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Superman
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Metascore
88 out of 100

Universal acclaim - based on 12 Critics What's this?

User Score
7.4 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 62 Ratings

Your Score
10 out of 10
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  • Starring: Christopher Reeve, Gene Hackman, Margot Kidder
  • Summary: An adventure re-told, spanning the Man of Steel's life from his Krypton infancy and Midwest boyhood to his career as Daily Planet reporter Clark Kent (Reeve) and through his titanic struggle with archnemesis Lex Luthor (Hackman). (Warner Bros.)

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 12
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 12
  3. Negative: 0 out of 12
  1. Chicago Sun-Times
    Reviewed by: Roger Ebert
    100
    Superman is a pure delight, a wondrous combination of all the old-fashioned things we never really get tired of: adventure and romance, heroes and villains, earthshaking special effects, and -- you know what else? Wit.
  2. The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
    Reviewed by: Jay Scott
    100
    Estimates of the movie's costs range between $35-and $70-million; whatever the price, it was not too much to pay. As gods go, Superman is one of the godliest; his movie is one of the best.
  3. TV Guide
    Reviewed by: Staff (Not credited)
    60
    The film burdens itself with too many story lines and an overlong (though beautifully photographed) prologue, but things really get moving when Reeve takes the screen.

See all 12 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 20 out of 22
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 22
  3. Negative: 2 out of 22
  1. DS
    10
    Looks like somebody got bored and decided to trash a classic film. Yeah it seems a bit dated now, but it's a great great movie. Supes is in need of a reboot.… Expand
    • 2 of 4 users said yes
  2. grandpajoe6191
    8
    Do you people know how comic book adapted movies started out? Uh Huh. "Superman" started it all, and guess what; it was marvelous.
    • 4 of 4 users said yes
  3. DamonC.
    0
    The problem with this movie is that it goes too far with Superman's powers. And whenever he fights a bad guy, he always wins. Its like he's undestructable and invincible. And director Richard Donner cheesily art directs this movie, with a horrible style, unengaging fashion, and a dull, dudfull life. Superman would have been better if it weren't cheesy, frick'n overrated, and better acting. Its so corny, Richard Donner presents a getting far overaged, and has easily lost its high standards it once had. The affects are terrible, everything sucks. The kryptonyte stuff, the nudity (which in the beginning shows an 8 year-old kid butt-naked, showing absolutely everything, and some parts we don't want to see), its nudity like never before, but a bit too much. The planet Krypton stuff, the 7 crystal things, the ghost of his father, led being a weakness. There are so many stupid ideas. Just to settle the reviews, I personally think this is a simply forgettable bore. Snd a huge disappointing letdown.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes

See all 22 User Reviews

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