cannot tell you how many times I watched this movie when I was a child and still to this day it holds a special place to me.
I went with my family to see this in a theater in NYC. I was 9 years old and fell head-over-heels in love with Christopher Reeve. 🥰 I saw it a bunch more times with my friends.
And yeah, I love those Krypton suits at the beginning!
(The destruction of Krypton is still harrowing.)
Clark just "broke the fourth wall" with his super strength! Seriously, he totally looked at the audience after he caught that bullet. It won't be the last time.
32:27 When she took her children to see the movie, they cried! She told Johnny Carson that she forgot that her character died briefly! 😁
I agree with some of the other comments here, there’s four films in the series .. but part 2, is the only one of those remaining that is really worth watching.
And, I also agree that with all due respect given to the director of Superman I, the theatrical cut is what I’d recommend over the extended and altered after the fact Donner cut. The theatrical cut just flows, so much more nicely. And I believe you’ll get what you’re looking for just fine out of the theatrical experience.
Yes, I was disappointed in the Richard Donner cut of Superman 2, but I imagine that's because it was made only with shots that were available to Richard Donner instead of ones he might have been able to shoot if he had been on the project all the way through.
I agree also the original release of part 2 , is much better . The Donner cut seems like a bunch of practice takes that were never perfected . It's ironic because most of part 2 was filmed by Donner , Lester i believe directed the Paris scenes , and the small town in Idaho scenes . But almost everything else had already been shot by Donner . I think the mix of Donner and Lester worked the best .
@@JustWasted3HoursHere ditto!
I LOVED the little speech he gives Lois after the helicopter rescue ("I hope this little incident hasn't put you off flying, Miss!") LOL Such a fantastic portrayal of Superman!
This is a pretty good movie, the first really “big” Superman movie although he had been on the screen many times from the 1940s onward. In fact Kirk Alyn and Noelle Neill, who played Clark and Lois in some of the older films, both appear in a brief cameo when young Clark is outrunning the train. (!) Very nice touch there. 💜
Christopher was definitely a gorgeous superman, such beautiful eyes ❤
Remember seeing this as a kid, guess that's why it hits me soo hard. Clark's youth and discovery is so good. The movie set the standard still valid today.
The poem Lois recites on her first flight with Superman are the title and lyrics to the franchise love theme “Can You Read My Mind.”
Yes, the song was sung by Maureen McGovern.
In the comics he could travel in time back when this movie was made. He routinely travelled to the 30th century. Or rather, his younger self Superboy did.
But there was an interesting rule in the comics where history was unchangeable.. All the time-traveling was actually "part of history" and could never be changed.
Yes for Superman II. Movies 1 and 2 were originally 1 script that got split into 2. 😊
Superman II is on my channel!
Nice to see a reaction to this classic, there aren't many of them. Superman 2 is very much worth watching. As others have stated, the theatrical cut will make for a better first viewing. The alternate "Donner Cut" of Superman 2 is interesting but due to some clunky editing and re-used footage, it doesn't work well as a direct sequel. It functions much better as a supplement to the more complete theatrical version.
😄 Jen, your costume! 😃🤦♂️😁👍
4:37 🤣🤣🤣
I was born in '78, so this was the Superman of my childhood. In second place was the '50s TV show, staring George Reeves... Yes, the first actor to become famous as Superman was named Reeves. No relation to Reeve. 😄
Great review and reaction, Jen. Yes, Superman II is well worth watching and the romance continues, there are four Christopher Reeve Superman films in all, but the first two are the best ones, after Superman II it's downhill. There is a Supergirl film too, which is pretty good.
"Black hair, blue eyes, doesn't drink, doesn't smoke and tells the truth!" BRILLIANT delivery line by Valerie Perrine (Miss Tessmacher).
"What kills Superman? Anything? Nothing?" Funny you should ask that. It's actually so famous it has entered the everyday modern lexicon. We'll get there...! ❇️
Doomsday in the 90s also worked
Magic can also harm him.
Kryyyppponite!!! Lol
@@StCerberusEngel vulnerable but doesn't harm like kryyyppponite. Lol
I thought "how odd and wonderful it is to see someone who's never heard of kryptonite." Great reaction!
