When I was tiny, my grandmother played a trumpet for a symphony and she knew I loved Superman. When we were at a concert, the conductor told a tale of a very young boy in the audience that loved Superman, so this was for me. She convinced the whole syphony to learn the Superman theme for me. That moment became a core memory I never let go of.
Superman the movie is exquisitely comic book. It manages to encompass every aspect of the medium: camp, melodrama, fantasy, comedy, silliness, depth, artistry, wonder, escapism, and sincerity.
Someone once said that modern society finds Superman boring and wants him to change to fit the modern day with more of a cynic yet godly tone, and then said: Superman shouldn't change to fit our standarts; we should." And that hit.
I've never understood this notion that Superman fans have, that people finding him boring is indicative of a moral failure on society rather than just plain disinterest. I also don't take seriously superhero fans or media (not you) who aim to critique "modern cynicism", as it rarely engages meaningfully with that cynicism and boils down to the lazy 'it's the kids who are wrong' mindset. And I'd argue the idea that "Superman shouldn't change, the world should change around him" reinforces the idea of him being unrelatable: characters and people are influenced heavily by the world around them. If that doesn't apply to Superman, he's not a character, a person, or even a mascot. This mentality really only benefits insular fan communities (also not you) unwilling to let the character meaningfully change or evolve.
@@ashuebot-tabi4449 it's Superman. He doesn't need to be relatable. He didn't need to be like us, he needs to be greater than us, hence the name SUPERman. He's a paragon character, which by definition don't undergo much growth. He is supposed to be the ideal that we strive to live up to. Perhaps the lens that we use to view him can change to allow viewers and readers to comprehend him (as described in the video when remarked about how to make a movie about a 30's character in the 70's) but his concept should and does transcend society.
My god, Christopher Reeve is SO fucking good at immediately commanding attention, and engendering credibility and trustworthiness. Even if he never became an actor he'd still be remembered as one of the best public speakers of the century. I could listen to that man talk about just about anything.
"The philosophy of the film isn't to update the material, but to educate people on how to appreciate it." I'm just gonna leave this down here in case you guys missed that brilliant point.
I'm not sure I'd agree, as this film makes several changes to the material that would have appealed to audiences back then: action evoking the era's disaster films rather than sci-fi, the emphasis on drama and verisimilitude over comic book "wackiness", Smallville's romanticized depiction piece of America rather than a standard small town, Lex being changed to a financially motivated villain rather than mad scientist, the more sexual undertones compared to the chaste CCA era, etc. The two approaches aren't mutually exclusive. Even beyond this film I don't think that's a healthy way to approach adaptations.
Again.... Superman DID change. Christopher Reeve isn't playing George Reeves' paternalistic Superman who often sees humanity itself as the problem, nor is he playing Seigel and Shuster's Superman who fights corrupt landlords and sweatshop owners. He's playing an "updated" Superman who gives an optimistic take on "The American Way". Superman is always updated for the time. Henry Cavill's version was also an update for his time. That's part of the character.
@@ashuebot-tabi4449 @itntamir He didn't say that the film features no update on the material or that it does not seek to adapt it. He said that the PHILOSOPHY of the film is not to update the material. Meaning it was not the guiding principle of the film to fundamentally alter the core characteristics and values of Superman's mythology to make him more appealing to modern or casual audiences. This is what separates Superman: The Movie from something like Man of Steel.
Okay, so people are saying there were updates and changes to Superman and his mythos, but what's being missed that the updates aren't what the movie's about. It has a whole lot more to say than 'the Fortress of Solitude is now made of crystals' and I believe that's what the point here is. Certainly, one can interrogate the notion that 'the material' is just one thing, but it certainly ought to be self-evident that the updates were made to serve the film but the film was not made to serve the changes. As for me, I feel like in a cynical post-Watergate, post-Vietnam War era in the U.S., the philosophy of the film is meant to contradict this cynicism. It's to suggest that rather than adopting an 'every man for himself' worldview, what is better is to be a friend to all, with no act of helping too large, and no act of friendship beneath us. It's countering heartless and ruthless individualism with a kind and humane 'we can make the world better when we are a friend to those in need'.
I saw once online that Marvel has always excelled when they make stories about taking the everyman and elevating them to gods,/ and seeing how they use those powers despite their human nature. DC has always excelled at making stories about Gods who become human, and seeing how they explore human nature despite their powers. Superman is at his best when he's aspirational, an expression of someone powerful actually showing our best attributes rather than becoming a cynical, distant figure or a muscleman. There's a reason why Lex Luthor is his villain.
exactly. The flash has nigh-limitless speed, yet he still always manages to be late. Martian manhunter can read basically anyone's mind yet he's still an outcast and can't understand them.
@@ProjektTaku Martian Manhunter doesn't have Clark's advantage of being raised on Earth since he was a baby. Manhunter was already an adult when with a walth of Martian culture, traditions and ways of thinking when he came to Earth.
The concept of a hero with hardworking, country living values and sharing that same pride with his biological origins from another country,(in his, a whole planet) is something to be admired.
