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"SUPERMAN" (1978) (Christopher Reeve, Gene Hackman) (PG) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Mild None Extreme *Moderate Heavy Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Moderate Minor Heavy None Mild Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Moderate Mild Moderate Mild Heavy QUICK TAKE: Action/Drama: After arriving on earth as a toddler and growing up to be the man of steel, a superhero tries to thwart a madman's devious scheme that involves nuclear missiles and dropping the United States' west coast into the sea. PLOT: On the far away planet of Krypton, scientist Jor-El (MARLON BRANDO), having just sentenced the treasonous Gen. Zod (TERRENCE STAMP) and his co-conspirators to a space-based purgatory, now worries about his planet and his young son. With the leading council to which he belongs denouncing his doomsday predictions, Jor-El and his wife place their infant in a specialized spaceship, complete with crystals of knowledge that will educate him, and send him on a several-year journey to Earth. Although it's a more primitive planet than theirs is, the boy will look human and thus fit in, but his molecular structure will provide him with great powers. The now toddler-aged boy ends up in the caring hands of Jonathan (GLENN FORD) and Martha Kent (PHYLLIS THAXTER), who name him Clark and instill basic Midwestern values in him, that include not showing off with his superhuman abilities. When his father dies, Clark heads off to the arctic where he receives years of training and learning from a sentient representation of the now long-dead Jor-El. With his education complete, Clark emerges as Superman (CHRISTOPHER REEVE), a superhero destined to protect the innocent and defeat the bad guys of the world. Using his mild-mannered alter ego, Clark gets a job in Metropolis as a reporter for the Daily Planet where he works with fellow reporter Lois Lane (MARGOT KIDDER) and young photographer Jimmy Olsen (MARC McCLURE) for editor Perry White (JACKIE COOPER). When sightings of Superman start erupting around the city, White wants his team to get the scoop on the man of steel, a point that leads to some potential romantic feelings between Superman and Lois. Yet, the superhero doesn't have time for that as criminal mastermind Lex Luthor (GENE HACKMAN) has a devious, money-making scheme up his sleeves. After reprogramming two nuclear missiles with the aid of Miss Teschmacher (VALERIE PERRINE) and the dimwitted Otis (NED BEATTY), Luthor plans to blast the west coast into the sea, thus turning him and his newly acquired border real estate golden. With time running out and many lives at risk, Superman then races to stop the madman and his plan. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? If they're into movies based on comic books they might, but it's been more than 25 years since the film was released and it might seem dated to some. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG For peril, some mild sensuality and language. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: CHRISTOPHER REEVE plays both the man of steel who goes around saving people and stopping villains, as well as his mild-mannered alter-ego who works as a nerdy newspaper reporter. MARGOT KIDDER plays his colleague, a somewhat ditzy reporter who can't spell but is determined to find out everything she can about Superman for whom she ends up romantically falling. GENE HACKMAN plays a villain who's determined to make himself rich by buying real estate adjacent to the land he's about to sink into the sea with rerouted nuclear missiles. MARLON BRANDO plays Superman's father, a scientist who foresaw his planet's doom but continues to educate his son via a sentient representation of himself. NED BEATTY plays Luthor's bumbling right-hand man who assists him in his criminal ways. VALERIE PERRINE plays Luthor's other assistant who reluctantly goes along with the plan but then has second thoughts. JACKIE COOPER plays the gruff and demanding newspaper editor who wants the scoop on Superman. He smokes cigars. GLENN FORD and PHYLLIS THAXTER play young Clark's loving parents who raise, nurture and instill a sense of right and wrong in him. CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit? Then read OUR TAKE of this film. (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below). OUR WORD TO PARENTS: The following is a brief summary of the content found in this action/drama that's been rated PG. Profanity consists of a handful of mild expletives, while some colorful phrases and non-explicit, but sexually related dialogue is also uttered. It's implied that Superman can see Lois' underwear with his X-ray vision, a woman shows cleavage, a pimp and hooker are briefly seen and a male toddler is seen standing fully nude. Violence consists of a villain repeatedly trying to kill Superman but successfully killing a cop (who's pushed out into the path of a train), a planet exploding (and killing everyone there), a brief gun battle, a holdup at gunpoint and a nuclear explosion leading to property damage, lives being endangered and one life briefly being lost (before going back in time reverses that