Superman : The Movie (1978) **FIRST TIME WATCHING MOVIE REACTION** Is He The BEST Superhero?

Just before the destruction of the planet Krypton, scientist Jor-El (Marlon Brando) sends his infant son Kal-El on a spaceship to Earth. Raised by kindly farmers Jonathan (Glenn Ford) and Martha Kent (Phyllis Thaxter), young Clark (Christopher Reeve) discovers the source of his superhuman powers and moves to Metropolis to fight evil. As Superman, he battles the villainous Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman), while, as novice reporter Clark Kent, he attempts to woo co-worker Lois Lane (Margot Kidder).
Release date: December 15, 1978 (USA)
Director: Richard Donner
#Superman #firsttimewatching #reaction
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Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.

[@alexisrivera202]

I dig the content! Man of Steel and Batman v Superman were too emotionally complex for some. Can't wait until you get to them.

[@FlixTalk]

Omg thank you so much for the super thanks! It means a lot and I will be checking out those movies. Which do you recommend? Man of steel or BVS first?

[@alexisrivera202]

@@FlixTalk Man of Steel then BVS in order.

[@Dmaduruh]

It has nothing to do with emotional complexity. That kind of reasoning is a bit of a copout, especially when films like Logan and The Dark Knight are beloved. MOS and BvS just aren't seen as good films by quite a number of fans.

[@alexisrivera202]

@@Dmaduruh Your opinion, homie.

[@frost1977]

people have a right not to like those films if that is how they feel. neither one are as good as the first 2 Reeve superman films IMO. BvS had some glaring issues with the editing. Zach snyder has made some real stinkers.

[@HMAP792]

If you look carefully Clark Kent has more than just the glasses as his disguise. It’s also the way he stands, he trips and stumbles, he also puts on a stutter. When he is superman he has none of them.

[@williamrandolph1566]

Yes, in addition to his glasses, his hair style is different....slicked down and parted on the opposite side. His posture and general body language is different. His voice is different. He is literally a different person in every way. There is even one version of Superman lore which suggests either he or his glasses project a form of Kryptonian hypnotism which actually does make him appear to be a completely different person when dressed as Clark Kent.

[@alexandreguimaraes1116]

Hello! Reeve actually plays Superman and Clark Kent differently. Pay atention to the voice, posture, words and accent. Reeve based his characterization of Kent on Cary Grant in "Bringing up baby" (1938). Reeve makes two different characters. That is why he is the best actor who made Superman.

[@kevinscott59]

Preach!

[@cathymonroe5838]

You understand

[@AnthonyWalkersound]

Wow, I never knew that man.

[@dan2007kohn]

He didn’t chose to leave his mother he was compelled by the green crystal. It summoned him from the barn when he turned 18, told him he had to leave, told him where to go and what to do with the crystal. This was all predetermined by Jor-El, evidenced when he spoke to Kal saying it was his 18th year. Also he arranged for a family friend to take care of Martha and sent her a portion of his weekly salary.

[@Rikrik1138]

One of my favorite shots in the film is where Superman brings her back to her apartment and flies away, and there’s a knock on the door and it’s Clark at the door in one long uninterrupted shot. It’s just brilliant.

[@leslauner5062]

It was really clever how they did it too. Lois waved goodbye to Superman flying away on a back projection screen. Clark was already at her door when they were filming it.

[@Rikrik1138]

@@leslauner5062 it amazes me how many people miss that it’s one shot. That is real movie magic right there.

[@shwicaz]

Saw this in the theater when I was 6. And the sequel at a drive in. Life was great back then.

[@charlesphillips7822]

It's been over 45 years since I've been to a drive-in. I remember watching ET on one. My parents went with some friends to watch Jaws. We were supposed to be sleeping in the back. When the first time I seen that shark was the last time I raised my head that whole time we were there.

[@phillnorman]

I know how you feel, I was 8 and this was the first time my mom let me watch a movie in the movie theater, just me and my older brother

[@johnvieth1676]

Wow thats cool

[@geeked-outturtlesfan4288]

When you watch it, it answers the question... Why doesn't Lois ever know that Clark is Superman? It's the way the late Christopher Reeve played them both (Clark and Superman) was amazing. The shy, awkward, very little confidence Clark and the strong, powerful, assured and truthful Superman is a kudo's to his acting ability. And his change into Superman for the first time is epic. From the buildup of the Superman theme to the score just emphasize the awesomeness Rest in Peace Christopher. The true essential Superman

[@knyght67]

I always felt like Chris Reeve was playing a character while he's Kent but, more himself while wearing the cape......Watch his screen test....REEEAAALLY stiff.....A few rehearsals to relax and VIOLA....Clark is who he PRETENDS to be. Superman is who he really IS...

[@trence5]

Henry Cavill, the last actor to play Superman, took a challenge of just standing outside in a city, under a Batman v Superman, poster - and no one paid him any attention.

[@ianmason6867]

"Say, Jim, that's a BAD OUTFIT! WHOOOO!"

