Superman (1978) Was *SUPER* FUN! - First Time Watching - Movie Reaction/Review

Fly on over to this reaction to a super fun and heroic filled adventure as Cameron and Isaiah sit down together and watch Superman on Max for the very first time! Christopher Reeve brought so much charisma and quirk to the role and Gene Hackman was such a good Lex! if you agree and enjoyed this reaction, show some support and leave a like, share, and subscribe! Comment down below your favorite scene from the movie "Superman"!
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Thanks for watching us have a blast with this iconic hero!
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Intro and Outro Song
Song: Evan King - Guardians
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Free download at: www.evankingmusic.com

[@joecortes7142]

Christopher Reeve will always remain the best superman. No one else will ever compare. RIP

[@nathancruz9172]

Exactly

[@Jim-Mc]

He was so good the comic book version changed to be more like him. Pre 78 Superman wasn't as personally developed or consciously idealistic. This made him more than just a matinee hero that punched robbers.

[@RonnieG]

I think you meant Clark. Clark Kent.

[@brandonflorida1092]

Because you're so familiar with George Reeves' work in "The Adventures of Superman?"

[@user-ug3jg1bv8n]

Christopher Reeve saved this movie from its many flaws. He plays Clark and superman with such different personalities that he somehow makes us believe that a pair of glasses can actually work as a disguise. Amazing!

[@shainewhite2781]

RIP, Christopher Reeve. Superman RIP, Richard Donner. Director RIP, Margot Kidder. Lois Lane RIP, Marlon Brando. Jor-El RIP, Ned Beatty. Otis Berg RIP, Susannah York. Lara El RIP Glenn Ford. Jonathan Kent RIP, Phyllis Thaxter. Martha Kent. RIP, Jackie Cooper, Perry White. RIP, Tom Manckiwiez, Screenwriter. RIP, Mario Puzo, Screenwriter. RIP, Geoffrey Unsworth, Cinematographer RIP, John Barry, Production Design. They all made us believe a man can fly.

[@Embur12]

Christopher Reeve died way to early. The horse riding accident was so tragic...

[@Alexandrashepiro]

You Forgot Jackie Cooper as Perry White!

[@nathancruz9172]

@@Embur12exactly

[@goldenager59]

An impressive - and rather depressing - roster you've compiled. And Gene Hackman? God bless him, he's _still_ with us at the great age of 93 (as of last October, I believe). ALTHOUGH - personally, I shall always wonder why they weren't able to secure the services of Telly Savalas as Lex Luthor (the man had an innately menacing aura that could have made Hackman's interpretation look like a mere snake-oil-peddling sleazeball - _and_ he was already very popular as TV's cop *Kojak,* who just happened also to be, like Luthor, a chrome-dome). 😊

[@Alexandrashepiro]

@@goldenager59 got to meet Gene when I was 6 in seattle when hje waas filming a movie in early 80's! All I knew gene from was Superman..so when i saw him..i kept saying omg..its lex luthor. Gene eventually turned around and came over..smiled and said.."hey kid..shh..dont want the big guy "Superman" finding me..shhh"...he Signed a piece of paper for me..

[@sfkeepay]

Reeve went all in on the flying, hoisted as high as 150 in his flying harness to achieve the effect. To this day, nobody looks as convincing.

[@MicahMann]

As a kid in the 70’s this movie was so so special. It was the 1st superhero motion picture. Nothing to this scale had ever been done. Warms my heart.

[@Lethgar_Smith]

Well, there was the 1966 Batman movie

[@markpaterson2053]

@@Lethgar_Smith Ha ha, good for laughs, I love that movie

[@silikon2]

It's true, this was spectacular beyond reason. The tag line was "you'll believe a man can fly". That's the ridiculous thing about The Matrix: Reloaded. A movie 20 years older is more convincing than those silly and obvious cartoons of cgi "Keanu" flying.

[@Muck006]

There were TV series for Spiderman, Manimal, the Flash and so on ... which had longer pilot movies.

[@silikon2]

@@Muck006 The Incredible Hulk tv show predates Superman The Movie as well and imho holds up extremely well. But OP was talking about major scale movies not tv. There were movies made for Batman, Doctor Who, etc but they were cheap sorts of things.

[@StCerberusEngel]

The tagline for this movie was "You Will Believe a Man Can Fly." It's been over 40 years since its release, and thanks in large part to the outstanding performance of Christopher Reeve, I still believe.

[@Muck006]

Flying is easy, just miss the ground while falling.

[@OzBaxter]

@@Muck006 Thank you, Douglas.

