The Reel Rejects - SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE (1978) MOVIE REVIEW!! First Time Watching!

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Starting point is 00:00:46 Celebrate in a fashion responsible. You have to have the age legal for consuming the alcohol. This video is brought to you by DC Studios Showcase, the official podcast, featuring our very own coy genre. More on them in just a bit. Tara, what have I forgotten?

Starting point is 00:01:06 Tell me what I'm, I've messed up. I need to know. Nata. Perfect. Let's get right into the movie then. Superman, the movie, commence. All righty. Well, folks, that was Superman the movie from 1978.

Starting point is 00:01:24 If you were able to watch it on YouTube, it's because of those fine folks over at Praper. They are doing such a wonderful. job editing down these highlights we appreciate all their hard work so thank you so much paper also if you want cool teas like these reject nation shop.com look at that ring the bell look at that shirt amazing remember if you're a patreon member you get discounts i believe it's 15 percent yeah 15 percent off also apple or spotify if you're listening if you don't mind giving us a five-star ring we would so appreciate before i asked her how she's feeling if you could let us know in the comments i'm sure this is going to be a great decision at

Starting point is 00:02:00 the end of the day. I'm just curious. I would imagine it's going to be the theatrical version we're going to be watching of Superman too. That's just me guessing. But I want to know in the comments, do you guys want us watching both versions? Do you just want the theatrical? Do you want the Richard Donner cut? Because I know Tara's like, what the hell are you talking about, Andrew? I don't know what you're saying right now. And I'll get into it in a second later. But having said all that, let us know in the comments. Tara, what do you think? How are you feeling? I feel good. I really liked that ending. And he looks directly in the camera. Wackadoo love it

Starting point is 00:02:32 I think what makes this film really special 1978 number one Richard Donner that's his name right yes so his oners his one shots are amazing and I think

Starting point is 00:02:46 that is what makes really any filmmaker who can pull it off with that many extras and keep the camera moving like doing a walk and talk I think it's just it's awesome but here's what makes it action special is that it's on film y'all so you have to have a focus puller you have to have that even

Starting point is 00:03:08 digitally a focus puller needs to be able to measure the distance between the camera and the actor at all time so that the person moving stays in focus no matter where the camera's at and so i think that in in these tracking shots there was never really any soft focus which to me is like way to freaking go, man, because it's on film. It's extra tough. Obviously, I think they went for really great chemistry between Reeves and the woman. Margot Kidder. They had great chemistry. And she is, they're both just such great actors that the second you, we get into it, where we arrive at the newsroom, I feel like that's where the pacing really, really picks up. Because in the beginning, I was like, okay, we're setting it up as Superman.

Starting point is 00:04:01 He's going to put him off to the world. They gave us a nice foundation. They spent time. They didn't rush it. And I was sort of wondering like, okay, where is this going to go? And then once we drop into real life and we get into that newsroom is when you see like, oh, this is going to be very cool because we know that those effects that we saw prior in the beginning of the film are going to have to come in later.

Starting point is 00:04:28 the movie and when they do when we see him fly bravo it's really really really good for for 1978 i'm like great freaking job yeah no it's all very very astute and great points and i'm glad you love this movie this is one of my favorite comic book movies ever it's been i mentioned at the beginning i tried i tried really hard not to say it too many times because i'm i'm really working hard on not being repetitive. And I will say, I feel like this film has stood the test of time. Obviously, there were a couple shots, you know, in terms of miniatures and all that. But overall, like, it stood the test of time from the effects, but it's kind of what led the way for comic book films to exist the way they are. And today, obviously, we can point to Batman 89.

Starting point is 00:05:17 That was a very big stepping stone. Blade, 1998, X-Men 2000, Spider-Man, 2002, all pinnacle, you know, points in regards to comic book films, but I feel like it really started right here. And, you know, just starting off at the beginning, you know, Tara made a great point about, you know, the film really, at least plot-wise, kind of really kickstarts once we get, you know, more in the present day of, you know, when we're in Metropolis and all that. But I really got to say the stuff that hooked me immediately, even though, again, I've seen this film quite a few times, obviously, in the past. It's been, like I said, it's been a few years. I really was hooked immediately.

