The Classic ‘Superman’ Airs in May on HDNet Movies
The Superman comic book character created in 1936 by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster was an almost immediate hit, yet in spite of that fact and its popularity as a 1950s TV series, it wasn’t until 1978 that Superman got his chance on the big screen. A skinny Christopher Reeve won the role on a “super” screen test, then buffed up 40 lbs of muscle in preparing for the filming. As KIDS FIRST! film critic Raven Sky Devanney (age 13) points out, standards have changed in the ensuing years, but this is still a film to appreciate.
‘Superman’
Reviewed by Raven Sky Devanney
(and see her review on video)
It’s a bird! It’s a plane! No … It’s Superman!!! And not just any Superman movie, it’s the original! This American classic provides entertainment for the whole family.
This film is entertaining and it is interesting for me to see how movies back then were made, but it is a little cheesy. For instance, the extremely over-exaggerated facial expressions from Superman are just too much. It is more of a comedy than an action movie for me. I understand acting methods were a bit different when this film was made, but it seems like Superman is just too perfect and it doesn’t give him a very interesting or deep personality and it makes him really predictable. However, this film is enjoyable and is a must-see at least once in everyone’s life.
This movie is good for all ages but should be watched as a family because it is fairly long [2 hours 23 minutes] and a little confusing in the beginning. Over all, I give this classic a thumbs up!
Directed by Richard Donner, the film took a Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation and earned John Williams a Grammy Award the next year for Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television Special. Of its several Oscar nominations in 1979, its win was a Special Achievement Award for visual effects.
Superman is one of many film classics being brought to your home by HDNet Movies, a KIDS FIRST! sponsor. HDNet Movies offers subscribers a premium movie viewing experience in true HD, including the best classics of the 1950s-1970s, favorites from the 1980s and 1990s, to recently released theatrical films. Additionally, HDNet Movies offers kidScene, a morning and Friday night programming block specifically for kids and families. HDNet Movies kidScene can be followed at hdnetmovies.com and via Facebook at facebook.com/HDNetMovies.
Launched in 2001 by Mark Cuban and General Manager Philip Garvin, the HDNet networks are available in the U.S. via AT&T U-verse, Charter, DIRECTV, DISH Network, Insight and Verizon FiOS.
Photos: Christopher Reeve as Superman (top); Raven Sky Devanney (bottom)