[@thetomgibson]

Prior to this movie, I grew up with reruns of the Adventures of Superman from the 50s, so seeing realistic flying was very cool as a ten-year-old.

[@toodlescae]

Same but I was 16.

[@tjhorsegirl]

The parents of little Lois on the train were Noel Neil, the original Lois Lane and Kirk Alyan, the very first live action Superman.

[@tljscrewjob6397]

My favorite bit has to be when he turns into Superman when Lois is in another room, and then when she comes back he immediately turns back into Clark. What great acting!

[@jameswoods4793]

Excellent acting. The man was brilliant

[@derekramsaroup3883]

Clark Kent literally becomes Superman at that moment,with not a special effect in sight ...

[@kenpaden]

Christopher Reeve was an extraordinary person. He was in a horse back riding accident in 1995, that left him paralyzed the rest of his life. He continued to act and used his celebrity status to be an activist for disabled people with spinal injuries. He truly was superman on and off screen.

[@dunbardunelm3924]

Stem cell research was really important to him.

[@ponokunishima1]

It’s not Kryptonite, it’s just a crystal that powers everything. Kryptonite were bits and pieces of his planet that exploded.

[@wrench_in_the_works]

“I’m sorry, that wasn’t your underwear…🤣🤣🤣 I’m dead!!! 🤣🤣🤣

[@squashmallow2006]

20:30 "He's so nice." And that's what makes him Superman. Not his powers, but his character. He's just an all-around sweetheart.

[@donaldseale2700]

Something I never thought about as a kid but notice now about that scene, is that he is sending half of the salary he gets from a top top newspaper of a Major city to his mother who lives in a small country town. With the cost of living being so much lower, she now gets to live her retirement years in luxury.

[@davidgradwell8830]

@@donaldseale2700 He also has the ability to squeeze a huge chunk of coal to the point that it would transform into a diamond! He could also precisely cut it into multiple diamonds with his strength, supervision, and heat vision. That's a handy backup to help Ma out if necessary.

[@squashmallow2006]

​@@donaldseale2700She could. But the Kents almost always lived modest lives. They'd likely give a lot of it to charity.

[@Muck006]

@@donaldseale2700 Spider-Man doesnt even get paid enough to support himself in the city ... let alone support Aunt May to not lose the house.

[@donaldseale2700]

@@Muck006 That's because he's a freelancer getting paid by one of the cheapest people alive.

[@Alexandrashepiro]

MY Superman!! This is the Superman GEN X Grew up 0n! This was our FIRST official Superhero movie! Christopher Reeve made Superman HIS own! Same with Margot Kidder, Marlon Brando, Ned Beatty, Glen Ford, Jackie Cooper as Lois, Jor-El, Otis, Pa kent, Perry White..Etc Etc I fly in my Dreams a lot due of this movie!

[@alissageorge5679]

Superman II is my favorite of the Superman Movies with Christopher Reeve.

[@jeremiahrose4681]

Both cuts? The Donner cut was odd for sure, after growing up with the theatrical release.

[@alissageorge5679]

@@jeremiahrose4681 I’m pretty sure it is the theatrical cut ? But not even sure about that. Lol. It was always on TV. We didn’t own it in vhs…damn I’m old.

[@JayStar-yj9pu]

Wrath of Khan changed the "Vengeance" arc for ALL films!!

[@mikejankowski6321]

@@JayStar-yj9pu Kneel before Khan?

[@JayStar-yj9pu]

@@mikejankowski6321 personally, I'm not that kinda fanboy! 😱🤣

[@stacyhanlon3640]

Kryptonite is called kryptonite because it's pieces of Krypton and it's radioactive. Not only can it harm him and make him sick it, can kill him. That green thing in the beginning was just a crystal, it's kind of misleading, but it still a crystal, whereas kryptonite is actually just a meteorite from Krypton.

[@bobbuethe1477]

That's right. Kryptonite was created by fusion when the planet exploded. It didn't exist before that moment.

[@mikejankowski6321]

They did the audience a disservice (or maybe it was a red herring) to make the master crystal green instead of something else. Every fan knew what green Kryptonite did, as compared for instance to red.

[@davidgradwell8830]

@@mikejankowski6321 When you look closely at the explosion of Krypton, you can see green and red Kryptonite flying out into space in the aftermath. Foreshadowing.

[@mikejankowski6321]

@@davidgradwell8830 YES! I always loved that they did that, staying true to canon even in the little details.

[@davidgradwell8830]

@@mikejankowski6321 To take it a little further, Superman III needed (among a lot of other things) a better script. Under a better writer, Superman III would have made a great Red Kryptonite story. Either that or the evil double of Superman could have been another classic canonical character--forgive my alliteration!--Bizarro!