[@jgreen2015]

His disguise isn't just his glasses. He changes his entire posture and character. And yes .he does change his voice Clark is high pitched, nasally, and stuttery Superman is deep and confident

[@frost1977]

this film has NO CGI. RIchard Donner is by far the best all-around filmmaker to ever direct a SUperman film.

[@SirSmoldham]

BTW, after saving Lois, my assumption was THEN he took off to take care of everything else. He just switched priorities... he saved her way before the road split. I saw this movie in Hollywood when it opened (back when theaters had curtains, which hyped that opening) and then got to interview Richard Donner for my film school a few days later. Your legitimacy sends me back. The Marvel Universe owes its existence to this movie.

[@neilknight3794]

The helicopter scene gets me every time. I'm right there with the crowd cheering him with goosebumps

[@MrGpschmidt]

Christopher Reeve is the ONLY Superman (and Margot Kidder is the ONLY Lois Lane). Period. This is the gold standard of all superhero movies. Saw this in '78 (was 11) and it blew my mind. When Clark changes into Superman for the first time (running into the close-up of the S on his chest) the audience went crazy. When he saved Lois the audience erupted and were cheering. When he grabbed the chopper they were on their feet! Never before and never since have I EVER experienced a film like that. Nice that you got the joke about the phone booth (that was a huge laugh!). I lived 5 min. from Hackensack, NJ and the audience could not stop laughing when Luthor uttered that line. A perfect film.

[@hollyr1208]

100x yes

[@grumpyoltimer7523]

I don't think he has a " spidey" sense. He just listens to the people he cares about and can hear when they are in trouble.

[@KeoTower]

The clothes didn't just appear on him as he was falling, as it was established when he changed the first time, he was moving too fast for the viewer to see.

[@KeoTower]

He didn't fly to every city to make sure everyone's good, he uses his super hearing and super vision to see where the problems are.

[@LiveFromThePorcelainPalace]

The scene where Clark is running past the train and a young Lois sees him... Her parents were played by Noel Neill (Lois on the 1950's TV show) and Kirk Alyn (Superman in the 1940's serials).. And Ms Neill wore one of her outfits from the show.

[@bletheringfool]

Noel Neill was also Kirk Alyn's Lois in the 40s

[@jasonpsilopoulos1985]

Let's make this nice and simple. The missile still hit, but Supes was able to be everywhere at once, stopping all the dangers before anyone got hurt. The missile still had to hit so that they could indict Lex. Don't overcomplicate it.

[@FlixTalk]

🤔🤔😂😂😂

[@toodlescae]

Christopher Reeve actually did change the cadence and pitch of his voice along with his posture to make himself appear to be 2 different people. We had never seen a Superman that actually looked like he WAS flying. It helped that Reeve was a pilot so he knew what position of his body would just look ridiculous when it came to possible flight.

[@FlixTalk]

Ahh I must have not have noticed lol yeah it was definitely fun

[@toodlescae]

@@FlixTalk also he used the glasses to great effect. Watch the scene in Lois' apartment when he almost tells her who he is. He completely changed when he took the glasses off and again when he put them back on.

[@tonyyul703]

What Christopher Reeves did in this movie it's just phenomenal the way he portrayed both Clark Kent and Superman you really couldn't tell the difference actually and it wasn't it it's not until you see him in the Superman costume that you really see what he brought to the characters impressed everybody when they first met Christopher reeves the way he could carry or how he understood how Clark view the world

[@jamesanderson6373]

*Reeve

[@KeoTower]

Regarding the logic of how Lois flies with Superman. It's been said that Superman has an aura around his body that can be extended out to encapsulate other items that he touches. This is what allows Lois to fly until they're no longer touching, this is also why the helicopter didn't snap when he caught it mid air by the landing struts. But keep in mind, this comes from a time where riders were giving Superman all kinds of crazy powers. In one of the comics Superman can shoot miniature super men from his hands... Crazy. Eventually a clone of Superman was made, we know him today is Superboy or Connor Kent/Con-El. Superboy has a power called tactile telekinesis which allows him to completely manipulate and control whatever it is he's touching, it's basically a play on how Superman is able to extend his aura. Most Superman fans in the '70s were aware of this power but it is not really used in today's version of Superman.

[@RetroRobotRadio]

Lois Lane's mother on the train was played by the actress who played Lois Lane in the 1950s Superman TV series. The lady who played Lana Lang in this movie ended up playing Martha Kent in the Smallville TV show.

[@majkus]

And sitting across, silently playing Lois's father, was the first movie Superman, Kirk Alyn (Noel Neill played Lois to his Superman in the serials as well).

[@jamesanderson6373]

superman 3 not this movie

[@adamn7516]

Actually Lana in the film was not played by the same actress that appeared in Smallville. The young actress playing Lana in this film was Diane Sherry. In Smallville Martha was played by Annette O'Toole.

[@jjjones8609]

And jimmy from this movie played the cop that Lois gave coffee to in the Snyder cut justice league.

[@dahveed72]

@@adamn7516 I believe AO played Lana in Superman IV. Didn't google

[@liamwarner5749]

I believe the canon reason is his hearing and superspeed are just that good he can hear a cry from help from all over the world and perceives things fast enough he can seperate individual ones to locate individuals he needs to save. I recall one storyline mentions he tracks lois's heartbeat specifically so he knows if she's in danger by her heart racing.

