Written by Mike Restaino, Dan Ramer, and Cliff Stephenson 

Well, fans, this is a big one. A really big one. One might even call it super. Superman releases flooded the marketplace in November; in addition to new DVD editions of the four Christopher Reeve Superman movies, Warner offered high-definition editions of the Reeve films, a Donner cut of Superman II on DVD and HD DVD editions, and the 2006 reinvention of the Man of Steel, Superman Returns, on all three formats. We have been hard at work watching, listening, and revisiting these titles to ensure that you’ll have the best possible viewing experiences and that your hard-earned dollars will be well spent.

This Ultimate Superman Edition and other incarnations of Superman collections have been controversial. Let’s address that first. There were two missteps: the initial shipments of this box set didn’t include the new disc of Superman III with its supplements – it included the previously released DVD; and, the original Dolby Digital 2.0 mix of Superman: The Movie was not included on the disc as advertised.

Warner responded graciously; this is how its official press release reads:

“Bonus content was omitted from the Superman III Deluxe Edition in the 14-disc Superman Ultimate Collector's Edition. Furthermore, disc one of Superman: The Movie Four Disc Special Edition did not include the Dolby Digital 2.0 mix. Neither disc is known to be physically defective in any way. Warner Home Video wants to extend apologies to all of our loyal Superman fans who've waited so patiently for these great collections and has taken immediate steps to correct these errors with the intention of standing behind our product 100%. Replacement discs can be obtained by calling: 800-553-6937. The exchange program applies only to purchases of the Superman III Deluxe Edition in the Superman Ultimate Collector's Edition and to disc one of Superman: The Movie Four Disc Special Edition, available as a single title, as well as in The Christopher Reeve Superman Collection and in the Superman Ultimate Collector's Edition.”

So if you find that a collection you buy is suffering from either of these problems, Warner will replace the deficient discs (although that may take a while). However, note that Warner seems to have remedied these issues quickly with new pressings; our review copy of the Superman Ultimate Collector’s Edition has both the Dolby Digital 2.0 mix on Superman and Superman III includes the new supplments. So that’s that. Now on to the movies.

Dan recently took a peek at Superman: The Movie in its HD DVD release, and he had this to say about it:

“In Cliff Stephenson’s March 2001 review of the extended cut of Superman The Movie, he classified it ‘as one of the truly great gems of modern American cinema” and an “instant classic.’  I shall now risk offending the film’s dedicated fans.  This is a fun film with winning performances, but I can’t fully agree with Cliff’s assessment.  The production values were great, the special effects were state of the art in ‘78, the flying sequences were the best to that date, John Williams wrote a wonderful score, and Christopher Reeve was superb.  But I can’t quite bring myself to get as enthusiastic as Cliff.  My problem, as so often occurs, is with the writing. 

“Superman The Movie begins at the beginning.  It portrays the origin of the character, the terrible destruction of his home planet of Krypton, the steps his loving parents Jor-El (Marlon Brando) and Lara (Susannah York) take to ensure his survival, his adoption by the Kents, his troubled early years as he tries to define himself, and his maturing into a superhero dedicated to truth, justice, and the American way.

“In his guise as mild-mannered reporter Clark Kent, Superman (Christopher Reeve) makes Metropolis his home; he quickly finds himself in a strange love triangle with his alter ego.  The feisty reporter with dubious spelling abilities who sits across from his desk at the Daily Planet, Lois Lane (Margot Kidder), becomes his object of desire.  Ultimately, his feelings will cause Superman to violate one of his father’s prime directives of not interfering with human history.  (Although, frankly, I don’t know how much more he could possibly interfere by racing all over the world to save people and to divert disasters.)

“Revisiting the film after many years reinforced the feelings I had when I first saw it in the motion picture theater.  Many quips simply seemed inappropriate, like the excessive lightheartedness Roger Moore brought to his portrayal of James Bond.  I found most of the quips distracting.  And during the climax, when Superman becomes so upset with his loss that he flies faster than light to go back in time, the filmmakers never bother to show him diverting the second missile, a one-minute sequence that would not have impacted runtime.  Causality ignored, I was completely taken out of the film; my willing suspension of disbelief collapsed. 