outcome). Some of those scenes may be intense or suspenseful for younger viewers, while some of the material (mainly the Superman elements) may be enticing for some kids to try to imitate. Various characters have bad attitudes, some smoke and/or drink, and some drug and drinking related comments are made. Finally, an adopted teen and his mother see the boy's father collapse and die of a heart attack, while a mother and father send their child off into space knowing that they'll never see him again (as their planet is doomed). Should you still be concerned about the film's appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home, you may want to look more closely at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE Lois mentions an exposé she previously did on sex and drug orgies and then mentions another story that has a drug angle. Otis drinks from a flask. A desk cop tells another (who's just reported Superman and sounds crazy to him) that the reporting cop should go back to the bar and the desk cop will meet him there. After seeing a yacht that Superman has deposited downtown, however, the desk cop says that the first round is on him. Lois has some wine and offers some to Superman, but he politely declines. Returning as his alter-ego after just flying Lois around as Superman, Clark asks the flustered Lois, "You haven't been..?" (while making a drinking gesture) and she says she hasn't. BLOOD/GORE None. DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE We hear that Gen. Zod and his cohorts are on trial for treason and sedition. Martha wants to keep the toddler they've just found without telling anyone. A high school student is a jerk toward teenage Clark, overturning a bench so that all of the equipment he's gathered falls to the ground in disarray. Otis tries to get away with not paying a blind newspaper vendor (but the man's dog alerts him and Otis pays). Luthor's plan, that involves getting rich from destruction and deaths caused by nuclear missiles used to create a massive earthquake, is obviously rife with bad attitudes. He also tries to kill Superman. We hear that two people were killed in a foreign country over a stolen meteorite (implying that Lex or someone working for him did the deed). FRIGHTENING SCENES Scenes listed under "Violence" may be unsettling or suspenseful to younger viewers but probably to few others as most play out in a comic book sort of fashion. Some convicted prisoners are in some sort of tumbling, diagonal prison that appears flat but contains them as they spin off into outer space, screaming for help (that may be unsettling for very young viewers). There are sounds of explosions and the sight of massive vibrations and pieces of building structures collapsing as the end of Krypton draws near. We then see various people falling, being knocked around or sliding out of control on what is now diagonally aligned flooring, etc. We also see huge pieces of material falling on people, but don't see the actual impact, which also holds true for shots of people falling long distances (which might be troubling for those remembering the sights and stories of people jumping from the World Trade Center buildings during 911). Some kids might be worried when the space pod containing young Superman starts to burn and curl up in entry into the Earth's atmosphere (but the boy is fine). As Jonathan slightly jogs toward the farm house, he grabs his wrist, gets a worried look on his face (and mutters "Oh no") before collapsing to the ground. Clark and Martha rush to help him, but we then see the subsequent funeral scene. Teenage Clark is awakened by an odd humming coming from the barn. He then slowly approaches it at night and then finds a glowing crystal (leftover from his childhood space pod). A guy points a gun at Lois and Clark and motions for them to come into an alley with him. He wants Lois' bag, but she purposefully drops it in front of him. She then kicks the man in the face as he reaches for it, causing the man to fire the gun with Clark reaching out and grabbing the bullet in flight before it hits Lois. A helicopter carrying Lois tries to take off from the top of a building, but its landing rail gets caught on a cable, causing the chopper to spin around out of control. It eventually crashes to a halt at the side of the building from which it precariously dangles after its tale smashes through a glass booth and nearly hits some people. The pilot is unconscious and Lois' door (the one facing the street many stories below) flings open. The chopper then starts to slide a bit over the edge, with Lois first hanging on inside the chopper and then dangling below it. She then falls and screams on her way down, but Superman suddenly appears and catches her. The chopper then finishes falling over the edge and plummets toward them, but Superman catches it with ease. A burglar uses suction cups on his hands and knees as he ascends the outside of a building, but then runs into Superman. He then falls backwards and Superman flies down and catches him. Lighting takes out an engine on Air Force One, prompting a mayday call and a lot of turbulence (and might be unnerving for those afraid of flying). Superman shows up, however, grabs a wing and