[@OXO1952]

As a Superman fan, I can safely say YES :)

[@RobsonBarbosa-oz8tf]

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.

[@pauld6967]

I saw this version as a pre-release audience reaction test screening and I am glad you picked it. One of the things omitted from the theatrical release is the 'death trap defenses' scene. People who only see the theatrical go straight from his boring down into the ground to his breaking down the door. FYI, Hackensack, N.J. wasn't chosen by Lex. It became a target because Otis goofed with the coordinates, 3 sets of digits on his arm instead of 4.

[@mikejankowski6321]

Accidentally bombing New Jersey was the greatest comedic touch, and Hackensack is the perfect target zero both for the way it rolls off the tongue and the image that it conjures up for one who has never been there.

[@carytakagawa2760]

Saw this movie in the theater on opening night; just a fantastic experience as it was so different than anything else before. Remember this was in the days when CGI were just three letters of the alphabet so all the special effects had to be done with miniatures or physical effects. He doesn't have spidey-sense; he has super hearing where, if he concentrates, can basically hear any sound on earth. In terms of his powers, when someone asks "what can he do?", the real answer is "whatever the plot requires."

[@chandleralves698]

15:39 Interesting how the phone booth transformation was already a cliche in 1978 😂

[@Daniel-Strain]

Superman wasn't supposed to alter history, so he tried to be as minimal with it as possible. He managed to repair the fault and keep California from falling into the sea. But the aftershocks still did cause a lot of damage and killed people. But for Lois, he decided if he was going to do time travel, that he would only do it enough to save her as an exception. He probably did something several miles down the road where the crack originated and stopped it. Sure, he could have reversed time to stop ALL the damage, but I think he didn't want to make such a huge change in history. This way, the nuke still goes off, but the damage is something minimal but still possible. Also, the reason the other missile went to Hackensack is simply because that's where Otis' screw up happened to be the coordinates for. That's why they had to alter the second missile.

[@DoctorVell]

My wife and I met Margot Kidder (unsure of spelling) before she passed away. She was a delight to talk to. We talked about her work before and after Superman.

[@gmughadam76]

This movie get from 1 to 5 stars get a million. Everybody did an amazing job but Christopher Reeves performance is unparalleled. I could explain all of the scenes with his powers and how they worked and to an extent the going back in time by flying around the Earth. I'm at work right now so I'll follow up later

[@fizz1580]

can you follow up now?

[@frost1977]

IMO this is still the best Superman film made, Reeve captured the heart of who superman is at his heart better than anyone else has so far. He is the Babe Ruth or Michael Jorden of Superman.

[@jamesanderson6373]

*Jordan

[@LoDoFilmUnlimitedMedia]

The Director's Cut of any film is usually the best version of that film, in my professional filmmaking opinion.

[@XRos28]

Clark Kent DOES slouch and his voice stutters, Superman stands tall has no glasses and his voice is stable. Back in 1978 hiking the HOLLYWOOD sign wasn't illegal (yet).

[@benjaminbauer3935]

The radio states that the San Andreas fault had been miraculously repaired, minimizing the damage it did… so Superman’s other work is dealing with the worst of the leftover mess. I think you are right that the only thing he changed by going back in time was rescuing Lois, the only one he didn’t save in his first save spree.

[@bigjsmashman4958]

The voice of his Father while traveling to earth were basically recordings playing within the spacecraft. Teaching Kal El while in flight. They just allowed us to listen in.

[@willmanprw1]

When they shot this film they were also shooting Superman II. Also, the guy who got Christopher Reeves into shape is the same guy who played Darth Vader in the suit.

[@FlixTalk]

That's awesome trivia thank you! And thanks for watching

[@IWDTC]

David prowse

[@magicjim1]

Reeve, not Reeves.

[@garyglaser4998]

Superman came to Earth for a reason and he has a mission MUCH MUCH larger than keeping his aging Earth mother company.

[@porflepopnecker4376]

The green crystal compelled him to leave, and told him where to go. Just as his father planned.

[@redraven4177]

Interesting fact. The people in the train with young Lois was Alan Kirk the 1st person to play Superman in the 40s and the lady was the original Loos Lane in the Superman TV show in the 50s.

[@Windupchronic]

Glenn Ford is so good in this movie. He has only two scenes, but leaves such an indelible impression of Jonathan Kent that he permeates the entire film. You feel his presence in Superman.

[@redsabreanakin]

Costner is in Man of steel maybe 20-22mins more than a cameo (with the dumbest death ever and the worst line ever uttered by Jonathan Kent that "maybe" he should let people die) and is terrible, but Glenn Ford is in this maybe 7 min's and the definitive Jonathan Kent

[@RustyX2010]

@@redsabreanakin John Schneider was pretty good a Johnathan Kent in the "Smallville" series.