Starting point is 00:05:56 I was really pulled in, I thought it was very compelling, at least, just the idea that a planet is being destroyed, you know, because the core of the plan or whatever with the red stuff. And, you know, his parents, Jarrell and Lara are doing, you know, anything they can to, obviously, Jarrell are trying to warn, you know, and they're not listening trying to warn the council. And then obviously doing whatever they can to save their son, they send him off to another planet.

Starting point is 00:06:22 I think, you know, what parents love. I think, again, that's very endearing. And I thought, like, again, you got this slow burn and this buildup before we know that Superman's going to come. And I wasn't for one second bored, rather. Again, I found it just very compelling. And I loved all the dialogue in the beginning there. And I thought the pacing was throughout the entire film was great.

Starting point is 00:06:43 But even I thought the pacing and the slow burn stuff worked really well in tandem with when we got to the action adventure and the faster pace stuff once he became Superman. And I really liked, again, Marlon Brando wasn't in the film a ton, but as Jarrell, he was great. And I thought the sets look fantastic when we got to, when we were on Krypton rather and seeing it explode like that. That was really good, some good practical effects when we were seeing it come apart. And I agree with you in regards to the cinematography, the tracking shot. I really did not realize. This is why a lot of times, too, I like rewatches.

Starting point is 00:07:16 You pick up on things. And there were just so many, I didn't realize so many tracking shots in this. It makes me appreciate it. tracking shots are one of my favorite things to watch on film. Seriously, I really, because I've been on sets before, and tracking shots are one of the most fascinating and fun things. They're very difficult to do, so I know, but they're very fun to watch on set when executed properly.

Starting point is 00:07:36 So I appreciate them dearly, and they're incredible to watch when executed properly on film as well. Getting to Christopher Reeve, I love Henry Cavill. He's, I've honestly, I've loved just about every Superman we've gotten so far on film. Henry Cabell play Superman. Oh, yeah. When we get to Manistel, you'll see. Oh, wow.

Starting point is 00:07:56 Sorry, I hope I didn't spoil that for you. No, I don't care. Yeah. That's cool, though. Yeah, yeah. So I've loved, I actually like Brandon Rout too. I mean, he embodied. I thought all the great qualities of Christopher Reeve.

Starting point is 00:08:08 Christopher Reeve is Superman for me. And again, we'll get to, I'll talk about Henry Cavill when we get to Manistow because I love him as well. And I'm sure I will like David Cornswet when we get to the James Gunn one. But next year. Superman too. It's funny. It says next year because it's that's 78. That's 79. I believe Superman too came out either in 1980 or 81. One of those two. I always forget. I always get it mixed up. Anyways, I think what I love about Christopher Reeve, he just does such a good job of the duality of Clark Kent and with Superman. Like with Clark Kent, he does that bumbling, every man forgotten. Like you would never. And I know what people say like, how does nobody suspect?

Starting point is 00:08:52 expect him as Superman. He's just wearing glasses. I get that. But because he's so bumbling and you would never think of this man as Superman and the way he behaves and acts and the way he talks and his mannerisms and how mild mannered he is, he's so good. And he's so nerdy is like he's so good as Clark Kent. I love him. And then when he's Superman, he's stoic. He's confident. He's heroic. It's like you would never think these two characters are the same person. And I think that's a test. him into Christopher Reeves' performance. And I really appreciate it. And again, rewatching, like, that's why he is my favorite Superman and Clark Kent, if you will, as well. He just nails both the roles because it's not, you're not playing one character. You're playing two separate characters when you play Superman and Clark Kent.

Starting point is 00:09:38 I really think he does a great job just nailing that, that character, or both characters, rather. And I agree with what you said. I think the heart of the film, rather, is his relationship with Lois Lane. their chemistry is just absolutely electric and I can understand after they probably saw the screen test with those two in that scene we saw with the interview my night with Superman, I'm sure they went,

Starting point is 00:10:00 yep, these are the two. We got to put them in the film. They are just so damn good together. They're very natural whenever they interact with each other. And also too, I love the contrast because we talk about how confident and stoic and heroic that Clark becomes when he becomes when he's Superman

Starting point is 00:10:17 and he's not pretending to be, you know, that bumbling mild man. nerds, a neurotic character as Clark Kent. But it's funny because Lois, she's like her own superwoman, I guess, if you want, when she's Lois Lane around everybody else. You know, she's confident and stoic in her own right. And she doesn't take crap from anyone. But when she's around Superman, she's very bumbling in her own right and very vulnerable.

