My friends, I am not given the wild and suppordered statement, and I
tell you that we must evacuate this planet immediately. Jorrel, be reasonable.
Once there was a civilization much like ours, but with a greater intelligence,
greater powers, and a greater capacity for good. In one tragic moment,
that world was destroyed, but there was one survivor. Oh, let me
don't get up. Because of the wisdom and compassion of Joel. Because he
knew the human race had the capacity for goodness, he set us his only
son. His name is Khalil. He will call himself Clark Kent, but
the world will know him as Superman. This year Superman the Gift of flight.
Superheroes have been a popular culture phenomenon since the early thirties, from radio
shows, weekly serials at local movie houses to today, whereupon release the latest
film from the Marvel Cinematic Universe dominates the box office. Comic books have translated
from page to celluloid very well, but there was a time when this was
not the case. That was until the original Superhero made his big screen debut,
and it showed that comic book films can be blockbusters. It also made
us believe a man could Fly, directed by Richard Donner and released in nineteen
seventy eight. Superman the movie stars Christopher Reeve in his career defining role as
Clark Kent slash Superman, who, shortly after arriving in Metropolis, is set
to battle the villainous Lex Luthor, screen legend Gene Hackman, who is set
to cause nuclear armageddon for financial gain. Rounding out the ensemble cast is the
lay Margot Kidder, who plays, in my opinion, the quintessential Lois Lane,
ned Beatty, and a powerful cameo by screen icon Marlon Brando who plays
Superman's father, jorl What is a great superhero movie without a love interest and
a villain? This film delivers both, and our next two clips are examples
of this. First, shortly after meeting Lois and Park encounter a mugger on
the streets of Metropolis. The role reversal is quite striking here Clark, who
shouldn't be timid, is and Lois, who should be timid, stands up
to the criminal and ends up chasing him away. And then is the first
scene where we encounter Lex Luthor. What is great about Lex Luthor in this
film and Hackman's performance is. He encapsulates everything we associate with evil and villainy
into this role. He is loud, boisterous, ego, maniacal, callous,
and even has bumbling sidekicks. Not he's a really nice guy, Jimmy
elphins Man. Hey, come in, come on, come on, come
on getting here, hurry up, come on, Clark, I think we
better get out of here. I think we better do what he says.
Come on, come on, get in here quick. Don't don't do anything
coming, come on, we're coming. Come on, yeah, yeah,
don't point out to me, sir. Somebody sorry, okay, okay,
okay, hold just a minute, vistor, just a minute now. I
realized, of course that times are tough for some of these days. But
this isn't the answer. You can't solve society these problems with a gun,
you know, somebody, You're right, I'm gonna turn over newly. I'm
good for you, sir, that's the spirit. See, he doesn't really
want to hurt anybody. Huh. Right after I rip up this lady's birds,
of course, Now come on, lady, hand it over. I
don't know, let's just think maybe you better. What are you doing,
Clark? Are you all right, Clark, what happened? I guess it
must have fainted finding he was fainting? Sorry? Wow? Well really,
lois supposing that man has shot you? And is it worth risking your life
over ten dollars two credit cards? I hary brushing a lipstick? How do
you know that? What you just described the exact contents of my first hm
um wild guess doct sing and now introducing lax Luther sick. Thank you're really
sick? Sickness test marker sick. When I'm here days of mexicaning the Crime
of the century? No, no, no, no, step away from
that place. How do you choose to congratulate the greatest criminal mind of our
time? Huh you tell me that I'm brilliant? Oh no, no,
no, that would be too obvious. I grant you charismatic, fiendishly gifted,
try twisted, get away, get away, get away. Tell me
something, right? Why does so many people have to die for the crime
of the century? Why you ask? Why why does the phone always ring
when you're in the bathtub? Why it's the most brilliantly diabolical leader of our
time surrounding himself a total incomes. I'm back mister luthor. Yes, I
was just talking about you. You're followed again. It's one of those cat
like reeflix, missus ludor, missus ludor. I'm sorry, Oh, this
is that the newspaper I ask you to give me. Yeah, why am
I not reading it? Because I hadn't given it to you yet? Right
last, it's official. Thanks to the generous help of the United States government,
we are about to be involved in the greatest real estate swindle of all
time. Let's what is this obsession with real estate all the time? Land?
