5/5 'Superman' on DVD...THE one to buy!
  by Benjamin J Burgraff (Las Vegas)
At last, Superman is presented the way it was meant to be! The master print for the 1978 classic had deteriorated so badly that the film, particularly the white-on-white Krypton opening scenes, was almost unwatchable. (I had even gone so far as to write a critique on Amazon.com demanding a 'Director's Cut' DVD edition, digitally transferred and remastered, be made!)

Somebody was listening! While this isn't a 'Director's Cut' (Donner has said that the version that premiered in 1978 was the version he preferred), the movie has been expanded, to include a couple of brief scenes with Brando, and the famous Superman Gauntlet sequence at Luthor's underground lair (the remaining unused sequences can be seen in the 'Deleted Scenes' Chapter, on Side 2).

Technically, the DVD is fabulous; the Krypton sequences are now clean and sharp, a couple of shots where, previously, color balancing problems had turned Superman's costume green have been corrected, and, best of all, the soundtrack has been digitally remastered and sounds even better than it did in 1978!

Three fabulous documentaries are included on Side 2 about the making of the film, and how the flying effects were achieved. This was an incredibly expensive and difficult film to make (so much so that Donner, after 'Superman' was released to rave reviews, was fired, and replaced by Richard Lester, for 'Superman 2'), and through interviews with Donner, Christopher Reeve (who is honored for his work in the film, and his courage since his crippling accident), Margot Kidder, Gene Hackman, and several of the creative team, you can appreciate what a unique and wonderful film this is!

Two other 'pluses'; a full-length audio commentary track with Richard Donner, and a 'music only' option, where you can admire one of composer John Williams' greatest scores!

This Special Edition DVD should be an essential part of any film lover's collection!

4/5 Video Quality Review (Blu-ray)
  by Achilles
This is a tough one to review. For a film made in 1978, I don't think it could look any better. I'm willing to bet this Blu-ray disc is as good if not better than the premiere screening of Superman back in 78. Great care must have been taken to clean up and restore this picture. It is practically free of scratches and dirt. It is detailed, far above standard definition. Colors are balanced and eye catching. Contrast is natural and evenly spread. Inserted scenes are consistent with the rest of the film. Never looked better. Still, 1978. There are a few scenes with plenty of grain and most of the film gives the impression of being a little out of focus, a little blurred. Five star transfer, four star visual impact. I doubt if a 1080p display is getting much more out of this picture than a 720p display.

(PS3 - 1080p projector - 92")


5/5 Great superhero flick looks as good as it likely can on Blu-Ray
  by Matthew T. Weflen (Chicago, IL)
The movie:

"You'll believe a man can fly." That was the advertising tagline. Well, I can't think of many instances of it, but this was one time when a movie delivered on its hype. "Superman" fires on many cylinders, but the main one, the integral one, was believability. This film is an absolute achievement in terms of tone, style, and effects. For 1978, the effects are terrific, but also the performances and the writing really gel and sell the concept to the audience.

We haven't seen yet the actor who can top Christopher Reeve's Superman. The solidness, the goodness radiating from his presence in costume, combined with the vulnerability and sheer hilarity of his Clark Kent are (perhaps) impossible to top. Margot Kidder turns in a feisty Lois Lane, and their chemistry is great. Gene Hackman is a credible Lex Luthor, both funny and menacing at the same time. Supporting players fill out a cast that just really inhabits the world and never feels less than real.

The run time of the movie is perhaps a bit flabby, and this edition adds about 3 minute of new material. But I for one am quick to forgive it - it just so captures a feeling of innocence, wonder, Americana, that I'm willing to just bask in it, even when the action slows down.

The Blu-Ray:

Well, this is not one of the discs you'll pop in to show off "how great HD looks." The film was shot almost throughout with soft focus filters which bump up the haze of lighting and obscure detail.

BUT: It looks as good as it probably ever can and ever will. In A-B comparisons with the previous DVD (which was great for its day) the upgrade is subtle but evident. Some shots show very strong detail, when it's in focus. Check out the foliage in Lois' rooftop apartment. Some facial shots show exceptional detail in fine lines. Whenever the soft filter is absent, you can really tell you're watching an HD presentation. The colors are the main upgrade in the Blu-Ray - reds and blues really pop, and black levels are rock solid in most shots not involving visual effects. Film grain is present and generally not too obtrusive, except during some effects shots. But I prefer its presence to excessive digital noise reduction. In the end, how you feel about this Blu-Ray will depend on your emotions for the film itself (mine are very strongly positive), and how you feel about a home video accurately replicating the look and feel of the original presentation's film stock (something I'm also strongly in favor of).

Audio is presented in a strong Dolby Digital 5.1 channel mix. There isn't much of a workout for the surrounds, but John Williams' iconic score really sings, nonetheless.

Extras include an hour's worth of documentaries, reprises from the DVD edition. Casting tests, trailers, a commentary by Richard Donner and Tom Mankiewicz, and a wonderful score only track highlighting the music, round out the disc. Overall, at least average and probably slightly above average.