“This is a great shame, because until that climactic sequence, Superman The Movie is a winning experience.  The introduction of Superman to the world is delightful.  The rooftop interview of Superman by Lois is charming (even if the romantic night flight over sparkling Metropolis is marred by a sappy Kidder voiceover).  Gene Hackman genuinely seems to enjoy chewing on the scenery, although Ned Beatty’s Otis is an unrealistically dim sidekick to such a super-criminal.

“Caught halfway between the high camp of the Batman television series (1966 to 1968) and the dark sensibilities of Tim Burton’s Batman (1989), I can’t help wonder if screenwriters Mario Puzo, David Newman, Leslie Newman, and Robert Benton (and Tom Mankiewicz - see the comments about the commentary) might not have been ever so slightly subconsciously influenced by the antics of Adam West and Burt Ward.  (This impression will be vindicated by director Richard Donner and creative consultant Tom Mankiewicz in their commentary.)

“To Warner Home Video’s credit, this . . . release includes director Richard Donner’s reinstated eight minutes of footage cut from the original 1978 theatrical release and found on the 2001 DVD release.  The additions help flesh out characters a bit more, particularly Jor-El.  The scene when Superman discusses his newfound purpose with his long dead father is a great example. This is a rare case in which the changes made for a special edition don't detract from the story, such as they too often do in other director's cuts; they actually enhance the story.”

Cliff Stephenson had this to say about Superman II:

“Superman II picks up just about where Superman: The Movie left off, although with a bit of scotch tape during the opening to bridge the stuff Richard Donner shot before being fired. This time, Superman is forced to confront the three super villains that were imprisoned in the Phantom Zone at the beginning of Superman: The Movie. Following their accidental release, the trio head to Earth, where each one possesses powers identical to those of the Man of Steel. World domination becomes General Zod’s goal. With Lex Luthor escaped from prison and acting as a sort of human liaison for the criminals, it'll be a tough fight to win back the freedom of the planet.

“Generally considered at the time to be an equal, if not superior, follow up to the immensely successful first film, Superman II has not aged well. It's not in the appearances of the characters or the design of Metropolis that does the film in, but rather the direction by Richard Lester and the rushed visual effects that contribute to the film actually feeling much more dated than its predecessor.

“Superman and Superman II were filmed simultaneously under the direction of Richard Donner. With about 70% of Superman II completed, it was decided that all attention needed to be focused on completing the first film to make its December 1978 release date. Subsequently, all work was suspended on Superman II until after the release of the first film.

“In early 1979, Donner is waiting for the phone call to go back to work on Superman II. But the phone call Donner eventually received was to inform him that he had been fired, even though Superman II was nearly complete. All of the cast and crewmembers, including Marlon Brando and Gene Hackman, and composer John Williams, were scheduled to return. When it was learned that Donner would no longer be heading the project, Brando, Hackman, and Williams also left.

“But how can that be? Isn't Hackman in Superman II? Yes, he is and Richard Donner shot all that footage before they halted production in 1978. The dreaded Salkinds, producers of the Superman films, even went so far as to use a body double and a voice impersonator to complete a couple of scenes that Donner could not. Wasn't Williams' score again used? Yes, but because the studio and not Williams owned the music rights; Ken Thorne was hired to rearrange Williams’ themes. It's sort of like listening to Howard Dermer and the Prague Philharmonic perform the score for Superman; it just doesn't sound the same.

“So the miracle of Superman II isn't that the film was completed, but that it actually ended up being really good after being handled so badly. I know that for many years, I actually regarded it as superior to the original. But then, good taste took over and I began to see Superman II for what it is: the most expensive "B" movie ever made. It was when I began to hear all the production horror stories surrounding Superman II that I began to lose respect for the film. I no longer regard it as superior to the original and have come to watch it with a lot of "What ifs?" in the back of my mind. I can still enjoy it, but it does come with an extreme amount of baggage that ultimately weighs it down. Had Donner been allowed to finish the film, who knows how much more it might have been?”

Well, that’s where the most curious inclusion on this Ultimate Collector’s Edition comes in. Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut is a film that countless fans have been waiting years for. Even I – a fair-weather Superman fan at best – have been scouring the web for quite some time trying to get the skinny on just what Donner’s true interpretation of the film might have been.