[@Panzer4F2]

Remember that Clark is an alien pretending to be Clark. Kill Bill 2 has a great explanation. Be glad that it was the Kents that found him as a child.

[@StCerberusEngel]

Bill's take on Superman is the take of a villain. Superman was raised by the Kents. While he was born Kal-el, and his power comes naturally to him, his true identity is Clark. He doesn't put on the act because he looks down on humanity. He does it to fade into the background. It frees him to be the real Clark while he dons the suit. Superman and Clark Kent are one and the same. The mild-mannered reporter is his costume.

[@N0-1_H3r3]

At the time this movie was made, the more modern idea of "Clark is the person, Superman is a public persona he adopts" was about twenty years away. In terms of interpretations of the character, this movie is basically the gold standard, and the fact that it presents Clark as an act that Superman puts on is, IMO, its main weakness.

[@user-gj9uq3kb7y]

No he isn't he is Clark Kent There are two Clark Kents The Persona Clark Kent To hide Superman And the Clark Kent His friends and family knows Just like Batman Brucie Wayne Bruce Wayne

[@reneerocha1796]

20:03 Christopher Reeves will always be Superman to me ❤

[@richardvinsen2385]

He’ll always be Christopher Reeve. Not Reeves.

[@silikon2]

He really did nail it. I guess we should give ample credit to casting too ;)

[@reneerocha1796]

@@richardvinsen2385 Always love the hall monitors. 😊

[@richardvinsen2385]

@@reneerocha1796 I always love people who say someone is their favorite actor then misspell their name.

[@reneerocha1796]

@@richardvinsen2385 well, see I knew that already, even before you said that. It’s ok. Some folks can’t resist. ✌🏼

[@thunderstruck5484]

Saw at the theater, Christopher will always be Superman to me, Classic! Thanks guys

[@Whitebrowpriest]

The man who plays the head of the Daily Planet newspaper is legendary actor, Jackie Cooper. He was one of the original Little Rascals from back in the day.

[@vincentsaia6545]

Christopher Reeve was cast after a two-year search. He was an accomplished stage actor who did NOT grow up reading comic books and was, therefore, able to portray the character with objectively.

[@Jim-Mc]

Yep and honestly before him the comic book version of Superman wasn't that great. All the best books have been influenced by his portrayal.

[@jasonsypsa7074]

Ego drives a super villain to reveal his plan

[@bobbuethe1477]

True, but revealing his plan was also how Luthor tricked Superman into opening the lead box with the kryptonite.

[@mikejankowski6321]

Particularly Bond villains. I especially liked Goldfinger's presentation.

[@davidgradwell8830]

@@mikejankowski6321 There was an old SNL sketch where James Bond arrives in the villain's lair too early. The villain is annoyed and frustrated at Bond--and can't threaten him properly--because the shark tank is still empty and sharkless (they were due to arrive next week!) The alligator pit is likewise waiting for the alligator delivery, while the deadly super laser is still being assembled, and the minions are still wearing their street clothes because their 100 jumpsuits haven't been delivered yet and half of them are away being trained in a weeklong minion-training seminar...

[@maestro80smusic93]

Imagine seeing this in a movie theater at age six. I was in heaven. The helicopter rescue scene is still hands down my favorite superhero movie scene. The build-up, the music, the "S" reveal, then Superman appears out of the revolving door.... just perfect!... also, the tv series Smallville had an alternate universe episode where Clark was found by the Luthor family...

[@dennislopez1272]

I was the same age when I saw it in the theatre's. It was an awesome experience for us kids who loved superheroes and comic books. Smallville was an excellent show.

[@vincentsaia6545]

This is one of my all-time favorite movies. I saw it as a kid when it first came out.

[@KalElCanFly]

I was born 4 years after the release of this movie but from the moment I first saw this movie I have looked up to Superman's character and moral code my entire life. This is a great movie and one I wish I could forget just so I could experience for the first time again. My wife and I regularly go to Metropolis, IL for the Superman celebration, we have some videos on our channel of the celebration.

[@dunbardunelm3924]

I felt the same way after watching Pay It Forward 🥰☺️♥️

[@seansersmylie]

When you only had 4 tv channels and VCR's cost a fortune, you had the Christmas movies. You couldn't see blockbuster films otherwise. As a kid, Superman, Star Wars and Indiana Jones were Crimbo afternoon films!

[@JayStar-yj9pu]

Don't forget Jaws and Star Trek

[@bunnygrill]

This movie is actually what introduced the family crests. The comics adopted it afterwards.

