Movie Plot – Superman Extended TV Cut: An alien is sent to Earth after Krypton’s explosion. Clark is found by the Kents, where he grew up to be a fine man. When he leaves his adoptive family, he goes on a path to becoming the superhero we all know and love, Superman.
Director: Richard Donner
Writers: Mario Puzo, David Newman, Leslie Newman, Robert Benton
Cast: Christopher Reeve, Margot Kidder, Gene Hackman
Christopher Reeve
Superman: the movie (1978) is the Original Superhero movie. Yes, there were some superhero movies before this one, but none of them were iconic.
Christopher Reeve will forever be known for playing Superman. He was outstanding as Clark Kent and the superhero. His movies are still considered to be a classic amongst movie and comic book fans. He fits the part perfectly as a shy clumsy reporter Clark Kent, and as the confident Superman
Superman
If you don’t know who Superman is, then you must live in a cave. It’s the most well-known superhero ever.
This movie exploits his origin story in the right way. We get to see Krypton, the Fortress of Solitude, him growing up, his life as Clark Kent, etc.
He is maybe the strongest superhero ever, but he also has one the most magnificent heart of them all. That is what makes this character so lovable amongst fans. And once more again, Christopher Reeve portrayed this perfectly.
John Williams made the perfect theme score for the character. Every time I hear it, it reminds me of Superman and makes me feel powerful. A real masterpiece!
This Superman still holds its own against more recent superhero adaptations. It definitely set the standard for all comic book hero films.
Lex Luthor
Gene Hackman gives an excellent performance as the wicked Lex Luthor.
It’s mind over the muscle with this villain. He comes off as this underground criminal mastermind. Everything he’s doing is for his own interest.
When I still enjoyed his performance, his role was very cartoonish. I kinda wished they gave him a more severe approach. Telling everyone you’re a “criminal” mastermind, just don’t do it for me. We know you are, you don’t need to say it.
The addition of Superman Extended TV Cut
The length of the original theatrical release is 144 minutes, but there are two more versions: The Director’s Cut & Extended Tv-Cut.
While the Director’s Cut is 8 minutes longer, Superman Extended Tv-Cut has an additional approx. 45 minutes. That brings its runtime on 188 min.
Most of the new footage are small additions from start to finish.
The action scenes are longer, it actually made me feel Superman accomplished way more than it’s the theatrical release. The Extend TV Cut makes him even a more prominent superhero than he already was.
Some scenes even made more sense with the additional footage. So I’m grateful for this version.
Conclusion
Superman (1978) will forever be a classic. If you ever want to (re)watch this masterpiece, I would recommend the Superman version as it amplifies the experience!
If you love comic book movies, be sure to check out my Fantasy movie watchlist!
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