Your breakdown of Clark Kent reminds me of the speech Bill makes about it in Kill Bill. I remember that being taken as a serious deconstruction/explanation and having a problem with it. As I got older, I realized that Bill wasn't meant to be right about Clark Kent. Bill is seeing Superman through the lense of his own personality, his view of the world. A man like Bill can't fathom that Clark is an earnest man, and that his Metropolis persona isn't his parody of mankind, or how he sees us. He can't understand that Superman sees the best in us, and is purposefully being the sort of guy that makes people comfortable around him and even want to help him out
I have decided that Superman does not reverse the rotation of the Earth to make time go back. He is just simply doing a Barry Allen with his speed and everything reversing is just a visual for that happening.
Everytime I hear the Superman theme my mind goes back to the tag line "You will belive a man can fly" I do believe even as a child of the 90s I believe that a man can fly and it's magic
This Superman movie will always be my favorite because it had the stones to let Superman unapologetically say, "I'm here to fight for truth, justice, and the American way!"
This movie is fantastic. It came to mind earlier today, when someone wished for gore and mayhem in the new 'My Adventures with Superman' cartoon, and called it 'too kiddy'. It's weird to me that this would be someone's Superman preference. As for me, I like the guy who rescues cats from trees. I like a guy who can catch me and a helicoptor from falling, then when I ask him who he is answers, "a friend". I simply will never see the appeal or murdery god in a cape when I can have a very human guy who just wants to lend a hand with a smile.
I think that may be because its on adult swim, so it was expected to be more adult. I personally don't mind, and in fact I think that plays to its strengths, since it they want to tackle more dark and complex topics they can on adult swim but also just be a show for kids.
First of all, this video is the ultimate primer for understanding SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE and everything that makes it so majestic. Kudos! After watching it, and reading the lovely comments posted here, I've come to realize something: Superman is typically embraced the strongest by two kinds of people -- the very young, and the very mature. The young respond instinctively to the character's kindness and inspirational qualities; the mature understand that to get to where Superman is, we have to endure a lot of life. That includes love, joy, pain, disappointment, growth, disillusionment, hope, regret, faith in others, and most of all patience. Superman has tremendous patience with everyone, and he's willing to wait for us to catch up to him and his ideals. Superman's investment in the human race demonstrates him going the distance for us...because he knows it's a long-distance race that's worth winning.
One of the greatest comic films ever. When people talk about the greatest comic movies ever, they tend not to bring this one up, probably because it’s on the older side, which is a shame because Superman (1978) is so good and so influential.
This Superman movie is one of the most influential films that defines who Superman is and what he stands for. It's a great Superman story that still holds to this day. Christopher Reeve was definitely the ideal Clark Kent and Superman.
As a missive snyderfan, I don't know what it is about your videos. whether it's your writing, your tone or just the fact that you actually care about seeing what's right and what's wrong and what's happening in a movie that has really helped me understand the valid criticisms of man of steel and snyder's take. While I of course still enjoy the many good parts of that iteration, you've really helped me see it in a proper, critical but appreciative light.
I've always loved the movie but though of it as nothing but a classic with great acting and writing, not an actual cinematic phenomena Didn't think about it as a deep film that actually had more messages than the obvious ones. Thank you for reminding me what a great film Superman is.
while there's been a lot of great films from marvel and DC including the 1989 "batman" film. for me, richard donner's 1978 film version of "superman" is and always will be the greatest superhero film ever made.
I so adore your RUclips films. And they are films; short documentaries with all the finely crafted care of the best Discovery Channel or TLC Documentaries. Films of education; films of art; films of wonder. Too much? Ehh - I'm biased. I really enjoy everything you make. Keep it up. You will go far one day.
When Superman comes back I really do want to see this version of him, I don’t want him to be some intergalactic titan with some militaristic or futuristic outfit and there to be a bunch of explosions, I want it to be small in scale, I think that’s where superman thrives, to be the bigger person helping out the smaller, always giving someone another chance to change for the better and do the same
I remember the death of Pa Kent in this movie hitting me very hard existentially and made me appreciate the fragility of life and the presence of our loved ones.
If you do Superman 2, do both theatrical and Donner's cuts. But I can still watch this from beginning to end before the credits. Just don't understand why my DVD doesn't have Miss Tesmscher hanging over the put
Will never stop saying that the simplicity of Superman is that he's a human soul, in particular a small town country boy soul, that has the powers of a god. He's not a god trying to figure out how to relate to humans, his relationships are always human and if anything he's a mystery to aliens who are confused by why he values and treats as equals these lowly humans. Superman doesn't hold himself above humanity. His human heart is always trying to figure out how to use these god powers to help humanity.
It's incredible how just Jonathan Kent saying "oh no" can bring you to the verge of tears and create more of an emotional reaction than I find any scene in Man of Steel.
This and the second one are easy classics. Maybe there will be a Superman better than Chris Reeves, but there will never be a better Clark Kent than him.