[@redsabreanakin]

@@RustyX2010 he was indeed. 👍

[@flatscan1978]

The reason one of the misiles was heading towards Hackensack, NJ, was Otis messing up the coordinates (his arm , where the numbers were written on, was too short). So, it was actually just a huge coincidence, that Ms. Teschmacher's mother was living there.

[@kosh6612]

Lex Luther didn't decide on New Jersey for the 2nd missile.. that was becasue Otis screwed up with the coordinates! They modified 2 missiles, not just the one twice

[@ShujinTribble]

I didn't see it mentioned, but.... Mr. Reeve was told, "You are Superman. You are ALWAYS Superman. When you are Clark you are playing Superman Playing Clark Kent." And it made all the difference in the world. And as for the tag line, "You will believe a man can fly." Go back and re-watch that first flight in the Fortress of Solitude. The wire works and acting totally made us believe.

[@bluedragon4]

I just think people didn't question plot holes like the missiles back then. I grew up on these movies, and Star Wars, and we just thought Superman was too cool. I think we were more involved in the imagery and not the plot as kids. He was just so perfect as Superman. It's like he stepped right out of the comics. Lynda Carter also had that strong visual as Wonder Woman. She was unbelievable casting. She was Wonder Woman and you get lost in that. I'm still in awe as a adult when I see these Superman's or Lynda Carter's Wonder Woman TV show.

[@TonyStarSmif]

What plot holes?

[@davidlionheart2438]

There are no plot holes in this screenplay.

[@starbrand3726]

Don't think, just watch. Every answer to every question is...It's Superman.

[@batgurrl]

Christopher Reeve (RIP) was THE definitive Superman. He will never be surpassed by any other actor IMHO. Haven’t even seen the video yet, will watch later. Margot Kidder the quintessential Lois Lane. Superman II is worth a watch, not a bad sequel. Terrance Stamp was an excellent villain. The next two I forgot and wish I never saw. LOL☮️👏😂

[@pauld6967]

I agree with you that Christopher Reeve is the definitive Superman. I prefer the Richard Donner Director's Cut version of Superman II.

[@batgurrl]

@@pauld6967 🙏TY but I truly don’t remember if I saw a directors cut of II

[@pauld6967]

@@batgurrl Ah, well I saw the theatrical release of Superman II and decided the Richard Donner Director's Cut version was the one to have in my DVD/Blu-ray collection.

[@batgurrl]

@@pauld6967 I have no idea what the directors cut has, sorry

[@pauld6967]

@@batgurrl No need to apologize. When time and finances permit, add the DVD to your collection. Donner did both films at essentially the same time and had the 2nd portion about 85% done when they brought in another director. So, the two films match up well without the usual gap in time between original and sequel film and you get to see what his vision was for the two films when seen as a pair.

[@mcgintyproductions9914]

My childhood in a nutshell! Your reaction to him catching Lois and the helicopter is me every time. Nice video my dude!!!!

[@FlixTalk]

Thanks for watching!

[@BondFreek]

32:00 lex luthor did not deliberately aim the missile at Hackensack New Jersey. Remember Otis screwed up... By setting the third one to 117 and the fourth one to zero. If Otis did not screw up the rocket would have been headed to California as initially planned.

[@handsomestik]

Reeve is perfect casting , only thing that matches him his RDJ as Ironman and Hemsworth as Thor

[@burntvirtue]

Nah. Reeve is still in a class by himself.

[@mongchacha]

"That's one magical guy!" haha!

[@disciple5150]

I think I need to point out Christopher Reeve was the only actor to portray Clark and Superman as 2 different people. He played Lark as a goof so people wouldn’t suspect him as Superman.

[@brycearonee6635]

There is nothing significant about Hackensack, New Jersey. The second missile being sent there was not part of Lex's original plan. He only planned on hijacking one missile and setting it to strike the San Andreas Fault in California. But Otis messed up the coordinates of the first missile (Army Bird) and set it to Hackensack New Jersey instead of California. That's why they had to divert the Navy later on to hijack another missile. Miss Teshmacher programmed the Navy Bird missile to the correct coordinates in California. The fact that there were now two nuclear missiles that went off their original course just turned out to be a fortunate happenstance for Lex, as it ensured that Superman couldn't reach both of them. But that little insurance policy wasn't actually planned because his original plan was to kill Superman Kryptonite anyway. I'm a huge Superman fan. This movie came out the year I was born so I literally grew up with it. I'm sure this has been explained by others already, but many of Superman's powers are based on "tactile telekinesis". He has an energy field around his body based on manipulation of gravitons, that allows him to basically levitate. Anything he touches has this field extended around it, which is why Lois can seemingly fly when she's touching him (and also why he can catch her while she's falling without killing her). This ability also explains his superhuman strength and his ability to lift huge masses without them collapsing under their own weight. His super senses (high frequency hearing, x-ray vision etc) are based on his alien anatomy. There are some issues with this movie today, including some material which might be considered very dated and inappropriate. The scene where Miss Teschmacher pretends to be hurt in a car accident and the soldiers suggest a "vigorous chest massage" and "mouth to mouth" to help her is incredibly cringy today. Also, she kisses Superman while he's incapacitated with Kryptonite. While that probably made her come off as sympathetic in the 1970s, today that's basically sexual assault. Also, I'm sure that showing a little kid's penis wasn't really considered to be a big deal back then, but again today it comes off as a bit cringy (although for some reason they do the same thing in the Henry Cavill Man of Steel movie). I do remember parts of this movie scaring me a bit as a child (the destruction of Krypton with everyone dying was rather intense, and so was Lois Lane being crushed by the earthquake). The scene where Lex kills the cop on the train tracks actually gave me nightmares, lol. But there's a special place in my heart for this film as the wire work still comes off as largely convincing even today (although the blue screen effects don't hold up as well). John Williams score is as magical as Christopher Reeve's acting. Funny story, I'm actually an extra in Man of Steel (as one of the soldiers in a large formation awaiting the arrival of General Zod and Faora). That scene was shot at Edwards Air Force Base in 2012 (where I worked at the time) and all of the solders in that scene (minus the principle actors) are real Airmen stationed at the base. There was only one extra in that scene who wasn't a member of the military. His name is Aaron Smolinski and he played one of the officers in front. He's also the same actor who played Clark Kent as a child in this movie (the baby penis kid, lol). That's just a random, weird coincidence.