Starting point is 00:10:41 And it's like, I love the duality and the contrast between the two when they're around each other. It's just so fascinating and fun to watch on screen. So I think that's a cool little parallel to watch, but in contrast, rather as well. So also, too, hats off to Gene Hackman. I love his Lex Luthor. And what I love about Tara, his Lex Luthor, besides all the great lines of dialogue and his performance, I think I like in terms of the threat level that Superman faces, because physical threat level, obviously, you know, he's not a physical threat to Superman.

Starting point is 00:11:14 He's an intelligence, he's a mental and intelligence threat to Superman. Lex Luthor's greatest threat, you know, excuse me, Lex Luthor's greatest weapon, rather, is his brain, mind over muscle. And, you know, we saw that play out throughout the film. Like, if not for, you know, Miss Tessmocker, if not for Superman appealing to her heart because of the mother, Lex would have won in this movie.

Starting point is 00:11:37 So I really think, like, he was truly a formidable threat. Again, if not for Miss Tessmogger, you know what I mean? So I loved watching Lex Luthor. I loved watching his interactions with, with Otis and with Ms. Tessmocker, just seeing again how they intellectually kind of bring him, dumb him down a little bit. And again, not because Otis is definitely dumb,

Starting point is 00:11:58 but Miss Tessmocker, she's just more, I would just say more sweet and just more humane and that, like, he's just not on that level with her. Like, he's just egotistical. And I just love the way they kind of ground him in that aspect. And I love their interactions.

Starting point is 00:12:16 It's so fun to watch. It's funny, too. It kind of gives us that levity as well from the action. We get a little bit of balance with a little bit of comedic dialogue with that group. But also, too, what I like, Tara, you really feel the history that they've been operating and working together for quite a while. Like, you actually feel like, oh, it's three random actors working together and they have no chemistry. You really feel like they've been working together and been a team for quite a while. It's really a lot of fun to watch the three of them operate together.

Starting point is 00:12:46 So I really appreciated that. In regards to the, like I said, in regards to the visual effects, I really feel for the most part, from 1978, this really holds up. Like, there were no shots other than a couple of miniatures, but that's just nitpicking where I was like, this looks terrible. It really does look good. And again, goes back to the tagline era, you will believe a man can fly. And when I watch Christopher Reeve here, I believe a man can fly.

Starting point is 00:13:09 It's just, it's a great film. It's a great story. It's good acting. The beginning is extremely compelling. I love the villain. There's just not a lot of, this. really nothing negative, in my humble opinion, there's nothing really negative to say about the film. Great directing, great cinematography. It's just a, it's a great movie. It's a pinnacle film

Starting point is 00:13:29 in regards to comic book films where we are today. A lot of it has to do with Superman the movie. Yeah, I think this film has a lot of credit to the writing. They did a really nice job with making each specific character seem like they obviously have their own voice. They did a good job with description as well. What I thought was a lot of fun was, you know, me making the guess when he's flying around the world in the opposite way. I was like, wait, if he can turn it around to reverse time and he was. And I just think that is such smart writing.

Starting point is 00:14:04 And I think it's, it's really sweet. They bring hard into it because the last thing he sees before he does that is his dad saying, you can't change, you can't interfere with like the human's lives. right and his the question in his head has always been ever since he was small you know he he couldn't save his dad and he's like oh with all of my big powers why can't i i couldn't even save her couldn't save him he can't save like the people that he ends up loving right until he realizes that his his big old power he uses it and is able to save her and i think it's it's a really great um moment when he comes back like how relieved what he says hi and he and he sees her in the car it reminds me of

Starting point is 00:14:54 harry potter there's one point where um uh Hermione and um the redhead Ron Hermione and Ron they're like fighting and he yeah and he leaves right and he's off and she's Harry and he comes back and he sees Hermione he's so excited to see her and he just goes hi it's so great hey yeah it's my wand harry where's my wand yeah it's it's super awesome um i i love it but i also really like that they they wrote in that lois lane actually really also likes clark kent um until obviously she meets superman not knowing and then she's sort of lost in the superman fury after he takes her on that flight right but i i i love like that obviously she does like Clark Kent like it what there wasn't um a moment where I thought like