Great video. I love how you contrasted what this movie understood about Superman with what Man of Steel did wrong. While this movie wasn’t perfect, it got so much right and respected the characters whereas MoS was just a disaster
Superman Returns had so much potential to do something similar. Full of hope and fully embracing Truth, Justice, and the American Way. I wish they had used Superman THE animated series as inspiration for that movie instead of trying to make a sequel to the Christopher Reeve Superman movies.
It's a classic for a reason. This is my dad's favorite because he saw this film when he was a teen with his dad. Its just that good and I agree it is the best
If a film wants to use US military equipment and soldiers, they have to run the script by the Pentagon so they can ensure that the US military isn't put into a bad light. It's been like that for decades. The early "Transformers" movies went through the same thing for all the war pr0n. If you watch movies with the military as bad guys, they always use cheaper equipment or substitute other civilian owned machines (tanks, jeeps, what have you) in place.
Can't do better then superman the animated series from the 90s. Just watch the first episode of that and see what the Kryptonian council are wearing, and once your done laughing your ass off watch the rest of it.
2:42- That point you're making on the film's goals gets continuously more absent in a good number of modern interpretations when style is made more essential than substance.
I grew up in the 90's through EdgeLord cynicism, it's not good that it's coming back. I didn't understand Superman as a youth, he was boring. Superman is an ideal. The original comic book paragon. He always does the right thing. Good writing can make Superman hit like few other characters. Bad writing leaves him boring. Kal-El Superman is good because he's Clark Kent that was raised by great people. Nurture over Nature
I just want to say thank you. I’ve been watching your content for a long time now when the channel was a lot smaller and I didn’t think people appreciated you enough, but it looks like they finally are. Superman is one of my favorite movies nothing else makes you feel the way that movie does.
I have all the original Superman movies, and the modern Man of Steel series, also. ... I've watched Man of steel, twice, at most. I can't help but put 'Superman : the movie' into the DVD drive at least once a month! I too don't like what was done with Krypton... I always admired the Krypton of the original movie and what I remember of the comics. It reminds me classical concept of tragedy. A man may be perfect, a paragon, but for one flaw and that flaw will be his undoing. The definition of a true tragedy. They were an ancient and honorable society, virtuous .... but with their great age came a certain amount of hubris-like smugness that the end could not come, ... and that certainty was their undoing.
Maybe the nostalgia for an idealized America is why the movie never clicked with me. I grew up on a farm and in a small town myself, surrounded by objects and attitudes from a "simpler time," and always found it oppressive, decrepit, and creepy. There's an undercurrent to the first 5 Superman movies that always made me a bit uncomfortable. And I related much more to Kal-El in Man of Steel. But that's just personal experience ofc, can certainly understand why someone would connect with Reeve Superman more.
I’m so sick of people saying Clark is a mask. Clark is the true persona. He is a farm boy with manners humble and kind. Superman is his mask he used to utilize his powers to do what Clark does but on a global scale. The only thing mos gets right is when he says I grew up in Kansas I’m as American as it gets
Yeah people are mixing it up. Clark is genuinely how he is. Superman is something he puts on for other people's benefit but deep down he's stilk the mild mannered farmboy from Kansas.
Over the years and as I've grown older, I've gotten to appreciate Superman: The Movie to the point where it has become one of my favourite superhero movies, along with epics like Infinity War, Guardians 3 or The Batman. Its sense of wonder, its dramatic effect, the balance between seriousness and campy comedy, the performances from such a fantastic cast, Richard Donner's out-of-this-world direction, and John Williams' iconic soundtrack. It's such a perfect movie on so many levels.
Fantastic video. What a great dive I to Superman. My only critique would be that Clark Kent isn't the mask. Superman is the mask. Bruce Wayne is a mask. Js js
I'm so glad James Gunn is adapting this innocent and traditional Superman for Superman: Legacy. One of the major problems I had with Snyder's Superman was he was constantly being put up on a pedestal like he was a God, but as what's been said, we don't share the same emotions he does. For a God, he's pretty emotionally bland. Snyder's Superman just reacts to every situation while Reeve's Superman...acts. And when he acts, it's in the best interests of everyone around him. And he acts with a smile. So I'm glad that Gunn is willing to harken back to a Superman who just fights for Truth, Justice and the American way. And combined with Corenswet's already farmboy, traditional attitude, I feel Superman: Legacy will be the Superman '78 of this generation.
This is my favourite movie of all time. Everything is just incredible. While we have the time travel stuff that is always knocked by people, I'm always willing to overlook it because the other two hours and twenty odd minutes are perfection. And the ending...that smile from Christopher Reeve as he flies off screen is something that we need again in movies. Leave the audience smiling. I return to this movie many times a year and each time I find something new to love. This is how Superman should be written, and I know Gunn will deliver something similar.
My favorite moment in Superman is in the All-star Superman comic, where Superman stops a deppressed girl from suicide by telling her that her therapist had good reasons for not being able to see her, and he hugs her. Really shows how the power does not make superman but his character. The main antagonist Lex Luthor believes that only he deserves to be mankind savior, and give himself Superman power to prove that. However, Superman gave him the realization that Lex Luthor could have always become a savior, he just did not care enough.