Landland, mister Desparker. When I was six years old, my father
said to me get out before that. He said, some stocks may rise
and fall, utilities and transportation systems may collapse. People are no damn good,
but they will always need land, and they'll pay through the nose to
get it. Where this film excels is it brightens the Superman comics to life
in a way the Batman film from nineteen sixty eight did, but it does
not do it in the over the top campy way that the Adam West led
film did. It has a quote unquote dad joke esque one liners and quips
that we expect out of the Man of Steel. Our next clip is an
example of this. We will hear Superman with his witty comebacks, capture criminals,
and much like the early comics, at the end, we will hear
from the dumbfounded police at what they have seen from the Man of Steel.
M m m either nothing wrong with the elevator gone down? Nah, officer
good evening, officer mooney. Well, they say confession is good for the
soul. I'd listen to this man. Take them away, move your ass,
come on, come on, okay, let's go, let's go.
Creever holds you, hold your cards, bad vibrations, it's dodging. You
don't believe me. I swear flying with a big red caper and frank red
roots as well. Quick as the week he was gone flop whoop from the
hearing Canney didn't like some thick floopers. Mike al Fig flopper with braway boots
say him wanted to take the night O son. At the beginning of this
review, I alluded to Marlon Brando and his performance. Although his appearance is
short, it would be near criminal to not include him. His performance as
Jorrell, even the short time he is on screen is simply mesmerizing. Our
final two clips are examples of this. First, we hear Jorrell tell his
son goodbye and send him hurling through space towards Earth as the doomed planet Crypton
is destroyed. Then he speaks to his son on his eighteenth birthday, after
Clark uncovers the heralded Fortress of Solitude and sets Ark on the path that will
become his life's mission. You will travel far, my little glove, but
we will never leave you, even in the face of our death. The
richness of our lives, it will be yours. All that I have,
all that I've learned, everything I feel, All this and more I bequeath
you, my son. You will carry me inside you all the days of
your life. You will make my strength your own. See my life with
your eyes, as your life will be seen through mine. The son comes
to father and father a son, This is all I all I can send
you. Hello, and now the Fortress of Solitude. My son, you
do not remember me. I am Joel, I'm your father. By now
you will have reached our eighteenth year as it is measured on Earth. By
that reckoning, I would have been dead for many thousands of your years.
The knowledge that I have matters physical and history, I have given you fully
on your voyage your new home. These are important matters, to be sure,
but still matters of mere fact. There are questions to be asked,
and it is time for you to do so. Here in us, misfortress
of solitude, we shall try to find the answers. Together. So,
my son, speak O, my myr name is Calel. You are the
only survivor of the planet Cryptom. Even though you've been raised as a human
being, you are not one of them. You have great powers, only
some of which you have as yet discover. Come with me now, my
son, as we break through the bottles of your earth, the confinement traveling
through time and space in the sixth mon of your powers will far exceed those
of modern It is forbidden for you to interfere with human history. Rather,
let your leadership stir others too. In this next year, we shall examine
the human heart. It is more fragile than rome. Year has been passed
through the flaming turmoil, which is the edge of your own galaxy, will
enter the realm of the red Crypton's Sun, source of your strength and nourishment,
and cause of our eventual distinction the planet crypton my sun your heart as
it was. This year, we shall examine the various concepts of immortality and
their basis and actual fact. The total accumulation of all knowledge spanning the twenty
eight known galaxies. Such is embedded in the crystals which I have sent along
with you. Study them well, my son, we have reasoned out the
logical judgments. By the time we return to the confines of your galaxy,
twelve of your years will have passed. For this reason, among others,
I have chosen birth for you. It is now time for you to rejoin
your new world and to serve as collective emisity, live as on a color,
to discover where your strength and your power and leader always hold in your
heart of pride of your special heritage. They can be a great people color
they wish to be. They only lack the light to show the way.
For this reason, about all their capacity for good, I have sent the
mute. This film laid the blueprint for comic book films as we know them.
Start with a powerful origin story, have a compelling villain at intense and
explosive action with the possible love story. It seems simple enough, However,
until this film, superheroes were mainly relegated to the small screen. This film
showed that superhero movies could not just make money, but make it by the
boatloads. It grows three hundred point five million dollars worldwide, spawned three sequels,
and without a doubt, laid the groundwork for television series that followed,
such as Smallville in Lewis and Clark The New Adventures of Superman. Even the
performances in this film are seen in the modern day characters of Clark, Kent,
Lois Lane in Lex Luthor. It caused a renewed interest in the comic
books, and to this day remains one of the truest and greatest comic book
adaptations to hit the big screen. It is a visual tree for anyone to
see me. I hope you joined me. Next week, when in honor
of Memorial Day, we will look at the heart wrenching Steven Spielberg film Saving
Private Rhyme for WMNH and Matt Connerton Unleashed. This has been a classic film
review with Eric Pilcher