Movie · 1978 · Science Fiction, Action, Adventure · 2h 24m · PG · English
Curator score: 7.0/10 (467.6K ratings)
You'll believe a man can fly.
Overview
Mild-mannered Clark Kent works as a reporter at the Daily Planet alongside his crush, Lois Lane. Clark must summon his superhero alter-ego when the nefarious Lex Luthor launches a plan to take over the world.
Ratings
Curator score: 7.0/10
IMDb: 7.4/10
Letterboxd: 3.72/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 87%
Metacritic: 82
TMDB: 7.2/10
Director
Richard Donner
Production
Dovemead Films, Alexander and Ilya Salkind Productions, International Film Production
Cast
Christopher Reeve, Margot Kidder, Gene Hackman, Marlon Brando, Ned Beatty, Jackie Cooper, Glenn Ford, Trevor Howard, Jack O'Halloran, Valerie Perrine, Maria Schell, Terence Stamp, Phyllis Thaxter, Susannah York, Jeff East, Marc McClure, Sarah Douglas, Harry Andrews, Diane Sherry Case, Vass Anderson
Where to watch
Max
Curator Review
Verdict
A foundational superhero blockbuster that still plays as earnest, charming, and surprisingly romantic. Its effects are dated in places, but Christopher Reeve’s dual performance, the buoyant tone, and the sheer confidence of the filmmaking make it easy to see why it defined the genre.
Best for
Viewers who want the classic superhero template
Fans of warm, optimistic adventure movies
Anyone curious about film history and blockbuster craft
Romance-forward genre fans
Skip if
You want modern pacing and nonstop action
Practical effects and 1970s visual style are a dealbreaker
You prefer darker, deconstructive superhero stories
Overview
Richard Donner’s Superman is the rare origin story that feels mythic without losing its sense of fun. It treats the character with total sincerity, and that sincerity is a big part of the movie’s enduring power: this is a film that believes in heroism, romance, and spectacle with no wink attached.
Worth noting
Christopher Reeve is the movie’s great achievement, balancing Clark Kent’s awkward decency with Superman’s calm authority in a way that still feels definitive. Margot Kidder gives Lois Lane sharpness and spark, and the film’s chemistry-driven first half gives the action a human center.
Bottom line
The effects and pacing are products of their era, but the movie’s confidence carries it through. It’s not just an important superhero film; it’s a genuinely pleasurable adventure with a bright emotional core and a sense of wonder that many later blockbusters chase but rarely match.
Top Letterboxd reviews
YI JIAN (3.5★) · 4855 likes
This is my dad's favorite film he even brought my mom to see it on their first date, 30 years later when this was on TV my mom admitted to all of us that it was a pretty shitty date because my dad was so transfixed by the movie he didn't pay any attention to her at all, what a nerd!!
#1 gizmo fan (3.5★) · 3656 likes
Can someone please teach Lois Lane how to spell?
Bryan Espitia (5★) · 3539 likes
“Do you like pink?”“I like pink very much, Lois.”
Hot
adambolt (4.5★) · 2960 likes
now I am not claiming to be an expert but I am not entirely sure if that's how the earth's orbit works
Matt Singer (4★) · 2494 likes
With apologies to Marlon Brando, Glenn Ford, and people who pronounce the word ‘Krypton’ wrong, this movie would be even stronger if you cut out the first 45 minutes entirely and started with the very first shot in Metropolis. That’s when the story really begins anyway. Even in 1978, everyone knew Superman’s origin — or at least enough to understand the rest of the movie.
The thing Superman still has going for it, even as its cutting edge you-will-believe-a-man-can-fly effects… more
2004 · Action, Adventure, Science Fiction · 2h 7m · PG-13 · Curator 8.2/10 (2.8M ratings) · Where to watch: Netflix, Disney Plus, Hulu, fuboTV, Netflix Standard with Ads
Balances superhero action with sincere character drama and a strong romantic thread.