Happy 40th Anniversary, Superman: The Movie!

Wow, I can't believe it's the 40th anniversary of Superman: The Movie. I often wonder with envy what it was like for those fans to have seen this movie when it was first released in theatres on December 15, 1978. Were any of them cynical thinking this was going to be crap or were they so hyped up they couldn't wait to see it?

I like to think it was the latter since this was the first time Superman appeared on the big screen in a full length film. Of course that wasn't Superman's first time appearing on theatre screens, there were the serials which starred Kirk Alyn as Superman and Noel Neil as Lois Lane. However, Superman: The Movie was something else all altogether.

I may not have seen Superman: The Movie when it was first released but I do remember the first time I saw it. I'm not sure if it was my mother or father who turned to the movie when it was airing on TV but I do remember sitting through the entire movie not moving except during commercial breaks. I'm pretty sure I was mesmerized by every scene from Krypton's explosion to Clark Kent getting hired at The Daily Planet to Superman turning back time to save Lois Lane. I'm still in awe of Christopher Reeve's performance as Clark Kent and Superman because he really had a way of transforming himself into two distinct characters. I believe that when Clark was unable to help his father Jonathan Kent when he died, it instilled in him the desire to do everything he could to help others. Which is why he also did the unthinkable in reversing time in order to save Lois who he had completely fallen in love with.

I thought Margot Kidder was perfectly cast as Lois Lane and she brought out the character's strength, humor, flirtation and tenacity in every scene. I loved the contrasting scenes between Lois and Superman and Lois and Clark, with the first there is this undeniable chemistry that features some swoon worthy scenes. While the scenes between Lois and Clark can't be overlooked because they feature some of the most humorous moments.

Gene Hackman's Lex Luthor truly made me despise him, no doubt he was a genius but that was overshadowed by his villainous tendencies. Luthor practically exudes underhandedness and he was willing to kill people to set up his real estate scheme. This movie features an abundance of great characters including Jimmy Olsen, Perry White, Otis, Miss Teschmacher and so many more.

To this day, Superman: The Movie is still one of my favorite movies as well as being a cinematic masterpiece. It perfectly told the origin story of Superman, with the movie combining drama and suspense, humor and romance while featuring amazing special effects for that era. And not to mention the theme song by John Williams that has become just as iconic as the film itself.

With that said Happy 40th Anniversary, Superman: The Movie!