[@wolfkniteX]

Here's 2 interesting facts about Marlon Brando with regards to this film. 1) He agreed to the role of Jor-El only if he could wear the Superman Symbol. At the time, the symbol was just an S that stood for Superman, but the writers decided to accept Brando's terms and allow him to wear the symbol and INTRODUCE the idea that the symbol wasn't simply an S but the Kryptonian symbol for hope as well as the coat of arms for the House of El. This film was the first to. 2) Marlon Brando was an amazing actor in his life but was notorious for not bothering to remember his lines, either just winging it or having his lines on a board off screen that he could look to while he was filming. This is also the case in this movie where he's actually reading his line off the baby Kal-El's diaper while he's Jor-El is saying goodbye to his son before putting him in the pod.

[@DoktorStrangelove]

At age eight, in 1978 or ‘79, that opening title sequence was ASTONISHING. I was absolutely hype after that, and the movie delivered.

[@gregorygant4242]

You are a 1970 man ? Me too I was born in 1970. Join the club !

[@vincentsaia6545]

When Clark jumps out the window he checks to make sure everyone in the room has their backs to him looking at the TV. FYI: Superman keeps his Clark Kent clothes in secret pouch in his cape.

[@Demigord]

I mean, when you're going to the north pole, "north" is pretty precise

[@merchillio]

This Luthor is my favourite Luthor, ruthless but full of zingers, and so annoyed with his minions

[@gregorygant4242]

Yep, Gene Hackman killed it as Lex Luthor my favorite villain in all the Superman movies. His intelligence, brutal evil and zinger one liners are something else.

[@slchance8839]

100% Something i caiught this time around is the dead psychopathic quiet look in his eyes when Lex corrects Superman: "Planning the deaths of innocent lives? No. CAUSING the deaths of innocent lives." No smile. No jokes. Dead eyes. He said that line as if he was saying "Add french fries not onions to my order." Same thing when he had to tell Mrs Tushbaucher that her mother has to die by just "pointing to his watch and shaking his head 'no'"

[@merchillio]

@@slchance8839 that watch look is so… detached. Not even a sorry.

[@ScientificallyStupid]

Only Christopher Reeve could say the lines Superman says and not sound like a total dork. He will always be Superman to me.

[@rabbitandcrow]

The idea that the character would be utterly sincere without some sardonic undertone to it was really revolutionary in how it was approached. It was the 1970s - cynicism was the order of the day.

[@Fast_Eddy_Magic]

All that's green is not kryptonite.

[@mikejankowski6321]

Good news for Scotty!

[@reneerocha1796]

I’ve got you! Who’s got you??😂😅the most memorable line!

[@ITPalGame]

The Earth wasn't going backwards. Time was.

[@bobbuethe1477]

Yes! Earth spinning backwards was just how it looked from Superman's point of view as he went back. I like to imagine that going back in time allowed him to stop both missiles. But that doesn't explain why Jimmy complained about being left behind at the dam.

[@derworfnet]

I always thought this is similar to how the Crew of the Enterprise went back in time in _Star Trek IV_ by doing a slingshot around the Sun at high warp

[@maceomaceo11]

If this movie had disappointed in any way when it came out, super hero movies would have been dead in Hollywood forever. There were questions about a comic book character being given a budget and cast of the highest caliber. Comics were seen strictly for 5-10 year olds, not a mass auduence. If this failed, Batman '89 is never happening. Without the Burton Batman's, Marvel doesn't get to attempt big budget movies. Superman is a landmark motion picture that changed the industry.

[@tomchris60]

You're right about Superman's landmark status. But I think even after its blockbuster success, Hollywood failed to understand the potential of the comic book genre. Warner Bros didn't open the flood gates for other DC characters and Batman was in development he'll for nearly a decade. But you're right, it all started here.

[@maceomaceo11]

@tomchris60 from a dead start, a decade seems about right to get a major production completed start to finish.

[@user-gj9uq3kb7y]

Same thing if Superman failed Financially in 1938 Batman was created because Superman was Successful And so was the rest of the DC Universe

[@maceomaceo11]

@user-gj9uq3kb7y Yep. Superman is king of comics, that can't be disputed.

[@toodlescae]

Aww. You skipped over one of the best pieces of acting on film when Christopher Reeve flips back and forth between Clark and Superman in Lois' apartment. He's the only one to make it believable that no one realizes they're the same person. Just a shift in posture, vocal tone and glasses and he's 2 different people. I saw it when it came out and I was 16. Back then it was amazing to us. We had never seen a believable flying man before. It was also supposed to pretty much be a live action comic book.