[@vraspir123]

The audience giggled at the running scene when I saw it in '78, but they loved the flying scenes.

[@starexplorers1202]

Lois (Margot Kidder) talks about the gas station blowing up and telephone poles going everywhere. Superman (Christopher Reeve) must have therefore only gone back far enough in time to save her rather than stop everything from happening. However, that means there was an earthquake but not a fault line fracture where it consumes the car. Yes, a plot hole but this movie was not about a murder mystery either. It's a love story. Nothing makes sense when love is involved. Time gets bent, the impossible becomes possible etc.

[@omarsirhan]

The reason why the first Rocket went to Hackensack was because Otis put the wrong coordinates.

[@stevesheroan4131]

I couldn’t care less about the plot holes, because I was 10 years old when this came out. Every time I see it I’m 10 again, and I think that the vibe of the film trumps the plot issues by a wide margin. What a colossal cosmic coincidence that Otis’ mistake on the first missile’s coordinates sent it toward Ms. Teschmacher’s mom in Hackensack, and that she was the one person in Lex Luther’s camp who had the stones to free Superman. THAT might be the biggest “plot convenience” in cinematic history, but who care, lol?

[@CassandrashadowcassMorrison]

In 1978 you COULD hike that close to the Hollywood sign. There's a 44-year time jump between when this was made and when you watched it. And a 74-year difference between when this was made and when Columbia Pictures released the first live action Superman serial starring Kirk Alyn as Clark Kent/Superman and Noel Neill as Lois Lane (which is why you didn't recognize them as Lois Lane's parents when young Clark races past the train.

[@stevejoshua9536]

Superman possesses super-senses, including super hearing, which is how he could hear & recognized Lois gasping for air inside her car. In the round-the-world scene after the death of Lois, Superman uses his incredible speed to actually fly back through time & stop Lois from being trapped In the avalanche.

[@leslauner5062]

The Mother and Father of Lois Lane in that train scene were played by Noel Neil and Kirk Alyn, the first live action Lois Lane and Superman from the 1950 film serial.

[@carerforever2118]

The train running over Superman had no wheels 🤣

[@GrumpyOldGuyPlaysGames]

Imagine being an 11 year old boy, sitting in a theater, watching this movie for the very first time and seeing these effects, which at the time of the film's release were like something nobody ever had seen before. And according to Henry Cavill, this is his favorite Superman too.

[@glennwisniewski9536]

It's interesting that the current TV series Superman and Lois cast an actess (Elizabeth Tulloch) as Lois Lane that looks remarkably like the late Margot Kidder. Perhaps it was a bit of a tribute since Kidder had died a few years earlier.

[@lg5819]

When I was around 16 years old I met Suzanna York, who played Kal-El’s real mum in Superman 1 on the Piccadilly train line, when I was going to see my dentist. She was with her husband and she looked at me and smiled. To this day, I wished I had the courage to ask her for her autograph, and to say how well she played the part. Sadly, she passed away a few years ago.

[@hillarymead]

I try to imagine that the time travel works like in Harry Potter, where there’s technically two Supermans saving simultaneously. And don’t forget, Superman has super hearing and hear people yell for help MILES away 😉 I love how in the show Smallville, Clark explains how he tries to save people in order of peril level(like if it’s something the cops/fire department can handle without him). You should definitely check out the show for more details about his powers, krypton origins, and depth to the character development.

[@darthbeast2278]

Christopher Reeve IS the best Superman EVER. Superman The movie made Superheroes movies great

[@brandonflorida1092]

Pretty familiar with the 1950s "The Adventures of Superman?"

[@OptmiusPrime114]

Finally! I’ve been waiting for this reaction! Thanks for doing this, man!