Fun fact: The story, at least as I hear it, is that when they cast Superman, Christopher Reeve was a struggling theater actor around age 24. His agent had to fight hard for him to be considered-and when he was told that director Richard Donner was reluctantly going to interview him, he was unbelievably nervous. He hit the gym obsessively for weeks before the interview, because he was a skinny kid who didn't feel he had Superman's physique. He put on something like 30 pounds of muscle before meeting with Richard Donner at the Sherry-Netherland Hotel.
Apparently, when we walked in as a 6-foot-4 wall of muscle, Donner was immediately unimpressed, as he'd been interviewing one macho bodybuilder after another for the part and was sick to death of them. But within seconds, reaching to shake his hand, Reeve was still not used to how much bigger his body had become, and he promptly spilled Donner's drink all over him. He had a minor freakout, and tried to clean it up: "Oh my God, I'm so sorry, Mr. Donner, I'm so sorry..." and was rattled for the rest of the interview.
After the interview, which he thought went terribly, Donner apparently said, "I've seen a dozen good Supermans for the part. But that guy is my Clark Kent." Donner immediately set up Reeve's formal screen test, and pushed the producers for him, based on how he watched Reeve flip from a confident, imposing, impressive man entering the room to a meek, nervous kid in the space of about 5 seconds.
There are no words to express how this film exudes the legacy of the character from the comics to the culture.
Oscar-winning and a box office champ as well.
If you wish to pursue these films further, it might be complicated.
2 versions of Superman II exists:the Richard Lester cut is theatrical and the Richard Donner cut is the original vision.
Superman III (1983) is from the director of Superman II and takes an interesting path with the character(s).
Superman IV (1987) with the exception of Christopher Reeve being involved with the story, it's the most hated sequel and was the final chapter for awhile.
Superman Returns (2006) takes place after the first 2 films.
Refreshing the franchise with a sequel as the follow-up of those films only (Requel is the term).
Parts 3 and 4 aren't not acknowledged.
Other that that, enjoy the flight.
"How big are you?" 😂😂😂
It's been a while since I saw this movie and I completely forgot that line.
Christopher Reeve is the best Superman 🦸♂️.
32:56 Congratulations! Your picture quality doesn't make it look like he saved a model railroad layout! 😎👍
Superman 2 is definitely worth watching. I think they even filmed 1 and 2 concurrently. Remember those three villains at the beginning that got shot into space? Well, when Supe sends the nuclear rocket into space at the end, it accidentally shatters their prism prison, and they head straight to Earth, all three with the powers of Superman. It's pretty epic. Not as good as the first movie, but still very good. Oh, and yes, the romance continues with Superman and Lois in Part 2, so you definitely get more of that. Part 3 tried to turn into a comedy with Richard Pryor actually in it, and it doesn't work very well. Worth watching as a "so bad it's good," but Part 4 crossed the line into so bad it is just bad, and another Superman movie wasn't made for decades. Still, in my opinion (and many others) the 1978 original is STILL the best.
I never grew up with Christopher Reeve as Superman but he is my favorite Supernan. I nver liked Superman growing up, I was into Batman more. The animated series and Justice League didn't do much for me, but when I watched Christopher Reeve's movies, I fell in love with Superman. There was something charming about his movies that I still love it to this day, even if it is old.
A real joy to watch your reaction. Not spoiled by Superman spoilers throughout your life makes it very cool for us that we get to see you explore and learn. If you watch more Superman (after Christopher's), I'd suggest watching them in the order they were released.
For a bonus and after you've watched a few more there is a documentary on a Tim Burton superman movie that was not made.
When Clark is racing the train in Smallville, the little girl on the train (Lois) that notices him is supposed to be a young Lois Lane seeing her first super-feat. She tries to get the attention of her mother, who is played by Noel Neill, the actress that played Lois Lane in the 40's and 50's.
You forgot Kirk Alyn who played Superman, too. He was on the train sitting across from Noel Neil.
@@kingsman8475 You're correct, although most of him ended up on the cutting room floor.
Jen Murray, he's not just, "so strong". He can literally move planets and hold mini-black holes in his hands.
I think this is my favorite John Williams theme. And Lois Lane is arguably the best female character in the entire history of Superhero comics.