[@Wolvorine]

I was really hoping, out of all the bits, that they'd include that moment and their reaction to it. It's singular and perfect.

[@betsyduane3461]

Antarctica is south.

[@Johnadams20760]

back in 1978 it was considered pretty normal for parents to slap their kids for lying and nobody batted an eye

[@OverandOutChief1]

Oh yes. It was done in front of everyone too.

[@Johnadams20760]

@@OverandOutChief1 yep. i was born in 74 so i know totally. in fact it was normal even up til the early90s for th emost part

[@silikon2]

Yeah, but for something like this... that would have been excessive even for the time. Sounds like the kid has a wild imagination, not really lying.

[@Johnadams20760]

@@silikon2 maybe, but her mother though she was lying and disciplining her. nobody ever thought it was exexssive. they amplified the slap so you could hear it

[@sharkdentures3247]

Never had a face slap but DID have a few "swats on the butt", for misbehaving or being disrespectful.

[@robertkramer2271]

The reason this film works so well is basically because it's a pure comic book. No message, no agenda, just pure adventure and fun. Don't overthink it. Just enjoy the ride.

[@brainofjtd]

No message or agenda? You mean besides toppling the bloodthirsty real estate tycoon for causing intentional damage to give him a greater value to his assets? Something we are actively dealing with today with private equity firms? You would literally have to actively not pay attention to the plot to miss this kind of shit lol

[@martinishot]

Maybe it's why the fourth Superman really went to crap.Besides the fact that the budget was chopped.. The agenda even had superman addressing the united nations.

[@Thelonedisciple0]

Here’s a fun fact: in the scene where young Clark is racing the train,the lady they cut to sitting next to the little girl is actress Noel Neill who was the first live action Lois Lane in the 1940s Superman movie serials. In 1953 she again played Lois this time on the Adventures of Superman television series with George Reeves as Superman. I always loved that cameo in the movie.

[@BeauSinger]

People always get the scene of him reversing time wrong, he doesn’t spin the earth the other way he literally goes so fast he breaks time and space and reverses time then slows down to move forward again to a certain time. It just appears as though the earth is moving backwards to us.

[@reneerocha1796]

37:27 Ned Beatty is such a dufus in this movie😂 Gene Hackman is a great Lex

[@nathancruz9172]

Yes, he was.

[@mikejankowski6321]

And John Williams captured him in music so beautifully.

[@mikejankowski6321]

Lex was so casually evil it was delicious. Hackman was GREAT!

[@in8hope617]

Welcome to my youth! (Just graduated from high school before this came out) :)

[@danielyoung1846]

The military guy who wanted to give Miss Tesmacher mouth-to-mouth was Larry Hagman, who later in 1978 would start playing JR Ewing on Dallas.

[@gregorywilcox5949]

ANOTHER GREAT MUSIC SCORE BY JOHN WILLAMS

[@ImmortalRimas]

The Green Crystal in Superman’s Spaceship is not Kryptonite it just so happens to look that way, it’s the central control crystal & data memory for the spaceship Kal-El arrives in, it contains the Fortress of Solitude and contains Jor-El's knowledge & wisdom. Although it would’ve been less confusing for the audience if the filmmakers had made it something like blue instead as Kryptonite is any irradiated debris of the planet Krypton

[@JayStar-yj9pu]

These guys have no idea about back when all we had for our worldly connection was newspapers, magazines and a few news stations. I read the TV guide, funny papers and Reader's Digest by age 11

[@FrankJReynolds]

This movie actually created the idea that the crystal from Krypton created the Fortress, and then that idea was retconned back into the comics. Before this movie, in the comics, the Fortress was just this "man cave" Superman built for himself in the Arctic; it had no direct connection to Krypton. This movie created the connection.

[@vincentsaia6545]

It was Brando's idea to have the Superman "S" be the El family crest.

[@mikejankowski6321]

My understanding is that in addition to his spectacular salary and short shooting schedule, the self-important guy insisted that he wear the famous "S" or he would not do the part. I got the impression that the family crest was somebody else's idea to justify capitulation.

[@vincentsaia6545]

@@mikejankowski6321 Not sure, but I think I remember director Richard Donner saying it was Brando's idea. Also, all who worked on with him on the movie said he was very pleasant and professional. I know Donner said after working with Brando that he thought he was "underpaid."

[@gunmetal2890]

Great reaction guys... I was a kid in the 80's watching this for the first time, it was amazing to watch on the big screen and the goofy bits weren't so goofy back then... more the norm, but I can understand this movie has aged a lot, that said it will always be a classic... especially Christopher Reeves character... this movie was made for him... or he was made for this movie... either way works... RIP. Cheers!