[@FlixTalk]

Haha sorry for the wait. It was done a few weeks ago but doctor strange and some family business popped up so I handled that first. I got y'all! I need to see part 2 asap

[@ronaldhuback35]

We have the tendency to see what we want. Clark Kent is meant to be the nerdy type. His back hunched, soft voice, and timid speech pattern. While Superman is straight back, confidence, no hesitation. Even during filming, Reeves wasn't noticed as Clark, but in Superman outfit had crowds. In the beginning in train scene, I believe they got the original Lois and Jimmy for the 50's series

[@Fast_Eddy_Magic]

When he turned back time, he only went far enough to stop the second missile. That's the only way he would have enough time to get both. I saw this in the theater when it came out. We weren't too sure about that part either.

[@Fast_Eddy_Magic]

He sent the missiles to opposite ends of the country so Superman wouldn't be able to stop both of them.

[@firestar7188]

But that was not Luthors original plan. Luthor only needed one of the rockets to destroy Callifornia , but Otis failed to put the numbers one the right place ( that Army rocket now would go to NJ. Now Luthor needed to program the Navy rocket to go to Callifornia ( Miss Tessmacher changed the numbers of the Navy rocket ) There was no need for Luthor to put 2 missiles to the opposite of the country, Luthor took Superman out of action with the kryptonite.

[@thunderstruck5484]

I remember seeing at the theater and who was sitting around me , the place was packed in my little north Texas town and everyone was fully engaged, laughing clapping cheering etc, them was fun special experiences, thanks again

[@FlixTalk]

Sounds like a fun memory! Thank you for watching!

[@cyndigirl418]

I will LOVE Christopher Reeve forever!! ❤❤❤❤❤

[@legionsgrading]

Did he stop the missiles? This was the question I asked my dad when I was 10 years old when I first saw it in theaters. To my understanding, my dad said since he turned back time and everything went into reverse, he can go back to time to where he met Luther and nullified all the interaction since he already knew what was going to happened. There would be no nukes to both places and Lois would of just ran out of gas anyway. I may be missing little pieces as Jimmy did say leave a a guy in the middle of nowhere during an earthquake, but you get the idea. It's a fantasy movie and there will always be holes. To this date, it's still the best Superman movie ever. A masterpiece for 1978 that shows the true galant knight that was Clark Kent and great acting by Christopher Reeves. The part of Superman and his gut wrenching scream after Lois dies always gets me.

[@robertmmm7]

One thing most people miss: The movie starts with a kid opening and reading a comic book. I think Richard Donner is cueing the viewer that’s this is what this movie is trying to capture. The wonder and excitement that a kid feels when he reads a comic book and I think the film succeeds at this.

[@alexfletcher5192]

In the modern world it is impossible to replicate how genuinely ground-breaking this film was, in terms of its subject matter, at the time. it is unapologetically 1970s too, in that it poses genuine emotional questions. I don't think the character had returned to that until quite recently and is the stronger for it.

[@jrasicmark1]

Thanks for watching the director's cut; I'd never seen the whole scene where little Lois Lane sees teen Clark outside the train before. In the final movie version, you only see little Lois pointing outside the window, then it cuts away before her mother calls her by name. I had read behind the scenes trivia that revealed who that was supposed to be, but I'd never seen that scene. Here's more fun trivia about that scene: Lois' mother in that scene is one of the two actresses who played Lois in the Superman TV series in the 50s, and here father in that scene is Kirk Alyn who was the first actor to play Superman in live action (as opposed to the radio series and theatrical cartoons) in 2 movie serials. I agree with you that the end makes no sense and it used to bug me because Superman could never turn back time by spinning around the earth in the comics (and, scientifically, that would likely cause all kinds of disasters on the planet without actually turning back time in real life). I saw a comment where someone theorizes that Superman isn't turning back time in that scene, he's just using his super speed to travel back in time himself (which he did do in the comics). There were a lot of goofy parts of the movie that you pointed out that I didn't much like because they just didn't happen in the comics. He can't just magically change into his uniform in mid-flight and he doesn't have spidey-sense. Supposedly, he heard Lois with his super-hearing. Though how he can separate out all the other sounds on earth doesn't make much sense. He also didn't leave his mother for 12 years to be tutored by Jor El in the Fortress of Solitude. He went to Metropolis University in that time.

[@Thunda1986]

I recently saw old batman and superman movies from the 50s I think on TUBI, and even though I love this superman, I'd imagine future generations will view this like I view those old superman and batman movies

[@FlixTalk]

Watching the original Adam West Batman movie soon!

[@RobEmmer412]

In general a fun reaction to your first time seeing the movie but you're completely wrong about Reeve's Clark Kent/Superman. His disguise is WAY more than a pair of glasses, he intentionally hunches to make himself shorter, puts on a higher voice, and in general acts like a meek, well, mild mannered, person. You even skip over the scene where he shows EXACTLY how different the two halves of the character are played. Also, one of his super powers is literally his hearing. Dude can hear the entire world lol. It's not hard to understand how he knows who to help.

[@Taboweither697]

Here are a few fun facts about Christopher Reeve. 1. The director didn't want him to play Superman. A friend of Chris's kept putting Chris's headshot on top of the pile until the director caved. He called in Chris, and he blew everyone away. The director hired him on the spot. 2. The reason Christopher Reeve did so awesome as Superman was that he was an experienced pilot. He used that experience to aid him while flying also if you listen to the tower calling the helicopter and Air Force one that's Christopher Reeve.