You should do an essay on Superman returns. Which tried to take inspiration from the Christopher Reeves movies, but ultimately bombed in creating a beloved Superman franchise. Would be interesting to get you take on why MoS was successful in this regard as a film but Superman Returns was not, despite this essay showing how much MoS(or Snyder more precisely) simply did not (and does not)understand Superman.
Ah superman 1, probably one of my favorite supes films. Glad to see you cover this, now im wondering if you'll subject yourself through supes 2,3 , 4 and returns
The idea that Superman never even flinches at the loss of his world seems to me a pretty big oversimplification of man of steel. The lingering desire to reclaim his roots in spite of its apparent imperfections, is an agony that he experiences over the course of the entire movie. It’s a reluctant desire, sure, but it’s the feeling of an adopted son, who knows his birth father deserted him, but wants to meet him anyway. It’s one of the things that makes Man of steel feel so grounded.
Can we stop pinning these movies against each other.... do your a cut and paste movie, just try to see the best in both movies and just understand the messages.
That was beautiful. Donner did the impossible and only a few have come close since. Reeve made me love Superman cuz I loved his Clark Kent so much as a kid. It's not like Batman, it's the reverse: you can't love the hero until you love the man inside. Donner remains the king.
" Even after a hundred years". Lol how dare you? man of Steel's interpretation of Clark is a direct view of its director, Zack Snyder. In my opinion, he's the one that couldnt imagine the Clark that we know. The kind man, the humble man, the curious man, the man that embraces the little things and how he connects with everyone when his power detaches him almost completely. Snyder mischaracterized Superman so completely they spent every other movie after it trying to repair that mis characterization. It will remain one of those most egregious comic book dipictions of the last 20 years. Not only that he wasted an actor with the range to bring that subtle nuance and kindness to life. I will never stop hating the Snyderverse for what it did to DC.
All you ever need to see truly understand the timeless magic that superheroes can create are two movies: Superman the Movie, and The Dark Knight. They are the perfect encapsulations of the opposite ends of the comic book superhero spectrum, and they both represent the absolute best of the genre. There are other amazing superhero films: Spiderverse, the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, etc. But Superman and The Dark Knight are and always will be the all time masterpieces of the genre.
Mr.Pretentious, as you avid viewer who enjoys your sociology lessons. It is my humble request to please make a video on another show, one which is not a property of DC comics or marvel comics. It is called Mr.Robot, I am sure you can make a video lecture on this series which would be a learning lesson for all of us :)
i really wish Christopher Reeve could have seen this video. i think he would be happy to still see people looking at the movie and trying to find new meaning and insight from it. awesome video.
When I was tiny, my grandmother played a trumpet for a symphony and she knew I loved Superman. When we were at a concert, the conductor told a tale of a very young boy in the audience that loved Superman, so this was for me. She convinced the whole syphony to learn the Superman theme for me. That moment became a core memory I never let go of.
grandmother W fr. thats amazing
@@silasrobledo It really was awesome. She was a fantastic woman.
Amazing!
Wow! That's wonderful!
Thts awesome dude
Superman the movie is exquisitely comic book. It manages to encompass every aspect of the medium: camp, melodrama, fantasy, comedy, silliness, depth, artistry, wonder, escapism, and sincerity.
You missed Beauty of the art, though you may have meant in with the word "Artistry" !
Someone once said that modern society finds Superman boring and wants him to change to fit the modern day with more of a cynic yet godly tone, and then said:
Superman shouldn't change to fit our standarts; we should."
And that hit.
@@Hunter_6601 These are the same people who turn around and don't support the material when they get what they want.
@@savagedarksider2147almost like art is subjective, or something.
@@savagedarksider2147 that's a real broad, sweeping generalization sure to keep you angry at groups instead of individuals
I've never understood this notion that Superman fans have, that people finding him boring is indicative of a moral failure on society rather than just plain disinterest. I also don't take seriously superhero fans or media (not you) who aim to critique "modern cynicism", as it rarely engages meaningfully with that cynicism and boils down to the lazy 'it's the kids who are wrong' mindset.
And I'd argue the idea that "Superman shouldn't change, the world should change around him" reinforces the idea of him being unrelatable: characters and people are influenced heavily by the world around them. If that doesn't apply to Superman, he's not a character, a person, or even a mascot. This mentality really only benefits insular fan communities (also not you) unwilling to let the character meaningfully change or evolve.
@@ashuebot-tabi4449 it's Superman. He doesn't need to be relatable. He didn't need to be like us, he needs to be greater than us, hence the name SUPERman. He's a paragon character, which by definition don't undergo much growth. He is supposed to be the ideal that we strive to live up to. Perhaps the lens that we use to view him can change to allow viewers and readers to comprehend him (as described in the video when remarked about how to make a movie about a 30's character in the 70's) but his concept should and does transcend society.
My god, Christopher Reeve is SO fucking good at immediately commanding attention, and engendering credibility and trustworthiness.
Even if he never became an actor he'd still be remembered as one of the best public speakers of the century. I could listen to that man talk about just about anything.
I too love the planet Kryptin
Tales From the Crypt’n
Sounds like a Swedish snack cracker. Try new Nabisco cheese Kryptins!