Dan reviewed The Richard Donner Cut on HD DVD and had this to say about it:

“The Richard Donner Cut of Superman II is the same basic story, but told differently.  Gone is the Eiffel Tower sequence.  Gone is Lois Lane’s (Margot Kidder) jumping into the water above Niagara Falls to force Clark (Christopher Reeve) to reveal his true identity.  Gone is Kal-El’s mother, Lara (Samantha York).  Gone is the magic kiss.  And gone is the patriotic ending.  Donner has replaced those sequences with his original concepts.  It’s the missile that Superman diverts into deep space during Superman The Movie that explodes to free Zod (Terrence Stamp), Ursa (Sarah Douglas), and Non (Jack O'Halloran).  Lois’s growing suspicion of Superman’s secret identity and her efforts to force the truth are more satisfying.  And Jor-El (Marlon Brando) is brought back to interact with his son, far more consistent and emotionally rewarding. 

“The reconstruction was a Herculean task.  It was necessary to sort through six tons of footage and audio stems to reconstruct the film to a state that comes as close as possible to what it was supposed to have been.  One pivotal scene in the Donner Cut wasn’t shot for the film at all.  When Lois finally gets Clark to admit that he’s Superman, the scene remains in their Niagara Falls hotel room, but the dialog is completely different.  It is, in fact, edited together from Reeve and Kidder’s screen tests.  You’ll notice that Reeve’s hair and glasses change from cut to cut depending on whether the footage is from his screen test or hers.  And the hotel room set is quite different than the set used in the theatrical release.  But the logic of the scene, the better dialog, and the symmetry with Lois’s earlier attempt to force him to reveal himself, all tend to distract the viewer from the lack of continuity.

“But I was flabbergasted when the plot device found in the finale of Superman The Movie was used, apparently as initially intended, in the Donner Cut of Superman II.  Decades ago, the filmmakers had decided to transplant that finale to the first film to make it the best they could.  They postponed creating a resolution to the second film for when that production resumed.  Yes, I’m talking about going back in time.

“Several readers responded to my criticism of the climax of Superman The Movie when I bemoaned the utter lack of concern with causality.  Well, kind readers, the Donner Cut of Superman II is guilty of precisely the same crime.  The issue is identical: mishandling a missile.  I’ll be vague to avoid spoilers.  At the end of the Donner Cut, Superman is faced with a few dilemmas and he takes the easy way out: travel back in time and change things.  But just like in Superman The Movie, he didn’t change anything - at least not onscreen.  For the sake of those who wrote to ask what could have been done differently to avoid the vagueness of a time travel sequence, and without revealing why, here’s how it could have been handled in this sequel. 

“Cut to an apparent repeat of the scene from the first film when Superman is high above the atmosphere.  He guides the first missile toward deep space and gives it one last push.  As it speeds off, Superman turns back toward Earth and is surprised to see something streaking around the planet at an impossibly high speed.  As the object slows, it becomes clear that it’s a second Superman, who rapidly flies past him while offering a little salute.  The second Superman quickly catches up with the missile and radically changes its course.  On the edge of his peripheral vision, the first Superman is distracted by a nuclear detonation on the West Coast and rushes Earthward to help.  Switch the point of view of the second Superman (he’s from Superman II).  He watches his past self speed toward the planet, turns to see the missile he just manipulated explode well away from the passing manifestation of the Phantom Zone, and then accelerates into a faster-than-light reversed Earth orbit to depart from his past and return to his present time.  No less scientifically implausible, but at least it’s self-consistent, causal, and minimizes the paradoxes.  (The only paradox that remains is the elimination of his motivation to have gone back in time to make the change; a small leap of faith that he who changes time remembers how it was before the change is all that’s required.)  But I digress; two questions remain. 

“Is the Donner Cut better than the Lester cut?  Yes and no.  Until the film reaches the same inane climax I just discussed, the plot devices are more believable and emotionally satisfying.  Extending the father/son interactions to their logical conclusion is much more consistent and meaningful.  Admittedly, there is a continuity problem going forward concerning the Fortress of Solitude.  And there is one serious plot hole in the Donner Cut that has me baffled.  As presented, Lex Luthor’s fate is unresolved; and yet, one of the new unused scenes (available as a supplement) reveals precisely what happens to him.  Why leave the plot hole?  If I were hard-pressed and had to choose between the Lester cut and the Donner Cut, I guess I’d have to select the Donner Cut. 