[@JackQSmith]

Lex didn't choose Hackensack, NJ. When Otis messed up the first time, that's where he sent the missile.

[@TheCaptainSlappy]

My guess is Supes spun the earth & time in reverse so far, they weren't launched and he fixed it all in between the point he goes back, and Louis is with Jimmy by the car, so it is just not shown. Or...he went in reverse order of missiles and got the California one, then NJ one knowing exactly where they are this time, so they don't explode. He can supposedly hear everyone hollering or talking on the planet (so magic and a pre-spidey super sense). Cavill is indeed superman (as are Routh and others, each being their own), but there can only be one old school good guy Team America Superman, and that is Reeves (no disrespect to the previous originals).

[@l.piloto7964]

This is my favorite Superman , even Henry Cavill said as much when he stated Christopher Reeves is his Superman.

[@donaldcordner1936]

Looks like Supes went fast enough to reverse time to right before the ground split open to engulf Lois. Then, he breaks the time barrier again to skip over that moment in time so that the ground didn't open. That's the nearest I could figure. He wouldn't take it any further because, if he did, the time ripple effect would be even greater. So, he literally did JUST enough to save Lois. Thanks for reviewing this one! I love this movie!! My dad took me and my brother and sister to see this when it first came out. They utter joy and chillike happiness on my dad face makes this movie EXTRA magical for me. It was fun to see you react the same way we all did back then with your wide-eyed wonder, just like us. Thanks for sharing it with us again. This movie, for me, truly is a memory that has lasted, a lifetime.

[@alfredstimoli2590]

The young girl on the train we know is Lois Lane. Fun fact 1: The mother is played by Noel Neill who played Lois Lane in the 1950's Adventures of Superman TV series. Fun fact 2. The father is played by Kirk Alyn who played Clark Kent/Superman in the movies Superman (1948) and Atom Man vs Superman (1950).

[@mikejankowski6321]

Great reaction/review! You showed most of the best dialogue and snippets. Left out the bit about wanting to face the challenge of the century. Yes, you just have to suspend disbelief and logic and go with it - but it makes for an awesome heroic story. I have never seen the director's cut of this, so I don't know all the dialogue with Joe-El. The Kryptonian technology allowed him to send impressions of his and Lara's minds so that Kal-El could interact with them as if they were present. Speaking of interaction, age 18 + 12 years communing in the fortress = age 30 when he joined the Daily Planet. This is the kind of Superman that I grew up with reading comics in the 60s. Most wholesome and good guy type. A character to aspire to. Reeve was perfect in this role. So too was Gene Hackman as Lex. So casually evil and sinister, not breaking a sweat while endangering everyone. Obviously, Hackensack was Otis' mistake with the wrong coordinates. The original plan was probably to hit the fault at two places, but Lex calculated the erroneous target and didn't care. He obviously did not figure on our hero being rescued by his own accomplice. I guarantee that you will like Superman II, probably even more.

[@davidbarnes1113]

Christopher Reeve is the epitome of Superman hands down. I saw this film in theaters when I was 15 in 1979 and many many times since. Brandon Routh in Superman Returns is a close second, then Henry Cavill . What I like about this version is it really follows the comic book origin story even better than the Zack Snyder Man Of Steel version. Superman II is also good but III and IV are worth skipping. Fun Fact: Noel. Neal who played Lois Lane in the TV series with George Reeves is on board the train in the scene where Clark is racing it.

[@thunderstruck5484]

Agreed on all your points, saw in the theater also , Christopher Reeve is Superman and everyone else is playing the part, I thought Brandon was great also, thanks

[@linoarquiza5433]

Christopher Reeves looks HEROIC. Cavill just looks beefy.

[@mikerodgers7620]

I agree

[@josephtingley654]

The reason why he's the best, is because he plays 2 parts, Clark and Superman and plays them to letter.

[@glennwisniewski9536]

Hey, let's not forget George Reeves of the 1950s TV series The Adventures of Superman. I thought he was great too.

[@jimtatro6550]

I was 11 years old when this came out and the trailer tagline was “You will believe a man can fly.” , and I absolutely did. The sequel is even better imo but after that the series falls off a cliff.

[@FlixTalk]

Magical nostalgia. I plan on watching the sequels! Bad or not

[@jimtatro6550]

@@FlixTalk part 3 is ok but part 4 is an abomination, Christopher Reeve tried to have the release stopped and refused to do publicity.🤣👍

[@VanIyke]

The movie tagline was, "You'll believe a man can fly." Sadly, if I remember then as a kid, some child saw the movie, bought into the "I can fly" stuff and later jumped out of a highrise apartment building and died.

[@ilovevegimite]

I like to think that Superman listened to Jor-El and only interfered enough to save Lois therefore obeying his father and giving a reason to get Lex put behind bars for his crimes. If Superman had stopped everything from happening then Lex would have been free to try again.