[@inarar5334]

You saw Superman Returns, the ill-fated attempt to pick the story back up from this series with a new cast.

[@user-gj9uq3kb7y]

Personally I love Superman returns

[@inarar5334]

@@user-gj9uq3kb7y I also enjoy it for what it was, too. But it was definitely ill fated, it didn't go over all that well.

[@Lee-Darin]

It would have been better with different writers and more action

[@allenruss2976]

Watching Zs cringe over the smallest things is so much fun. There was nothing wrong with the kissing scene

[@mikejankowski6321]

It said a lot about her character and frustrations.

[@punkem733]

The scene in her apartment as clark, that scene right there made the glasses to hide his identity work for me. It's not just the glasses, but he stands with his shoulders slumped which makes him look meek and shorter. When he took off his glasses, even his facial structure slightly, or at least it felt like it. He displays a completely different aura when he throws his shoulders back and fully stands up. He FEELS like a different person through the screen, I'd imagine being there the change is even more magnified. His physical acting is PHENOMENAL. Even his voice changes.

[@pattern2481]

Director's cut as a scene of him making his way from the hole he cut in the sidewalk to Lex's lair. Lex has the tunnel rigged with defenses, and he watches Superman on a monitor to see what he does. It's a really cool scene.

[@jeremiahrose4681]

My wife is a huge Superman fan, and she loves Christopher Reeve. He is bar far the best Superman, even in the cheesy bad movies he was good, III and IV was awful, but not Christopher.

[@hildajensen6263]

Other actors have done Superman well. But Christopher Reeve is what they are all measured against.

[@toxikelement1372]

I was born in '81 so missed the theater but most certainly had the movies at home. I always watched them. The Christopher Reeve Superman movies, 1984 Supergirl, 1980 Flash Gordon and the Tim Burton Batman movies were my childhood experience on introducing and loving superheroes. Christopher was an inspiration and a true hero for many physically disabled. ❤

[@jeremyscott3645]

He reversed time back far enough to fix everything and then went to Lois, that’s all. I saw this film in the theater when I was 3 and when he was thrown into the pool with the kryptonite, I guess I started crying and couldn’t stop and didn’t until I saw him fly out of the water and break through the roof. YOU GUYS MADE MY DAY BY WATCHING THIS, thank you so much! I pretended I was Superman from 3 years old to about 5th grade. Anyway, good night guys and thanks again!

[@benjiarehart2878]

Being 13 years old was a huge plus seeing this movie at the theater when it came out. Being a big fan of Superman growing up was another big plus. As a teenager, I didn't overthink those illogical issues it brought to it. The special effects were so good for its times, and Christopher Reeves made such a believable Clark Kent, and Superman that the things that didnt really make sense was never an issue. Genes Hackman is still one of my all time favorite actors. My friends, and I saw this multiple times at the theater. What a great year for movies. Grease, Animal House, Midnight Express, Every which way but Loose with Clint Eastwood. Holloween. Close Encounters of the third kind was still playing, as well as Star Wars. Great reaction. Still my favorite Superman movie to this day. Watch 1976 King Kong if you haven't yet. Another great movie.

[@TheBigbrizzle]

As a kid this was absolutely mind blowing to watch. Mesmerizing.

[@jeremiahrose4681]

Here's the question does Reeve play Clark or Superman better? That's hard to answered because he does them both amazingly. Other actors play one or the other well, not both.

[@carytakagawa2760]

Saw this movie in the theater on its opening night; I was in college. The special effects were just so far beyond what any of us had seen at that time - we were amazed. The theater was packed, the energy and excitement was off the charts and it was just an all-around magical experience.

[@conquerorganicchemistry5949]

christopher reeves was my generation's superman and a hero to us all. and when he got paralyzed from falling off a horse, it broke all of our hearts. rest in peace christopher.

[@LightMovies]

At those times the audiences didn't care too much about the plot holes. I've watched this movie when it came out, in 1978 as a kid, and just connected the dots myself by presuming between the reverse-time and the final scene he also managed to get rid of the two missles in a better order, but was not necessary to show it.

[@ebaker1968]

The opening credits of this film were the first time in decades that Siegel and Shuster, the actual creators of Superman, got written credit for creating him. DC Comics screwed them out of their rights and it took years of legal battles, and the help of comic book icon Neil Adams, to finally get their names back on Superman properties.