guides them to safety. For those afraid of heights, Superman takes Lois on a flight over the city and there are various "look down" shots on the city. As they fly side by side, she loosens her grip on his hand and then barely holds onto his fingertip, but then ends up falling. He swoops down and saves her long before she gets close to the city. Lex tells Superman that he's going to gas the city (a point that might be unnerving nowadays considering such terrorist threats, etc.). Lex surprises Superman with kryptonite on a chain that he then hangs around Superman's neck, weakening him. He then pushes Superman into a pool where he sinks below the surface several times, gasping for air when he comes back up. Superman races across the country to catch and divert a nuclear missile. He eventually does and sends it out into space, but when he turns, he sees that another such missile has just exploded on the San Andreas fault. He then flies into the fiery fault line to fix it and stop the earthquake that's now ravaging the countryside. As an earthquake strikes, a gas station canopy collapses and the station then explodes, just as Lois drives away. She must avoid falling telephone poles, however, as she races down the road. We see the famous Hollywood sign falling toward a bunch of girl scouts (but we don't know what happens). Cables on a suspension bridge break, causing some vehicles to crash into each other and a bus to crash halfway over the edge where it precariously sits. A train races toward a break in the tracks (caused by an earthquake), but Superman saves the day by using his body as the track, and the train safely passes over him. An earthquake causes part of the Hoover Dam to collapse, all while Jimmy is on the top. He barely hangs on as more pieces fall away, but Superman grabs and saves him. The dam eventually breaks and we see many people downstream panicking and running for safety (Superman uses a large boulder to create a rock slide that then dams up the flood water and everyone is saved). A crevice races down a dirt road and then swallows up Lois and her car. It turns sideways and starts filling with dirt. As Superman races to save her, we see more dirt falling in and it then appears that she dies from suffocation (but Superman reverses time and saves her). GUNS/WEAPONS Handguns/Machine guns/Missiles: Used to threaten or attempt to kill others and/or cause property damage. See "Violence" for details. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "Oddball," "Nincompoops," "No damn good," "What the hell's /that/going on out there/happening?" "Move your ass," "What the hell happened?" "Moron," "Nitwit," "Freak," "Shut up," "Numbskull," "You diseased maniac" and "Holy mackerel." Some kids may be interested in trying to perform various Superman stunts (such as flying, trying to dart in front of a moving train and jumping out a window to turn into Superman while falling toward the street) that could prove to be dangerous. Otis walks along some underground railroad/subway tracks. A burglar uses suction cups on his hands and knees as he ascends the outside of a building, but then runs into Superman. Lex uses a remote control to cause an empty vehicle to crash and flip over. Miss Teschmacher then acts like the injured driver to get a military convoy to stop. Miss Teschmacher climbs up from under a bridge to get to a truck stopped on it. JUMP SCENES We suddenly hear a loud piercing sound. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) A heavy amount of suspenseful and some dramatic music plays in the film. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) None. PROFANITY At least 6 hells, 1 ass, 1 damn and 1 use each of "My God," "Oh Lord" and "Oh my God." SEX/NUDITY We see a fully nude male toddler (full frontal views) when Jonathan and his wife come upon the boy who's just arrived on Earth. Lois mentions an exposé she previously did on sex and drug orgies. Miss Teschmacher shows a lot of cleavage. White comments to Lois about some sex maniac profile. We briefly see what's presumably a pimp and one of his hookers in a bra-like top. We see Miss Teschmacher in a one-piece bathing suit that shows part of her bare butt while she's lying face down. Lois interviews Superman. As she's distracted by how attractive he is, she asks, "How big are you?" and then quickly rephrases that to "How tall are you?" She then says that she assumes that the rest of his bodily functions are normal. When he's not sure what she means, she stammers about asking, "To put it delicately, do you...eat." She then asks what color underwear she's wearing and then feels bad that she's embarrassed him. He says he isn't, but that he can't see through lead behind which she's standing. She continues the interview, but when she walks away, he replies, "Pink" and she's embarrassed, but later asks if he likes pink and he says that he does (and adds "Very much"). While posing as a car crash victim (as a decoy), Miss Teschmacher shows a lot of thigh. A military man then says that she'll need lots of vigorous chest massage and then mouth to mouth if that doesn't work. He then has his men form a circle (looking away from the scene) so that he can get to work (but we don't see any