“Is the Donner Cut a great film?  Alas, no.  It’s a reasonably good film, one that easily bests the third and fourth films in the series (I know, faint praise).  It certainly belongs in the pantheon of Superman films.  It remains an important object lesson for Kal-El: accept your fate as the protector of your adopted planet; sacrifice your happiness for the better good; keep your distance from personal relationships or risk their lives as evildoers use them to gain control over you.  I had hoped for more and I was disappointed by the climax, but the film is better conceived than the theatrical release.”

Next comes Superman III. I’ve been chastised for years by friends who can’t believe I had nice things to say about this film. Well, I finally get a chance to apologize; I had only seen the film once upon its initial release and haven’t had a chance to watch it again until now. And my current response is “Yikes.”

Cliff seems to agree in his review of the film:

“For years, many fans wondered about what has become known as the "hybrid version" of Superman II, which was half directed by Richard Donner and half directed by Richard Lester after Donner was unceremoniously dumped from the project. Superman II was a very strong sequel despite all the production woes, but has not held up nearly as well as the first film, and now plays more like camp in many spots. Was this Lester's influence, or was the plan always to lighten the tone of the sequel to create more of a popcorn film? Well, we all got our answer in 1983, when Superman III debuted, a film completely under the guiding hand of Richard Lester. From the film's opening credit sequence, a completely farcical series of events, you get that sinking feeling and realize that anything resembling cheese in the second film was directly the influence of Lester. The first Superman was grounded in a sense of reality, even if it was a comic book one, which is noticeably absent from much of Superman II. In the first film, Metropolis always seemed like a real city with real people inhabiting it. The second recalled a city on a sound stage with only the most vague sense of a distorted reality.

“Well, the filmmakers decided to distort reality further in Superman III by ignoring what made the franchise great and going with a hipper, more today approach. They accomplished this by centering the film around the casting of Richard Pryor, who at the time was probably the most successful comic actor in film, coming off a string of box office gold mines like Stir Crazy, Bustin' Loose, and his many concert films. The problem with this approach is that there is absolutely no reason for Richard Pryor to appear in Superman III other than the fact that he's Richard Pryor. (You'd think Donner would have warned Pryor about the Salkinds, after working with him in The Toy.)

“The idea behind Superman III is actually a fairly intriguing one. A computer genius constructs a super-computer, which in a unique turn of events alters the mental stability of Superman, turning him away from his All-American persona. Suddenly, Superman is no longer the hope for all mankind, but an evil anti-Superman intent on destroying us. It also contains one of the best moments in the series, as Clark Kent and the evil Superman actually battle each other. It's one of the emotional highpoints of the series, yet still can't avoid being disappointing by the overall poor quality of the production.

“So what went wrong? I put the blame at the feet of Lester and the Salkinds, who seemed to want to make a "Richard Pryor" Superman movie rather than a film that was true to the spirit of the characters and the original film. Pryor is given far too much screen time despite the fact that he's not even the main villain. The producers obviously figured that, if they're paying Richard Pryor, they may as well use him, whether it benefits the film or not. Having Pryor onboard probably also benefited the script written by David and Leslie Newman, a tribute to camp that was similar to the intended tone of the original Superman screenplay until Donner cut out the cheese and had Tom Mankiewicz rewrite the script with real reverence for the Man of Steel.

“Ultimately, though, Superman III is not the worst entry in the series, but not for a lack of trying. Richard Lester proved once and for all that he really doesn't understand what a Superman movie should be, seemingly relying on old episodes of Batman and a piss-poor script that he and probably only ten other people found amusing. With all the great characters and history that Superman has encountered, there were really limitless possibilities for the series. Unfortunately for fans, we happened to get stuck with filmmakers who obviously were limited in their abilities, talents, and taste.”

Which brings us to Superman IV: The Quest For Peace, the sequel that most fans feel is the worst Superman of all. Cliff said this about the fourth Superman:

“After Superman III, Christopher Reeve decided never to don the blue tights and red cape again. When the Cannon Group acquired the rights to Superman from the spawn of Salkind, they had a franchise without a lead. That was a big problem, and Cannon decided to make Reeve an offer even Jor El couldn't refuse. Rather than simply star in a fourth installment, Reeve would be offered the chance to develop the story. This gave Reeve a reason to suit up again, but that's about it. Aside from the suit, nothing would be the same.

“Sydney J. Furie was tapped to direct, after a distinguished career that included such films as Lady Sings The Blues and The Ipcress File (before being reduced to helming Iron Eagle flicks and episodes of the television series VIP). But, for the first time since the departure of Richard Donner, direction doesn't seem to be the problem. Superman IV’s biggest foes are the combination of a lame story and screenplay and the horrors of low-budget filmmaking, courtesy of Cannon.