**********

I grew up with this film. I'm predisposed to enjoying it. As a Blu-Ray, it is hampered by the stylistic choices of the filmmakers, but still gives us a very good presentation of the film.

It's a five star film in my book. It's certainly in the top 5 comic book movies ever made (and was the true pioneer in terms of big budget successes from comic book material.) I considered downgrading this disc by one star simply because it can't overcome the flaws inherent to the source material. For the paltry sum Amazon is asking for it, you really can't go wrong, though. Kids of all ages (ages 3 to 83?) who just want to feel good about the world will be transported to a better, simpler, more beautiful place. Fans of 1970's cinema will find a lot to love, as well. There are many shots which really shine in detail, and almost all of the shots benefit from zippier colors. If you don't own this film otherwise, or are just a fan of the action/comic book genre, this is a must-buy. It's a classic.

5/5 Finally!
  by Jem (MD, USA)
It is about time that this classic gets the full treatment--loaded with extras. However, if you are also interested in the Superman II special edition, it is more cost effective to get the "The Christopher Reeve Superman Collection - (8-Disc Deluxe Special Edition)" which is currently the same price as buying this set and II, only you get films 3 and 4 too (which is better than paying for them, right?)

Also, Amazon has the Richard Donner Cut of Superman II available for pre-order which has the extended version of the film never before available (the special edition will be the theatrical release only).

5/5 If you don't get this dvd, then NO SUPES FOR YOU !!
  by Daniel C. Storm (Los Angeles, CA USA)
The name Superman brings back so many memories doesn't it? Well watching this special edition brought back all of those feelings and more. This is a FANTASTIC dvd! All dvd's should aspire to be this good! The other reviews seem to mostly touch on the sound and picture quality (which are great), but I thought I would do a review mostly on the EXTRAS on this disc which are just incredible.

First of all, there are 3, approximately half hour, documentaries on the making of Superman. These are the real gems of this disc. They're great! One involves pre-production, one involves production and one involves the special effects. They are all roughly a half hour each and they are all well worth your time. You see the original screen tests for both Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder plus screen tests of ... Anne Archer, Leslie Ann Warren, Stockard Channing and other famous actresses all tested for Lois and you see them all. I didn't notice anyone famous trying out for SUPES because they decided early on that they wanted an unknown but there are screen tests of plenty of unknowns including the dentist of one of the producers wives! Too funny. There are some great scenes here. The great thing about all these documentaries is that you get to hear from everyone involved in NEW interviews, even Christopher Reeve. Many documentaries or featurettes on other dvd's try and cut together old interviews and try and fool you into thinking you are getting something new. Not here! This is all new stuff! The second documentary even touches on the shady dealings of the producers of this film and all the wrangling done to get this film to the big screen. It's all quite fascinating. The third documentary is on special effects and it shows you numerous flying tests that they tried to get the man of steel to fly. Some are really bad and some are funny, but in the end, they figured it out. Flying is just one part of this documentary, they also go into matte painting, rear projection, front projection and many other techniques that were new to the biz and even effects that had never been attempted until this film. It really shows you the innovations that this film achieved that would set a precedent for future films to come. There's a lot more stuff in these documentaries but I think I'll just let you discover them for yourself.

There are ADDED scenes that were not shown theatrically but that are edited back into this "director's cut" of this dvd version. Most of them are throw away scenes or "bridges" for other scenes but I can't for the life of me figure out why they cut out the "FIRE AND ICE" sequence in the original theatrical version. It's fantastic. I also got a kick out of "little Lois" on the train.

There are 2 deleted scenes, that don't add much to the movie and I can see why they were deleted, but I did laugh at one of them.

Some of the deleted scenes and the added scenes have been shown in expanded tv versions of this film but if you have never seen them, they are quite a treat and it's just good to have them in your home in such a high quality dvd transfer.

The alternate music scores I didn't get much out of and I doubt you will either unless you are a big follower of music scores.

The commentary by Director Richard Donner and Creative Consultant Tom Mankiewiczwas was great. You could tell that these two really had a lot of fun making this picture and a lot of love for the final product. They told some great stories on their troubles filming certain scenes, how they hired certain actors and even giving kudos along the way to the behind-the-scenes folk who helped out. There's some great insight on this commentary on how much hard work it really took to get this picture made. Tom has a great memory and seemed to tell a lot of "little things" that even Richard Donner had forgotten.

The trailers and tv spots were cool to see and they brought back definite memories, including a teaser trailer that I remember way back when, that caused roars of applause from the audience.

If you have even a little nostalgia for this film, you are going to love it! Some of the effects don't hold up in this day and age , but a surprising number of them do! I found myself thinking to myself "how did they do that back in 1978?". The answer: By Hand. The story is timeless and even though today's younger audience might be jaded with all of today's computer wizadry, I think this movie stands the test of time. Just the EXTRAS alone make this disc worth it. After watching this film, you too will believe a man can fly ... I know I did ...

ENJOY!