by Mike Hilty, Contributing Writer
When I lived in California, I would often walk down from my apartment to the Walk of Fame. Along the way, I frequently encountered people dressed as characters from films. Easily the most spot-on look was from a man dressed as Superman. Today, Superman is still one of the greatest superheroes ever created. There have been countless adaptations on both the big and small screen, but we’re going to be talking about the movies. James Gunn’s Superman is the dawn (of justice) of a new era for DC, so I’m excited to look back and see how we got here.
Some spoilers ahead!
Superman (1978)
With Richard Donner at the helm, the original Superman introduces the Man of Steel to a new generation, with Christopher Reeve taking on the mantle. For a movie that is almost 50 years old, Superman holds up in a lot of ways: the balancing of Clark Kent’s nerdiness with Superman’s polish, the budding relationship between Clark and Lois (Margot Kidder), the manic Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman), the iconic costume and music, and the establishing of Superman’s history. It takes about an hour for the story to get going, the ending doesn’t hold up at all, and Lex can be over the top at times, but ultimately, it is a great origin story, and a fantastic way to launch the franchise.
Rating: Liked It
Superman II (1980)
Superman II builds upon the foundation laid in the first film and significantly expands it. General Zod (Terence Stamp) is a terrifying villain, as he is equal to Superman in terms of power. Clark and Lois take a giant leap forward, becoming stronger than ever, both in performance and character. I sort of wish Lex Luthor wasn’t in this, but it makes sense how he was included. Superman II excels in the choices that Kal-El makes to live an everyday life versus the responsibility he has to humanity. Diving into which side is the real person is a fantastic way to expand the Superman mythology.
Rating: Loved It
Superman III (1983)
Lois Lane and Lex Luthor’s absence is greatly missed, as Superman goes up against a store brand version of a rich criminal mastermind. The tone of Superman III is a complete mess, as some of the comedic elements fail to mesh with the more serious moments. A supercomputer being the villain is a little odd, given that Superman has a deep bench of villains to choose from. I didn’t have a massive issue with Richard Pryor being in this, but he is in over his head when it comes to this disaster of a movie.
Rating: Didn’t Like It
Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987)
Speaking of disasters.
The fourth movie in a comic book franchise seems to be the death nail in a lot of ways. Batman & Robin and Thor: Love and Thunder both squandered whatever goodwill the characters had in those movies, and Superman IV tarnished the Superman character on film for nearly 20 years. It’s admirable that Superman sought to end the Cold War and drew inspiration from Rocky IV. However, this movie has a dreary tone, and the effects surprisingly look worse than they did 10 years prior. Sadly, this was Reeve’s last Superman movie, because he went out on an absolute whiff of a film.
Rating: Hated It
Superman Returns (2006)
After nearly 20 years, Bryan Singer abandoned the X-Men film franchise to direct Superman Returns. He should have stuck with the X-Men, because this movie is a boring mess. Credit where credit is due, this movie has some slick action sequences. However, Superman Returns attempts to have its cake and eat it too, trying to be both a legacy sequel and a standalone story. Brandon Routh gives a valiant effort as Superman, but he feels a little overmatched. All the rest of the cast is fine, but the story just doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, and it’s dreadfully paced.
Rating: It Was Just Okay
Man of Steel (2013)
The entry point for the Snyderverse introduced a much grimmer tone for Superman. Henry Cavill gives it his all, as Snyder changed some of the foundational pieces of Superman that make him who he is. Man of Steel is controversial, as the ending between Superman and Zod (Michael Shannon) significantly alters the direction of the series. It doesn’t bother me the same way it bothered others. So in the end, Man of Steel is a solid reentry point for Superman, introducing a lot of style, some incredible action, and some genuinely memorable moments.
Rating: Liked It
Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
DC, unfortunately, was getting ahead of itself, as it was trying to cram way too much into one story. It’s questionable whether this should even be on the list — it is barely a Superman movie, as it tries to establish the Justice League, introduce Batman and Wonder Woman, and kill Superman at the same time. Cavill remains solid as Superman, but the writing is subpar, and the character development suffers due to an overly complex plot.
Rating: Low side of liked it
Franchise Ranking:
- Superman II
- Superman
- Man of Steel
- Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice
- Superman Returns
- Superman III
- Superman IV: The Quest for Peace
Superman, unfortunately, has had more downs than ups, but when he is good, the franchise soars. It’s clear that the director matters, because Donner and Lester got it, and everyone else didn’t. Snyder sort of did, but not to the same level as the ‘70s movies. Reeve is still the best Superman of the bunch, but don’t sleep on Cavill, whose three appearances are excellent in their way. It’s also hard to fathom that, of the seven Superman movies on this list, five feature Lex Luthor as a main villain, and two feature Zod. Even James Gunn’s entry will feature Luthor.
For one of the more prominent DC superheroes, Superman is a mixed bag that struggles with giving the Man of Steel some gravity. I hope that Gunn can restore some prominence to Superman’s name, while still making the character relatable, engaging, and someone you can root for.
You can read more from Mike Hilty and follow him on Instagram, Letterboxd, and Serializd