“I was among the select few who decided to partake of the film on its opening day in July of 1987. As I sat in the darkened theater, anxiously anticipating this new Superman adventure, it took exactly 4 minutes and 15 seconds for my anticipation to turn to disbelief, then to utter shock. That was the exact moment in the film when Superman appears for the first time in an effect that could only be described as a paper cutout of the Man Of Steel being pushed toward the camera on a stick. Could it possibly get any worse?

“Oh, yeah, and then some! Superman's arch-nemesis, Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman) returns, and this time he's out to dominate the world and rid himself of Superman by genetically engineering an evil superhero who, pound for pound and muscle for muscle, can give Luthor’s nemesis a run for his money. This cinematic abomination is inappropriately named Nuclear Man. I say inappropriately because in order for Nuclear Man to remain alive and effective, he must have contact with sunlight. Wouldn't that make him Solar Man? I guess this way he has all the aggressiveness of a nuclear reactor, but deep down he's still good for the environment in a nonpolluting kind of way.

“We also get our first glimpse of Lex's nephew Lenny Luthor (Jon Cryer), a bumbling idiot who, I suppose, is intended to be reminiscent of Otis from the first two films, but without any of the innocent oafishness Ned Beatty brought to the role. With Otis, even though he was an idiot, he was somewhat lovable. All I wanted to do with Lenny was smack the crap out of him from the moment he first appears onscreen. It's this sort of idiocy that completely drove the franchise into the ground, and it seemed like a conceited effort on the part of the filmmakers to attract the youth crowd with the then-hip Cryer.

“This movie is so bad I've heard that Donner actually wants his name off the first one. It really does stink up the room that pungently. Perhaps I'm analyzing this movie far too much, but that's because no one else bothered to when they were creating this monstrosity. With Superman IV: The Quest for Cash, the filmmakers were able to accomplish something that even the combination of Lex Luthor and Nuclear Man couldn't do: They killed Superman.”

It took years for the franchise to recover. It returned in 2006 with Superman Returns. Dan liked the film more than I did; here’s a portion of what he wrote in his review:

“Superman (Brandon Routh) has disappeared.  He deserted his adopted planet and the woman who loved him.  Crime soars and Lois Lane (Kate Bosworth) expresses her pain by writing a Pulitzer Prize winning article, ‘Why The World Doesn’t Need Superman.’  Hell hath no fury . . . She moves on and moves in.  Lois is now living in an impressive Metropolis shore home with Richard White (James Marsden), the affluent nephew of Daily Planet Editor Perry White (Frank Langella).  She even has a son, Jason (Tristan Lake Leabu).  Yes, she’s been quite busy.

“No less busy has been Lex Luthor (Kevin Spacey).  He somehow conned a very rich and very old widow, Gertrude Vanderworth (Noel Neill), into funding his legal efforts to be released from prison, a task made that much easier by Superman’s failure to appear at a hearing to testify against him.  And having been released, he further cons her into making him her sole heir as she lies on her deathbed.  A readily available fortune at his disposal, Luthor, his current moll, Kitty Kowalski (Parker Posey), and his henchmen are free to pursue his next gargantuan evil plan.
 
“Lois never expected to see the man of steel again; he’s been absent for five years.  So it comes as no small surprise - and undoubtedly with great relief - that she sees him mysteriously appear on the wing of a Boeing 777 falling from the sky with her and a planeload of people onboard.  That he saves her is both predictable and inevitable; it’s entirely too early in the film for any of the protagonists to be in any real jeopardy.  And after bringing the plane safely to the ground, I was amused by Superman’s advice to the passengers and Lois’s reaction, one of many instances of homage to Superman The Movie.  And so begins a troublesome healing: Superman and planet Earth, and Superman and Lois Lane.

“Luthor’s overreaching and diabolical plot (which is arguably the silliest aspect of the film) may make him the richest man on the planet, but he doesn’t seem to appreciate that the world might be a little miffed that his methods will kill billions in the process.  Superman will struggle to save the world and reconnect with Lois.  There are secrets both exposed and withheld.  Lex discovers some of Superman’s (arguably a glaring lapse in continuity).  And Superman is unaware that Lois isn’t being completely honest with him.” 