"Kryptin"
-Don Vito Corleone, A streetcar named desire
I love the part where he said ‘It’s krypt’in time’ and proceeded to krypt all over everyone
Kryptin > Krypton
Love the White glowing wardrobe and crystalline architecture....
"The philosophy of the film isn't to update the material, but to educate people on how to appreciate it."
I'm just gonna leave this down here in case you guys missed that brilliant point.
I'm not sure I'd agree, as this film makes several changes to the material that would have appealed to audiences back then: action evoking the era's disaster films rather than sci-fi, the emphasis on drama and verisimilitude over comic book "wackiness", Smallville's romanticized depiction piece of America rather than a standard small town, Lex being changed to a financially motivated villain rather than mad scientist, the more sexual undertones compared to the chaste CCA era, etc. The two approaches aren't mutually exclusive.
Even beyond this film I don't think that's a healthy way to approach adaptations.
Again.... Superman DID change. Christopher Reeve isn't playing George Reeves' paternalistic Superman who often sees humanity itself as the problem, nor is he playing Seigel and Shuster's Superman who fights corrupt landlords and sweatshop owners. He's playing an "updated" Superman who gives an optimistic take on "The American Way". Superman is always updated for the time. Henry Cavill's version was also an update for his time. That's part of the character.
@@ashuebot-tabi4449 @itntamir He didn't say that the film features no update on the material or that it does not seek to adapt it. He said that the PHILOSOPHY of the film is not to update the material. Meaning it was not the guiding principle of the film to fundamentally alter the core characteristics and values of Superman's mythology to make him more appealing to modern or casual audiences. This is what separates Superman: The Movie from something like Man of Steel.
@@calebmurphy9406 I know what he said.
Okay, so people are saying there were updates and changes to Superman and his mythos, but what's being missed that the updates aren't what the movie's about. It has a whole lot more to say than 'the Fortress of Solitude is now made of crystals' and I believe that's what the point here is. Certainly, one can interrogate the notion that 'the material' is just one thing, but it certainly ought to be self-evident that the updates were made to serve the film but the film was not made to serve the changes.
As for me, I feel like in a cynical post-Watergate, post-Vietnam War era in the U.S., the philosophy of the film is meant to contradict this cynicism. It's to suggest that rather than adopting an 'every man for himself' worldview, what is better is to be a friend to all, with no act of helping too large, and no act of friendship beneath us. It's countering heartless and ruthless individualism with a kind and humane 'we can make the world better when we are a friend to those in need'.
I saw once online that Marvel has always excelled when they make stories about taking the everyman and elevating them to gods,/ and seeing how they use those powers despite their human nature. DC has always excelled at making stories about Gods who become human, and seeing how they explore human nature despite their powers. Superman is at his best when he's aspirational, an expression of someone powerful actually showing our best attributes rather than becoming a cynical, distant figure or a muscleman. There's a reason why Lex Luthor is his villain.
exactly. The flash has nigh-limitless speed, yet he still always manages to be late. Martian manhunter can read basically anyone's mind yet he's still an outcast and can't understand them.
@@ProjektTaku Martian Manhunter doesn't have Clark's advantage of being raised on Earth since he was a baby. Manhunter was already an adult when with a walth of Martian culture, traditions and ways of thinking when he came to Earth.
The concept of a hero with hardworking, country living values and sharing that same pride with his biological origins from another country,(in his, a whole planet) is something to be admired.
Your breakdown of Clark Kent reminds me of the speech Bill makes about it in Kill Bill. I remember that being taken as a serious deconstruction/explanation and having a problem with it.
As I got older, I realized that Bill wasn't meant to be right about Clark Kent. Bill is seeing Superman through the lense of his own personality, his view of the world. A man like Bill can't fathom that Clark is an earnest man, and that his Metropolis persona isn't his parody of mankind, or how he sees us. He can't understand that Superman sees the best in us, and is purposefully being the sort of guy that makes people comfortable around him and even want to help him out
“Hey Jim! That’s one bad outfit. Whoo!”
I love hearing someone love Superman
I think before I could appreciate Supes, I first had to mature. Some people don't quite get there.
@@Trekkie46same
@@Trekkie46In this ever more cynical world, people tend to believe the opposite.
I have decided that Superman does not reverse the rotation of the Earth to make time go back. He is just simply doing a Barry Allen with his speed and everything reversing is just a visual for that happening.
That's how I've always interpreted it also.
Everytime I hear the Superman theme my mind goes back to the tag line "You will belive a man can fly" I do believe even as a child of the 90s I believe that a man can fly and it's magic
This Superman movie will always be my favorite because it had the stones to let Superman unapologetically say, "I'm here to fight for truth, justice, and the American way!"
This movie is fantastic. It came to mind earlier today, when someone wished for gore and mayhem in the new 'My Adventures with Superman' cartoon, and called it 'too kiddy'. It's weird to me that this would be someone's Superman preference. As for me, I like the guy who rescues cats from trees. I like a guy who can catch me and a helicoptor from falling, then when I ask him who he is answers, "a friend". I simply will never see the appeal or murdery god in a cape when I can have a very human guy who just wants to lend a hand with a smile.