[@rabbitandcrow]

This also came out at the end of the 70s which was a very cynical time. People were really ready for an unashamedly heroic movie.

[@reservoirdude92]

Richard Donner also directed The Goonies, The Omen, and the Lethal Weapon franchise. Talk about eclectic haha

[@Embur12]

He also did a little film called LadyHawke starring Rutger Hauer and Michelle Pfeiffer.

[@mikesitter5209]

"Sorry, that wasn't your underwear" is the greatest fuckin thing you've ever said. 😂😂

[@dcmslife3772]

My nephew was in the graduating class with Will Reeve, Christopher Reeve's son, and I was at their graduation from Middlebury College.

[@Tinker_LV426]

That's another one that hurts to think about after he lost his mom. I think I saw him on TV not too long ago and he is working in her foundation for cancer research.

[@kennwashi4093]

Superman 1 & 2 was meant to be one big movie but was split in two parts due to budget, creative differences, and time constraints.

[@timroebuck3458]

When this movie came out in 1978, the upbeat message was needed. America was going through a period of runaway inflation, unemployment, and weak, ineffective leaders, so our morale was pretty low. Something like this was needed.

[@iangrant3615]

This was basically the first proper superhero movie. There were others before it, but this movie set the template for how to turn a comic book into a movie in a credible way and make it a believable blockbuster. That's why it feels such a pure and straightforward adaptation, this was before movies became 'meta' and ironic and needing a dark spin on the material. Batman (1989) was the superhero movie that brought that darker tone to mainstream audiences. This was also pioneering in terms of special effects and production values - the tagline was 'you'll believe a man could fly' and considering this was pre-CGI, they really did make a breakthrough in showing him fly where you couldn't see the wires. Audiences had never seen anything like this. The music of course was also a revelation, a year after composer John Williams had also made a huge contribution to Star Wars. It's worth checking out Superman II (try theatrical version, and if you like it, perhaps also try watching the alternative 'Richard Donner' cut too). Superman III is fun but not quite as good. Superman IV is pretty bad and not worth watching.

[@user-ug3jg1bv8n]

Christopher Reeve saved this movie from its many flaws. He plays Clark and superman with such different personalities that he somehow makes us believe that a pair of glasses can actually work as a disguise. Amazing!

[@andreaschmall5560]

Christopher Reeves told a story on one of the late night TV shows not long after the film was released about how his bike was stolen while he was sitting in a NYC restaurant and he was watching it happen as he looked out the window. He took off after the guy through NYC traffic and caught up with him and knocked the guy onto the hood of a parked car. The guy looked up and immediately recognized him and said "Oh no! It's Superman!" Can you imagine how freaked out the guy was...lol

[@Fast_Eddy_Magic]

When he said he was going north, he wasn't kidding. "North where?" All the way. 😂

[@Hugh-S]

"That wasn't your underwear" I haven't laughed that hard in a long ass time lmao.

[@dr.burtgummerfan439]

Superman repairing the fault, blocking the flood with a rockslide, becoming a railroad track rail, and yes, even reversing time, were in no way scientifically or physically possible. BUT, they were comic book accurate. He defied physics all the time in the comics. Those of us who were familiar with the Golden, Silver, and Bronze Age Superman saw these in the movie and went "Yes!!".😂

[@vincentsaia6545]

This is the best version. The longer versions have scenes that are not only superfluous but downright silly.

[@user-gj9uq3kb7y]

I disagree I love the 3hour version

[@RanRayu]

superman got so angry at the death of lois, even physics said ''nope, i aint dealing with that. if he thinks this flying around the planet is gonna affect time in any way, well i am not the one who is gonna tell him no.''

[@thunderstruck5484]

At the theater it was a great fun experience, I remember who I was with and some people I knew sitting in front of us , this was back before stadium sitting or big screens great speaker system etc, and it was packed with everyone laughing cheering clapping etc , going to the movies was a really fun experience, thanks guys

[@sfkeepay]

Same here. My best friend and I…we were 10. It was an incredible experience.

[@timstackii]

Flying around the earth to reverse time does make a sort of sense. As you approach the speed of light, time for you slows down, so assuming you were able to exceed the speed of light time would then reverse. The earth doesnt start spinning the opposite direction, we just see it that way from Superman's perspective as he flys backwards in time.

[@artlapham6380]

The crystal wasn't kryptonite. Kryptonite is fragments of the planet itself which was irradiated when the planet exploded.

[@flowerlace]

One of, if not, THE BEST movie score EVER written. Goose bumps every time.