Dan liked Superman Returns quite a bit (click here to read his full review), but I feel moved to offer a contrasting opinion. Again, I’m not the Superman fan that many of our writers past and present are, but I was dumbfounded by Superman Returns for countless reasons. Wasting Parker Posey is one thing. Does she do anything to further the plotline of the film? And I remember looking around the movie theatre trying to figure out why everyone wasn’t throwing their soda pops at the screen during the film’s mid-point action scene in which Lois Lane, under threat of death by one of Lex Luthor’s evil henchmen . . . sends a fax. Yup. She’s tied to a chair, the score kicks into full-blown action mode, and we watch Miss Lane . . . send a fax. Yay. And don’t get me started on the film’s climax, when Superman picks up a big rock and pushes it into the sky. Ugh.

But that’s what’s great about this Superman Ultimate Collector’s Edition: a little something for everyone. Look at this review. One writer praises the first film as a classic of the genre while another has mixed emotions.  One praises Superman Returns and another claims loudly that it’s the worst film released in 2006.

Up, up, and away!

The Video: How Does The Disc Look?

The new-to-DVD transfer of the 1978 version of Superman: The Movie looks a bit soft, but its 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer looks pretty damned good nevertheless. Grain is apparent and there are a few bits of dirt and grime on the transfer print, but overall, the film looks just fine. This extended version looks to have the same transfer as found on its 2001 release, but it’s still a lovely one. There's a soft-filtered, dreamy quality to the picture, but it now appears as it should: intentional and appropriate. The film’s colors leap off the screen with great vitality. The red, blue and yellow of Superman's suit are bold and majestic. Film grain has also been reduced, although it is still present.

On its own, Superman II would probably look pretty good, but it pales in comparison to Superman: The Movie. On the plus side, this looks like a fresh print, although there are still blemishes and frequent anomalies (a weird pulsing in the image is distracting very early on). Black level is good, but not quite as strong nor consistent as the first film. The 2.35:1 anamorphic transfer exhibits good detail, although much of the film appears in soft-focus, so detail is often obscured and the transfer lacks a true three-dimensional quality. Shadow delineation is also rather poor on most occasions. I also noticed some edge halos, which are not too severe. The grain in the image is especially apparent during the effects shots, suggesting that there wasn't much effort expended to "clean up" the film.

The Richard Donner Cut of Superman II also gets a nice 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, but because some of the material utilized for this new interpretation of the film was culled from screen tests and not-quite-finished effects shots, the overall visual presentation isn’t as striking as the theatrically-released film’s transfer.

Superman III’s 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer falls somewhere between the first two in terms of video quality; it’s better than II, but not quite reaching the heights of the original. Colors are bolder than they are in Superman II and the image is smoother overall. Flesh tones appear natural and I noticed no instances of smearing. The print used for the transfer is in fairly good shape, with just a fews specks of dirt present from time to time.

Superman IV is presented in anamorphic widescreen in the film's 2.35:1 theatrical aspect ratio. The image is generally bright and colorful, with excellent detail and depth. The transfer print is clean with only a few very minor visible blemishes. Superman IV does seem to go in the opposite way compared to the two sequels that preceded it; the film is sometimes overly bright with images that lighten some of the black levels and wash out a bit of the color. This is pretty noticeable during blue screen shots, where the brighter image makes the obvious visual effects stand out even more. There is also a hint of edge halos.

Last, but not least, Superman Returns’ 2.40:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer gets a notable presentation (although it’s nowhere near the quality of the film’s HD version). Since the film was shot with a high definition 1080p24 digital camera, things are neat and impressive, although in this standard definition transfer, finely grained detail is hit and miss. All in all, though, this transfer looks fantastic. 

The Audio: How Does The Disc Sound?

There has already been near-endless debate about the remastered Dolby Digital 5.1 mix created for the extended version of Superman: The Movie. But the most important two words when it comes to this discussion are tone and intent. But before we get into that, we must first go back a bit and retrace the history of the Superman soundtrack. Superman: The Movie was released on December 15, 1978, with both 35 mm stereo and 70 mm Dolby 6-track discrete audio presentations. Superman was the first film to use the "split surround" format that we are all quite familiar with today, and is now common in theaters. As this would seem an ideal situation for transferring the soundtrack to the home with a 5.1 mix, but a few interesting problems arose that made it more complicated. Apparently, the effects stems used for the 1978 6-channel mix of Superman were in less-than-pristine condition, and deemed not suitable for use as a new multi-channel theatrical track, much less on a DVD. The solution to the problem was to recreate the effects track using newly recorded effects, and then remixing the film with the new effects and the original dialog and music tracks. It is the inclusion of these newly recorded sound effects that has purists foaming at the mouth.