I think that may be because its on adult swim, so it was expected to be more adult. I personally don't mind, and in fact I think that plays to its strengths, since it they want to tackle more dark and complex topics they can on adult swim but also just be a show for kids.
@@ProjektTaku Hm. That's a possibility. Still.... just watch Invincible instead, y'know?
This was beautifully made, I've seen lots of videos about "Superman One" this one reminded me why it's still my favorite.
edit: subbed!
The title of this video should read: "Why the Original Superman movie is the best Superman movie still"
First of all, this video is the ultimate primer for understanding SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE and everything that makes it so majestic. Kudos!
After watching it, and reading the lovely comments posted here, I've come to realize something: Superman is typically embraced the strongest by two kinds of people -- the very young, and the very mature. The young respond instinctively to the character's kindness and inspirational qualities; the mature understand that to get to where Superman is, we have to endure a lot of life. That includes love, joy, pain, disappointment, growth, disillusionment, hope, regret, faith in others, and most of all patience.
Superman has tremendous patience with everyone, and he's willing to wait for us to catch up to him and his ideals. Superman's investment in the human race demonstrates him going the distance for us...because he knows it's a long-distance race that's worth winning.
Well said 🤌
Brilliance!
"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."
One of the greatest comic films ever.
When people talk about the greatest comic movies ever, they tend not to bring this one up, probably because it’s on the older side, which is a shame because Superman (1978) is so good and so influential.
FELLOW TOGA STAN WITH GOOD TASTE
no.... THE GREATEST COMIC FILM EVER!!!!!
I love Superman the movie it’s really awesome and such a great movie
This Superman movie is one of the most influential films that defines who Superman is and what he stands for. It's a great Superman story that still holds to this day. Christopher Reeve was definitely the ideal Clark Kent and Superman.
As a missive snyderfan, I don't know what it is about your videos. whether it's your writing, your tone or just the fact that you actually care about seeing what's right and what's wrong and what's happening in a movie that has really helped me understand the valid criticisms of man of steel and snyder's take. While I of course still enjoy the many good parts of that iteration, you've really helped me see it in a proper, critical but appreciative light.
how do you put out so much content??? like props to you man holy rise krispies
youre superman videos are always so great
I've always loved the movie but though of it as nothing but a classic with great acting and writing, not an actual cinematic phenomena
Didn't think about it as a deep film that actually had more messages than the obvious ones. Thank you for reminding me what a great film Superman is.
He breaks the Sacred Timeline! 🤣
while there's been a lot of great films from marvel and DC including the 1989 "batman" film. for me, richard donner's 1978 film version of "superman" is and always will be the greatest superhero film ever made.
I so adore your RUclips films. And they are films; short documentaries with all the finely crafted care of the best Discovery Channel or TLC Documentaries. Films of education; films of art; films of wonder. Too much? Ehh - I'm biased. I really enjoy everything you make. Keep it up. You will go far one day.
When Superman comes back I really do want to see this version of him, I don’t want him to be some intergalactic titan with some militaristic or futuristic outfit and there to be a bunch of explosions, I want it to be small in scale, I think that’s where superman thrives, to be the bigger person helping out the smaller, always giving someone another chance to change for the better and do the same
I remember the death of Pa Kent in this movie hitting me very hard existentially and made me appreciate the fragility of life and the presence of our loved ones.
If you do Superman 2, do both theatrical and Donner's cuts. But I can still watch this from beginning to end before the credits. Just don't understand why my DVD doesn't have Miss Tesmscher hanging over the put
Greatest movie of all time
Will never stop saying that the simplicity of Superman is that he's a human soul, in particular a small town country boy soul, that has the powers of a god. He's not a god trying to figure out how to relate to humans, his relationships are always human and if anything he's a mystery to aliens who are confused by why he values and treats as equals these lowly humans.
Superman doesn't hold himself above humanity. His human heart is always trying to figure out how to use these god powers to help humanity.
It's incredible how just Jonathan Kent saying "oh no" can bring you to the verge of tears and create more of an emotional reaction than I find any scene in Man of Steel.
Wonderful analysis of a wonderful movie
It was the greatest and it still is.
This and the second one are easy classics. Maybe there will be a Superman better than Chris Reeves, but there will never be a better Clark Kent than him.
Great video. I love how you contrasted what this movie understood about Superman with what Man of Steel did wrong. While this movie wasn’t perfect, it got so much right and respected the characters whereas MoS was just a disaster
It's been a long time since I've seen this movie. I need to rewatch it. I miss Superman.
is it too early for a critique for MY ADVENTURES WITH SUPERMAN?
Superman Returns had so much potential to do something similar. Full of hope and fully embracing Truth, Justice, and the American Way. I wish they had used Superman THE animated series as inspiration for that movie instead of trying to make a sequel to the Christopher Reeve Superman movies.
1:08 if I'm not mistaken he read it from the baby's diaper
I loved Superman the movie ! Christopher Reeves was the best superman in my opinion ❤ love your videos, it really made me appreciate dc comics a lot !