Starting point is 00:15:54 oh she only like Superman I thought they did a good job of setting it up like not that she was like totally in love with Clark Ken or any of that that would have been a slow burn but she obviously liked him and when she got that little index note she did look towards him which I thought was really cute um so i'm glad that they made her like both of him and right at the end um of her saying wait like she almost figures it out it leaves a really nice teaser for the next one of thinking you know because she's like she writes it off like that would be crazy i'm i'm not gonna i'm not nuts um which i think is a really nice tease for the next one to see whether or not she figures it out and if in the writing they give her something to play with that he where he does not recognize that she is

Starting point is 00:16:46 testing him to see if he is the same person meaning she hasn't in her brain that i think you're superman and i think you're clark kent i think it would be really fun writing if like in the next movie she leaves a sort of test for him like a sting operation to be like i got to figure this out i don't know if that happens but i think that'd be smart writing Yeah, no, that would be interesting to see. In regards to what you're saying, Tara, when you say that she likes him as Clark Kent, do you mean platonically or romantically? I mean romantically.

Starting point is 00:17:18 See, and again, if that's how you interpreted, that's your opinion, I never ever got, in this film, in the first film, I never got the sense that, because I know he said, we had a date. I never got the sense once. She was always dismissive towards Clark. She was always, like, looking the other way. She was jealous of him that he got the city beat. Obviously, with Superman, she's in love.

Starting point is 00:17:38 We know that. yeah but i always felt platonically she liked him and also too like this guy like she thought when you know the mugger came like you fainted like she thought it was a coward so in regards to romantically i'm not on board with you in regards to i don't have the same thoughts that i felt that she romantically felt the way that way for him yeah platonically i'm on board with you there i totally felt that she felt that way but i'm i don't know if i see it that sense but i mean that makes sense yeah but again you have an interesting theory for Superman too we'll have to obviously wait and see I will say this too in regards to what you said earlier about him I really do like the lesson he

Starting point is 00:18:17 had to learn with his dad obviously it's a very sad moment and I think it grounds him into reality as well as a human being even though he is an alien with these incredible powers when his father dies of a heart attack like if it would have been some other type of event for instance that he could have prevented maybe, like, and saved him, that's different because when it's a heart attack, there's nothing you can do even with all these incredible powers. And I think there's a lesson in that you can't save everyone all the time. Right. And I think that's, again, not only what makes him human, but I think also, and I know people, some people have made the argument. And again, you're allowed to have your own subjective opinion. Everything is subjective when it comes to

Starting point is 00:18:58 that Superman is just such a boring character. He's got all these powers. But I think he's such a an incredible character because he's got these incredible gifts and powers. I mean, he could really take over the world if he wanted to and destroy the world even, but instead he chooses to do good with it. And also, like, he chooses to live life as a human being when he's not doing, you know, these incredible things. That's what makes him human. Like, he's really trying to be a ray of hope and, and, you know, provide that hope to inspire hope and others. I think that's what makes him so interesting and so provocative and like so compelling of a character. So again, if people feel bored, I think he's a very boring character.

Starting point is 00:19:39 I totally understand that's their opinion, but that's why I think he's such an interesting character and my opinion. But yeah, again, great, great film. I'm going to get into, I already loaded up some stuff here, Tara. So do you have anything else you want to add? Nope. Okay. So let's go, what do you think?

Starting point is 00:19:55 Again, this is 1978. I did not adjust it for inflation. What do you think the budget of this movie? was in 1978. 1978. Um, uh, let's go with,

Starting point is 00:20:10 uh, if that's like miniatures, we have the actor. 480,000. Oh, I thought I could say 480 million. I was like Tara, $55 million.

Starting point is 00:20:22 Oh, God, I was way off. Just a little bit. Yeah. Okay, let's go to box office. Again, this is not adjusted for inflation. This is $19. 178, I believe.

Starting point is 00:20:32 1978 worldwide. We are combining domestic and international. Okay, I probably did three times that. So I would say, 170 mil. $300,478,449. Nice. All right. Rotten tomatoes.