[@klass_1221]

This was my first movie as a young kid to watch in a theater. Well, I did watch Star Wars. But I was too young to remember that. Superman '78 is the reason I love movies. This is the granddaddy of the superhero movies genre. That theme music! Still the best. Ty, John Williams. GOAT 🎶

[@rac1061]

This is one of my absolute favorite reactions from you guys. This movie is just part of my DNA from watching it so many times as a kid, and seeing you guys enjoy it was a blast.

[@ITPalGame]

36:11 that military officer is the actor who played the military officer on the 1960s TV series sitcom, "I Dream of Jeannie" 🧞

[@darkwingdunk2804]

He was also J.R Ewing on Dallas tv show…

[@ProWrestlingWeekly]

Both Superman and Superman II were filmed at the same time. The production was rushed to make a finish for the first movie to get a release in 1978 for the 40th anniversary of the comic, and it ended up with a late 1978 release. I’ll simply say that plans changed, just so I don’t spoil things if you choose to watch either the theatrical Superman II movie or the Richard Donner Cut. Richard Donner directed Superman: The Movie, and had a dispute with the producers. They brought in another director for Superman II, and he had to shoot at least 51% of the footage (75% was already shot with the co-filming of the two movies with Donner). Glad you enjoyed this, this was one of my favorite movies growing up. I was saddened when Chris Reeve died. Fun fact: Reeve was good friends with Robin Williams from when they attended Julliard together.

[@dionkelly8420]

No, that football Clark kicked isn't coming back down. It likely left Earth and was floating around in space somewhere.

[@blanketstarry7725]

"can you imagine if it was a guy, kissing a girl..." Like a guy giving a chest massage and mouth to mouth to an unconscious car crash victim? :)

[@mikejankowski6321]

Or kissing Sleeping Beauty or Snow White?

[@birdieputtnh74]

"OH, sorry, that wasn't your underwear" might be the best line ever on your channel

[@birdieputtnh74]

I should say I was 15 when this came out and it was iconic. Seeing this in the theater at the time was amazing and it really captured the comic book feel.

[@alicestevens8291]

It is though. The only metric it's ever held to now is it isn't edgy. I think it's cool that they used to make films that emphasized on just being a fun time for the audience and little else and they did that well with this one. Sometimes I need that wholesome kind of fun.

[@greenpeasuit]

Lois inner monologue: "can you read my mind blah blah blah bad poetry blah blah" Clark inner monologue: PINK!!

[@t.duchene4973]

Relativity, gentlemen. The Earth didn't stop. It only appeared to relative to Superman.

[@majkus]

The Kents find Kal-El and his spaceship. "They're so calm!" Lois is in a life-threatening helicopter accident and panics: "You gotta calm down." "I'm going north…" "Oh! He went to Antarctica!" You guys are amazing.

[@bobbyclarkston8836]

Actually, no. If the earth stopped spinning we wouldn’t go flying off. But the earth’s atmosphere would continue spinning, greatest at the equator, resulting in massive windstorms.

[@billparrish4385]

"Oh, I'm sorry, that wasn't your underwear!" 🤣🤣🤣

[@williambanks2223]

He went into the revolving door but in the extended cut, he runs up to a "phone booth", but at the time, it wasn't more than a phone stand. A callback to the old days. Fun fact: Christopher Reeve didn't want to wear fake muscles and went into an intense workout. So the body you see is all him.

[@mlong1958]

The family on the train were the Lanes, as in Lois Lane was the little girl. The two adult actors were Noel Neill and Kirk Alyn. Noel was Lois Lane in The Adventures of Superman with George Reeves. Kirk was Superman in Superman (1948) and Atom Man vs. Superman (1950). The tag line for this movie when it was released in theaters was, "You will believe a man can fly." The scene where he flew off the balcony and then showed up at the door as Clark Kent, was done in real time with no cuts.

[@AD-kv9kj]

I've checked out a few reactions to the original Superman movie now, and am baffled as to why every single one doesn't get that Luthor IS bald and is very obviously wearing wigs... His wig collection is clearly shown as Otis fetches one for him, he's obviously bald in the pool despite a swimming cap and nobody ever notices until the very end where he yanks off his wig to make a speech to the prison warden. I noticed the wigs the first time I watched this around 5 years old 🤷‍♂

[@jmwild1]

This is a gripe, I know, but the only issue I have with this fabulous classic is the decision to make that special crystal green. It introduced so much confusion for me as a kid and still irks me now. Before I saw the movie (when I was 5) I knew kryptonite was green, and I kept thinking that crystal was hurting Clark!

[@rickardroach9075]

Agreed.

[@dfa3366]

John Williams did the score and Superman opening is one of his best.