It's a classic for a reason. This is my dad's favorite because he saw this film when he was a teen with his dad. Its just that good and I agree it is the best
Wait, the pentagon wrote Man of Steel's Superman?
If a film wants to use US military equipment and soldiers, they have to run the script by the Pentagon so they can ensure that the US military isn't put into a bad light. It's been like that for decades. The early "Transformers" movies went through the same thing for all the war pr0n.
If you watch movies with the military as bad guys, they always use cheaper equipment or substitute other civilian owned machines (tanks, jeeps, what have you) in place.
Can't do better then superman the animated series from the 90s.
Just watch the first episode of that and see what the Kryptonian council are wearing, and once your done laughing your ass off watch the rest of it.
2:42- That point you're making on the film's goals gets continuously more absent in a good number of modern interpretations when style is made more essential than substance.
I grew up in the 90's through EdgeLord cynicism, it's not good that it's coming back. I didn't understand Superman as a youth, he was boring.
Superman is an ideal. The original comic book paragon. He always does the right thing. Good writing can make Superman hit like few other characters. Bad writing leaves him boring.
Kal-El Superman is good because he's Clark Kent that was raised by great people. Nurture over Nature
I just want to say thank you. I’ve been watching your content for a long time now when the channel was a lot smaller and I didn’t think people appreciated you enough, but it looks like they finally are. Superman is one of my favorite movies nothing else makes you feel the way that movie does.
I have all the original Superman movies, and the modern Man of Steel series, also. ... I've watched Man of steel, twice, at most. I can't help but put 'Superman : the movie' into the DVD drive at least once a month! I too don't like what was done with Krypton... I always admired the Krypton of the original movie and what I remember of the comics. It reminds me classical concept of tragedy. A man may be perfect, a paragon, but for one flaw and that flaw will be his undoing. The definition of a true tragedy. They were an ancient and honorable society, virtuous .... but with their great age came a certain amount of hubris-like smugness that the end could not come, ... and that certainty was their undoing.
Multi-dimensional Cheerio box, visual from every angle.
Maybe the nostalgia for an idealized America is why the movie never clicked with me. I grew up on a farm and in a small town myself, surrounded by objects and attitudes from a "simpler time," and always found it oppressive, decrepit, and creepy.
There's an undercurrent to the first 5 Superman movies that always made me a bit uncomfortable. And I related much more to Kal-El in Man of Steel. But that's just personal experience ofc, can certainly understand why someone would connect with Reeve Superman more.
I guess I'm 100 years old... I was born on the year this came out lol.
Then that makes me 108! ;^D
Amazing that a superhero movie made in 1978 is still one of the best superhero movies ever made
I know it's the norm for some people to crap on Man of Steel.But the symbolism and the message wasn't bad.The film is highly underrated.
superman doesn't mean strong-punch-fly-man
it means he's better
in his heart
I hope the next Superman reboot takes this same philosophy. I really hope so.
This video genuinely made me rewatch Superman tonight. Gave me a new appreciation for the movie most of us take for granted.
Great job with the video. ^_^👍🤟
I’m so sick of people saying Clark is a mask. Clark is the true persona. He is a farm boy with manners humble and kind. Superman is his mask he used to utilize his powers to do what Clark does but on a global scale. The only thing mos gets right is when he says I grew up in Kansas I’m as American as it gets
People who say that are really thinking of Batman and Bruce Wayne. Clark is definitely the actual person.
Yeah people are mixing it up. Clark is genuinely how he is. Superman is something he puts on for other people's benefit but deep down he's stilk the mild mannered farmboy from Kansas.
PLEASE DO SUPERMAN RETURNS
Over the years and as I've grown older, I've gotten to appreciate Superman: The Movie to the point where it has become one of my favourite superhero movies, along with epics like Infinity War, Guardians 3 or The Batman. Its sense of wonder, its dramatic effect, the balance between seriousness and campy comedy, the performances from such a fantastic cast, Richard Donner's out-of-this-world direction, and John Williams' iconic soundtrack. It's such a perfect movie on so many levels.
Nice
we must help the children of kryptin
I love Superman: The Movie so much, it was so close to being perfect for me, but I just don’t like the ending and Lex is a lil goofy as well
Fantastic video. What a great dive I to Superman. My only critique would be that Clark Kent isn't the mask. Superman is the mask. Bruce Wayne is a mask. Js js
I'm so glad James Gunn is adapting this innocent and traditional Superman for Superman: Legacy. One of the major problems I had with Snyder's Superman was he was constantly being put up on a pedestal like he was a God, but as what's been said, we don't share the same emotions he does. For a God, he's pretty emotionally bland. Snyder's Superman just reacts to every situation while Reeve's Superman...acts. And when he acts, it's in the best interests of everyone around him. And he acts with a smile. So I'm glad that Gunn is willing to harken back to a Superman who just fights for Truth, Justice and the American way. And combined with Corenswet's already farmboy, traditional attitude, I feel Superman: Legacy will be the Superman '78 of this generation.