contact between him and her). SMOKING White smokes cigars a few times, some miscellaneous people smoke (one has an unlit cigar) and Lois starts to smoke, but Superman tells her she shouldn't and so she snuffs it out. We see a cigarette in a long cigarette holder. TENSE FAMILY SCENES Jor-El and his wife say goodbye to their infant son, sending him off in a space pod of sorts to survive the cataclysmic events they know are coming for them and their planet. As Jonathan slightly jogs toward the farm house, he grabs his wrist, gets a worried look on his face (and mutters "Oh no") before collapsing to the ground. Clark and Martha rush to help him, but we then see the subsequent funeral scene. After Superman rescues a cat and a young girl reports that to her unseen mother, we hear the sound of the mother smacking the girl (for thinking she's lying). TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT The question of whether it's showing off doing what you're capable of doing. A sentient representation of Jor-El tells teenage Clark that he's been dead for thousands of Clark's Earth years. After Superman rescues a cat and a young girl reports that to her unseen mother, we hear the sound of the mother smacking the girl (for thinking she's lying). VIOLENCE There are sounds of explosions and the sight of massive vibrations and pieces of building structures collapsing as the end of Krypton draws near. We then see various people falling, being knocked around or sliding out of control on what is now diagonally aligned flooring, etc. We also see huge pieces of material falling on people, but don't see the actual impact, which also holds true for shots of people falling long distances (which might be troubling for those remembering the sights and stories of people jumping from the World Trade Center buildings during 911). A planet explodes, killing everyone living on it (we don't see the actual deaths, just the explosion from outer space). A guy points a gun at Lois and Clark and motions for them to come into an alley with him. He wants Lois' bag, but she purposefully drops it in front of him. She then kicks the man in the face as he reaches for it, causing the man to fire the gun with Clark reaching out and grabbing the bullet in flight before it hits Lois. A manually controlled wall section of a tunnel is activated by Lex and pushes a cop out into the path of a quickly approaching train (we don't see the impact but it's implied he's killed as we see his torn-up hat). We see a car chase where bad guys shoot at cops (with machine guns) who are chasing and firing back at them with handguns. That goes back and forth with a lot of gunfire, a car window being blown out and things being driven over by the cars. A bad guy sneaks up on Superman and hits him over the head with a crowbar, but it simply bounces off Superman with no ill effect. After Superman rescues a cat and a young girl reports that to her unseen mother, we hear the sound of the mother smacking the girl (for thinking she's lying). After Otis leaves him hanging from his several-story library, Lex steps down on Otis' fingers on the rolling ladder that Otis earlier moved. Lex uses a remote control to cause an empty vehicle to crash and flip over. Miss Teschmacher then acts like the injured driver to get a military convoy to stop. We hear that two people were killed in a foreign country over a stolen meteorite (implying that Lex or someone working for him did the deed). Superman turns into a superhuman drill and spins down through the sidewalk. Many unmanned machine guns (controlled by Lex) shoot Superman, but don't harm him as the bullets bounce off. Lex then blasts him with flames. When that doesn't work, he blasts him with severe cold (that also doesn't work, although for a moment it appears it has as Superman is encrusted in a lot of ice). Superman kicks down a door. Lex whacks Otis with a stick to make him say something to Superman. Superman picks up Lex by his jacket and tosses him over onto a sofa. Lex surprises Superman with kryptonite on a chain that he then hangs around Superman's neck, weakening him. He then pushes Superman into a pool where he sinks below the surface several times, gasping for air when he comes back up. Superman races across the country to catch and divert a nuclear missile. He eventually does and sends it out into space, but when he turns, he sees that another such missile has just exploded on the San Andreas fault. He then flies into the fiery fault line to fix it and stop the earthquake that's now ravaging the countryside. As an earthquake strikes, a gas station canopy collapses and the station then explodes, just as Lois drives away. She must avoid falling telephone poles, however, as she races down the road. Cables on a suspension bridge break, causing some vehicles to crash into each other and a bus to crash halfway over the edge where it precariously sits. A crevice races down a dirt road and then swallows up Lois and her car. It turns sideways and starts filling with dirt. As Superman races to save her, we see more dirt falling in and it then appears that she dies from suffocation (but Superman reverses time and saves her). Reviewed October 1, 2004/ Posted October 3, 2004