Starting point is 00:20:48 Let's just do critics first. Okay. I'm going to go with critics probably went 70, but audience probably like 86. Yeah. let me show you the audience first oh i got that bingo and you said 70 on the critics yeah whoa 93 good job critics i don't have a lot of faith in the critics a lot of the time so but that's what i had a feeling when you said that score is like that was more of a faith-based guess because i feel like you wanted to go higher on that guess yeah yeah i just don't the critics don't

Starting point is 00:21:27 They don't, I'm, like, sometimes I'm like, what? We don't drive. Like, I can tend to cast the audience fairly well. Yeah, I could totally, I could totally tell when you were saying them. Like, this is more of a, I'm guessing what they went with, not what I think they should go with. Yeah. Totally. Just read a little bit of trivia really quick.

Starting point is 00:21:46 On his first day on the set, Marlon Brando suggested to Richard Donner that the cameras rolled during rehearsal. Brando reportedly said, and I quote, who knows, we might get lucky. According to Donner, that very first take was the one that was used in the finished film. Brando, excuse me, was notoriously lazy and was constantly pulling little stunts like this to lessen his workload. Christopher Reeve even complained about it in interviews saying Brando was, and I quote, phoning it in and it shows. Yikes. Okay. I thought it was good in the movie.

Starting point is 00:22:17 That was at least the takes we saw. I thought he was good. To obtain the masculature. To convincingly play Superman, Christopher Reeve, underwent a bodybuilding regimen supervised by David Prowse. Do you know who David Prowse is? I'm going to tell you. I knew it even before I even having to read the rest of this. That's the man who played Darth Vader in the original Star Wars trailer.

Starting point is 00:22:41 He didn't voice Darth Vader. That was James Earl Jones, but he was in the costume. He was in the thing. Okay. Yeah, that's cool. Oh, my God. I had mind blown. I really did not know he trained with David Prowse for this.

Starting point is 00:22:53 That is so David Prowse, God rest his soul. He was a beast. Cool. So in crazy shape. The movie was filming in New York City on the night of the 1977 blackout. Oh, I remember that blackout. I remember reading about it, rather. The New York Daily News was able to publish despite the blackout

Starting point is 00:23:11 because the film company let the newspaper use their generators. Richard Donner humorlessly, humorously remembers that Jeffrey Unsworth believed he was the cost of it all due to the amount of equipment he was using. I don't doubt it. That's funny. I don't think I should read the spoilers in case it spoils out to the other movies. No, because I have to, I don't know. In case it goes to the other movies.

Starting point is 00:23:37 So I'll just read like two more regular or three more regular ones and we'll call it. Initially, Gene Hackman refused to shave off his mustache to play Lex Luthor in early one sheets of the movie. His face is featured with a mustache before Richard Donner and Hackman met face to face. Donner proposed to Hackman that if he would shave his mustache, Donner would shave his two, and Hackman agreed. It turned out later that Donner did not have a mustache at all. He wore a false mustache that he peeled off at the last moment.

Starting point is 00:24:07 That's very smart. Smart. Love that. Clark Ken and Superman's hair part on opposite sides. Oh, I didn't even realize that. Love that. What a cool little detail. Christopher Reeve worked out so much during the making of this film

Starting point is 00:24:23 that the traveling matte shots taken of him at the beginning of the shoot did not match the later shots that they had to be retaken. Oh. Wow. He got so buff, huh? He did. I mean, you're working with David Prowse.

Starting point is 00:24:36 And very last one at around the 28 minute mark to achieve the shot of young Clark Kent kicking a football into orbit. Oh, yeah. And air cannon was placed underground and the football fired from it. Oh, my God. So smart. That is so smart. Yeah.

Starting point is 00:24:52 that is awesome all righty some cool facts again I didn't read the spoilers and just in case it spoils anything from the future films we didn't want to do that to Tara

Starting point is 00:25:02 so let us on the comments guys what did you think of Superman the movie love to hear your thoughts and again let us know what you suggest I would assume possibly we might have already filmed

Starting point is 00:25:13 Superman 2 by the time this releases I don't know just taking a guess I don't know when we film and release these so let us know though do you prefer us do the theatrical

Starting point is 00:25:22 of Superman 2. Do you want us doing the Richard Donner cut? Do you want us doing all of them, or both of them, rather, excuse me, let us know we'd love to hear it if you stayed with us this song, seriously, we appreciate it. And yes, hey, don't forget to ring the bell, ring the bell. Because we're going to be doing way more of these reactions for all the other Superman films leading up to James Gunn Superman. So we will see you guys later.

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The Reel Rejects - SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE (1978) MOVIE REVIEW!! First Time Watching!

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