Please do Batman the animated series analysis as well as superman the animated series analysis
Man of Steel slander is getting old 😂😂😂😂
Well, it's easy to target a movie hated by RUclips "critics" and get views.
Because it was a shit movie by a bad director, ham fisting a Jesus allegory onto Superman. It's like some trash 1999 era George Lucas would write.
@@Elfenlied8675309 LMAO freaks have threatened Superman film makers for "ham fisting Jesus in movies" since 1978. Nothing new.
This is my favourite movie of all time. Everything is just incredible. While we have the time travel stuff that is always knocked by people, I'm always willing to overlook it because the other two hours and twenty odd minutes are perfection. And the ending...that smile from Christopher Reeve as he flies off screen is something that we need again in movies. Leave the audience smiling. I return to this movie many times a year and each time I find something new to love. This is how Superman should be written, and I know Gunn will deliver something similar.
My favorite moment in Superman is in the All-star Superman comic, where Superman stops a deppressed girl from suicide by telling her that her therapist had good reasons for not being able to see her, and he hugs her. Really shows how the power does not make superman but his character.
The main antagonist Lex Luthor believes that only he deserves to be mankind savior, and give himself Superman power to prove that. However, Superman gave him the realization that Lex Luthor could have always become a savior, he just did not care enough.
You should do an essay on Superman returns. Which tried to take inspiration from the Christopher Reeves movies, but ultimately bombed in creating a beloved Superman franchise.
Would be interesting to get you take on why MoS was successful in this regard as a film but Superman Returns was not, despite this essay showing how much MoS(or Snyder more precisely) simply did not (and does not)understand Superman.
I STILL need to watch the full opening and somehow, it always makes me smile. IDK, maybe his ideals are just SUPER appealing to a 5 year old
Ah superman 1, probably one of my favorite supes films. Glad to see you cover this, now im wondering if you'll subject yourself through supes 2,3 , 4 and returns
Funny how you accuse Man of Steel of being military propaganda when Superman the movie was immigration myth propaganda
The idea that Superman never even flinches at the loss of his world seems to me a pretty big oversimplification of man of steel. The lingering desire to reclaim his roots in spite of its apparent imperfections, is an agony that he experiences over the course of the entire movie. It’s a reluctant desire, sure, but it’s the feeling of an adopted son, who knows his birth father deserted him, but wants to meet him anyway.
It’s one of the things that makes Man of steel feel so grounded.
"from another galaxy, I come form planet called krypton."
"huh?????"
Can we stop pinning these movies against each other.... do your a cut and paste movie, just try to see the best in both movies and just understand the messages.
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BUEBIS DIAS
LITERA PRIMER COMENTARIO Y ES EN ESPAÑOL ENCIMA JAJAJ
Didn't even realize this video was only 1 minute old
You should talk about Superman and Lois. I love that that show is just as much of a family drama as a hero drama
he has, twice. Both are brilliant video essays. Now I'm just impatiently-patiently waiting for the video on Season 3
Everyone keeps telling me that superman starts with the comic but I swear Ive never seen that scene
Great vid - thanks!
Commenting to feed the algorithm 😊
Now I just have the superman theme in my head.
“… A dude who gets cucked, so he wants revenge.” 😂
how did this get hella views with no title
Imagine Superman in the NFL💀
This was my childhood. Thank you.
That was beautiful. Donner did the impossible and only a few have come close since. Reeve made me love Superman cuz I loved his Clark Kent so much as a kid. It's not like Batman, it's the reverse: you can't love the hero until you love the man inside. Donner remains the king.
" Even after a hundred years". Lol how dare you? man of Steel's interpretation of Clark is a direct view of its director, Zack Snyder. In my opinion, he's the one that couldnt imagine the Clark that we know. The kind man, the humble man, the curious man, the man that embraces the little things and how he connects with everyone when his power detaches him almost completely. Snyder mischaracterized Superman so completely they spent every other movie after it trying to repair that mis characterization. It will remain one of those most egregious comic book dipictions of the last 20 years. Not only that he wasted an actor with the range to bring that subtle nuance and kindness to life. I will never stop hating the Snyderverse for what it did to DC.
What's the intro song
I love these superman vids
Love your videos. So good.
Got to watch the trilogy.
All you ever need to see truly understand the timeless magic that superheroes can create are two movies: Superman the Movie, and The Dark Knight.
They are the perfect encapsulations of the opposite ends of the comic book superhero spectrum, and they both represent the absolute best of the genre.
There are other amazing superhero films: Spiderverse, the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, etc. But Superman and The Dark Knight are and always will be the all time masterpieces of the genre.
Mr.Pretentious, as you avid viewer who enjoys your sociology lessons. It is my humble request to please make a video on another show, one which is not a property of DC comics or marvel comics. It is called Mr.Robot, I am sure you can make a video lecture on this series which would be a learning lesson for all of us :)
i really wish Christopher Reeve could have seen this video. i think he would be happy to still see people looking at the movie and trying to find new meaning and insight from it. awesome video.
I hope you do more videos on the Other Christopher Reeves’ Superman Movies.
:D
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