In 1978 my little world was already engulfed by the phenomenon known as “Star Wars.” I lived, slept, ate and breathed it. I pestered my parents for every figure, ship and playset (and they obliged). Time inched by at a crawl as I awaited birthdays and Christmas for those inevitable gift-related payoffs, but the worst was the three-year wait in between films. However, for a brief moment circa December 1978, “Star Wars” got trumped by the Man of Steel.
Although I’m a huge comics fan Superman, never really did it for me. At the time, I was a dyed in the wool “Marvel zombie,” and didn’t have much use for the DC canon of heroes. I wouldn’t embrace them until I was a teenager, thanks to the intervention of a friend who loved DC as much as I loved Marvel. Superman had long since lost his relevance and, if anything, I was more inclined towards Batman if it had to be DC. Of course, I followed the Man of Steel's adventures on Saturday morning ‘toons.
My father loved “The Adventures of Superman” as a kid and the show was still being syndicated when I was young so I watched it. I enjoyed it, but still preferred Batman. Then, in 1978, posters started appearing – stating with conviction that, “You will believe a man can fly.” I still had “Star Wars” on the brain, so I don’t remember much else about the build-up to “Superman: The Movie,” but I remember the first time I viewed it in a theater.
The opening strains of John Williams theme were as perfect a piece a music as I had ever heard, entirely appropriate for the subject matter, majestic in tone, sweeping you headlong into the story of the last survivor of an alien world sent here not only to save his own life, but to save us from ourselves. The music still gives me goose bumps and instantly transports me back in time.
Christopher Reeve was pitch perfect as Superman and Clark Kent. He lost himself in both roles and captured the qualities of both sides of Kal-El brilliantly. What impressed me so much about Reeve was how reverential he was toward it. He often stressed he was merely the custodian of the role, not the embodiment. He was “my” Superman, the way George Reeves was my father’s, the way Brandon Routh or Henry Cavill will be for today’s kids. His desire was to do the character justice before passing on the mantle.
The film, moreso than the comics of the day, gave me a reason to love Superman. It didn’t hurt that this was the first truly amazing live-action version of a superhero ever committed to film (and would be a decade before another decent version came around). Superman now mattered to me, and I could see why he had such longevity as a character. He is truly the “light to show us the way.”
Superheroes are an embodiment of what is best in all of us – what we can be if we throw off the shackles of self-interest. No one epitomizes that more than Superman. I’ve always related more to Spider-Man because of his humanity and his foibles, but Superman is the well from which every other hero sprung. It’s always been a challenge for comic writers to successfully adapt Superman because he’s so powerful. The best ones have emphasized his humanity. He often comes off as very “vanilla.”
The first two “Superman” films are much more effective at communicating why he is so important as a character. In the later films, as bad as they were, Reeve always played the role with as much conviction as his first effort, and they remain watchable only for that reason.
In the interim between Reeve’s “Superman” films the character has never been away from the screen. The Salkinds, who initiated the film series, produced a “Superboy” show which ran for four seasons in syndication. Despite its low budget, the series was effective, and wisely courted some of the comics’ better writers for its teleplays.
“Lois and Clark,” was decent but too heavily focused on the romance between the titular characters for my taste, relegating Superman to an almost ancillary character. Dean Cain was also effective in the role, but the line between his Superman and Clark Kent was often pretty blurry.
“Smallville” was a fun interpretation of the Superboy-era and Tom Welling is entirely believable and focused as Clark. The series shone when it unraveled aspects of the Superman mythos. Even though we knew where it all inevitably lead it was great to see Clark slowly uncover his powers and his heritage. The show stumbled (in my opinion) when it focused too much on the teen angst that is the WB Network’s bread and butter. Props also to Michael Rosenbaum, who may just be the best Lex Luthor ever.
What I also loved about “Smallville” was its awareness of the importance of the original film and its numerous homages to it. I suppose it received the ultimate stamp of approval when Reeve guest starred on its most pivotal episode, when Clark discovered his Kryptonian heritage. There was no doubt that the underlying subtext of the episode was that here was Reeve the man passing the torch to the next generation. I got chills during the series finale when they played several suites from John Williams theme.
Sadly, Reeve would not live to see the purest successor to his version of Superman. Nearly 30 years after the first film, and nearly 20 since Reeve’s last performance, “Superman Returns” was released. The development process for his return has been long and tumultuous. Fresh off the successes of the first two “X-Men” films, Bryan Singer, a child of my generation, leapt at the chance to direct this film.
Much like a suitor who needs a father’s permission to marry his daughter, Singer asked for Richard Donner’s blessing, and discussed his intention not to reinvent the franchise, but to build upon what Donner created with the first two films and craft a “vague sequel,” that incorporated the best parts of those films.
This was not a “reimagining,” as the new Batman film was (and so desperately needed). This continued the story instead of treading on a brilliantly-told origin. The power of the first film – the escape from Krypton, the death of Jonathan Kent, Superman’s “first night” and rescue of Lois Lane, can never be surpassed. Singer did not try to reinvent the wheel. However, the film suffered from an overreliance on the Donner imagery and iconography. And the new ground Singer tried to break (i.e. Superman’s son) fell flat with fans.
I enjoyed “Superman Returns,” and I enjoyed Brandon Routh, but it all hewed too close to Reeve to feel fresh and new. The movie suffered from distinct pacing issues and a plot that again, aped the original. Kevin Spacey was an excellent Lex Luthor though!
In 2013, Warners will reboot the franchise with “Man of Steel” starring Henry Cavill as Kal. I’m hopeful – I have enjoyed most of Zack Snyder’s prior efforts (I am a fan of “Watchmen”) and it seems as if they are staying away from the origin story (good move). It boasts as stellar a supporting cast as the 1978 film with Russell Crowe as Jor-El, Kevin Costner as Jonathan and Diane Lane as Martha.
I’m sure the filmmakers will desperately try to make the character darker, edgier and more relevant to today’s audiences. It’s a tough balancing act because you don’t want to stray too far from the essence of the character. The 8-year old in me remains hopeful that something will come along that replicates that initial experience when I believed a man could fly.
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