[@clatyonvonisaacs9791]

1. The 1st rocket was heading towards Hackensack as Otis screwed up the coordinates and instead of putting in the ones for the San Andreas fault, he accidentally put in the ones for Hackensack New Jersey by mistake. Lex did not plan to send a rocket there. Lex was only planning on using one rocket but when Otis screwed it up he had to program the other one using Ms Teshmacher. She is the one who programed the rocket to hit the San Andreas fault. But as Lex eluded to it worked out to his advantage as Superman could not get both as they were heading in different directions. 2. He flew under the Earths tectonic plates and moved the Pacific Plate back to where it was before the explosion. 3. He went back in time to save Lois only. So he did interfere with hUman history but only to save Lois. 4. He doesn't have Spidey senses. He has Super Hearing. He can actually hear everything on the planet. That is why he knows where to go in emergencies. However he can focus it and hear Lois. So as soon as he was done making that damn, he was able to hear her.

[@donaldseale2700]

Wondering if the rocket still detonated is my main complaint about this movie. Would have been fine if they hadn't added in her line about the gas station blowing up, but overall this and part 2 is still my all time favorite Superman movies. The thing about the time travel scene that I like to believe is that him making the Earth spin backwards isn't what actually turned back time, but the Earth turning backwards was just a perspective to show that time was reversing.

[@FlixTalk]

Thank you for the comment & thanks for watching!

[@dneill8493]

Yes. He flew faster than the speed of light and went back in time himself. The rest was just how they wanted to show it visually. As a kid I always thought he spun the Earth backwards and I couldn't figure out how that would make time go backwards. Wasn't until we actually looked at it in high school physics that I realised what had actually happened. (Later confirmed on DVD extras)

[@TheReddg71]

I appreciate that you went back and watched the 1978 version. I understand that you have questions but, sometimes! You just have to buckle up, and enjoy the ride. Like you would on a roller-coaster. 😆😅😂🤣👍👍👍

[@MrMrFearghal]

Imagine a Superman movie with Christopher Reeves, better special effects AND a good script.

[@FlixTalk]

😯😯😯🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@magicjim1]

Reeve, not Reeves.

[@dan2007kohn]

Superman WAS a good script and the effects were just fine, some of them created on the spot for this film. The film won a special Oscar for special effects in a time when special effects weren’t recognized by the Academy.

[@HEAVYMETALmovie1981]

Christopher Reeve was the epitomy of Superman and his persona and what the character is truly about like the blue boyscout we all know and love. He was my childhood hero. And this is the same movie that made me *believe that a man can fly.* 🦸

[@TTM9691]

Great reaction, man! You cracked me up! Gaaaaa, best not to overthink it; they approach it like a comic book, where not everything makes sense! lol. You asked to know what's different in this cut? 19:44 that's an added scene, I've never seen that one before. There was another one during the Krypton section, where you made a joke about "Tin Foil Man" or something. That was not in the theatrical release. 28:29 - this whole little bit with the machine guns, then the fire and then the ice.... isn't in the theatrical release, he just spirals down and goes right into Lex's lair. 33:48 - you're right you can't hike the Hollywood sign that close.....which is probably why it didn't appear in the original theatrical release! Anyways, laughed my butt off watching this with you!

[@FlixTalk]

Thank you so much for the info and thanks for watching!

[@l.piloto7964]

Superman is so molecularly dense he creates a gravitational field that he uses to envelope himself and things he carries. Thats why planes, ships, and even celestial bodies don't break under their own weight or the resistance of flight at speed.

[@ccchhhrrriiisss100]

I've always "interpreted" the idea that Superman went back in time and now understood WHAT he must do to stop both rockets. I think that he went back to the launch....stopped both rockets...and then went forward (at the speed of light) and met Lois and Jimmy. At least, that is how I interpreted the film. Also: SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE and SUPERMAN II were filmed back-to-back. The end of this film (with the time travel) was supposed to be the end of the SECOND movie. The studio tried to hurry up the film production so hastily demanded an end. They took the end of what was supposed to be the second film and used it for the first and created a different end for SUPERMAN II. I've always wondered where the first film was supposed to end. It was supposed to be a cliff hanger.

[@brandonflorida1092]

This breaking several laws of physics.

[@ArtisticMysticSoul]

This made me happy! Christopher Reeve was my Superman. I know the effects don't hold up, but this was groundbreaking stuff when it came out. The helicopter scene was probably my favorite. Such a cool debut.

[@FlixTalk]

Hey thanks for watching!

[@tomstanziola1982]

The Phantom Zone is like a living death.

[@alexfletcher5192]

It is impossible to overestimate how this changed the perception of comic book characters. My brother took me to see it when it hit Britain for the first time (so I suppose 1979) and he was more mesmerized than me. Christopher Reeve just embodied the part. It's not hyper-masculine but it's not shy either. He does the right thing. And, back the, we could - as the blurb suggested - believe a man could fly...

[@SomeGuy-cw9rw]

Truth, Justice, and the American Way.

[@tonyyul703]

What This movie did was allow Superman to fail... And how it affected him on an emotional level.

[@russellkellett9535]

Now this is what you call a movie