I've heard the argument by some that recreating the effects track was more cost efficient than restoring the original tracks. I've also heard complaints that if the dialog and music stems survived, why wouldn't the effects also have been similarly preserved? Speaking with a noted DVD technician (who has worked on more than a handful of discs you probably own) I was informed that recreating an entire effects track is in no way a cheap solution to restoring an original effects track, especially when the original track is missing, not just damaged. But how could just the dialog and music tracks have survived? Well, that seems a bit more obvious. It is impossible to take a twenty-two year old film and completely rerecord the entire dialog track with every actor involved in the film. So with dialog, what you have existing is just about all that you can really use. With the music tracks, the word is that a completely new master of the score was discovered that was long thought to have been lost.

So, after all that, how does it sound? Well, some may think that I'm nuts, but this soundtrack is amazing. Actually, it's better than amazing; it's a revelation. Fidelity is awesome, with sharp, defined highs and thunderous, beefy lows. The soundfield is almost constantly active with aggressive directionality hitting you from all sides. Dialog is crisper and cleaner than I've ever heard it before. There are so many lines of dialog in the film that I had never heard before. The condition of the dialog track is generally excellent, with very little in the way of background hiss or distortion. Surrounds are really put to the test, and are heavily directional. Sounds are placed all around the back of the room including, in many instances, dialog that matches the onscreen action very well. Listening to Lex's high frequency invitation to Superman or the tutelage of young Kal-El as he journeys to earth, the voices are given space in the back of the soundfield, sounding completely convincing and appropriate. There's also some incredible imaging across the back of the room and along the sidewalls. As the cable thrashes around, just before crippling Lois' helicopter ride to the airport, the sound of the cable was clearly heard outside of the right channel, reaching solidly where there are no speakers.

So what of the new effects? Well I happen to think that the effects work done for this soundtrack is absolutely superb. I'm going back to those words I began with: tone and intent. Even with the new effects, this is still Superman: The Movie, only augmented and enhanced. The tone of the film remains intact. All involved have matched the new effects to much of the original track and, where appropriate, attempted to improve upon it. Again, the intent of the new remix was not to degrade the film but to enhance it. It's not like they took out the John Williams score and replaced it with a new one by Danny Elfman.

The Dolby Surround 2.0 mix from the original DVD release of the film is included and allows purists to compare and contrast the two soundscapes. Superman’s 5.1 mix is more fun – it’s just better, really – but it’s interesting to listen for the troublesome sequences that must have inspired the DVD authors to re-record certain effects.

The newly upgraded Dolby Digital 5.1 track on Superman II also sounds great. Unlike Superman: The Movie where the surround 2.0 and 5.1 mixes are leagues apart in content and quality, the 5.1 finesse of this mix merely enhances and improves upon the elements of Superman II’s original mix. The Richard Donner Cut of Superman II only comes with a 5.1 track.

The Dolby Surround 2.0 track for Superman III can’t compare with the improvements made to the original film. There is more activity to the mix than I was expecting with the front left and right channels receiving some good ambient directionality. Dialog is generally intelligible - the looped dialog is a stand out - but sounds unnatural at times with poor integration. Fidelity is limited (although better than on II) and the bottom end is virtually nonexistent, leaving scenes like the chemical fire wanting. Surrounds are very subtle for the most part with some occasional and intentional effects filling in the back of the room, but little else. The Superman III soundtrack winds up being merely adequate.

Superman IV’s Dolby Surround 2.0 track definitely has more life to it than the track on Superman III. Fidelity is improved and the track utilizes the surround channels much more often and effectively. There's a bit more bottom end to this installment that helps balance out the soundtrack, although deep bass is never really impressive. As has become consistent for Superman films, there's some pretty obvious looped dialog that doesn't fit in quite as well, but dialog is generally clean and free of masking or strain. It's a standard action track.

The Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track on Superman Returns’ disc is a very active, highly immersive track that fully benefits from EX decoding.  Both discrete sounds and pans come and go from the entire 360-degree sound field.  Exceptionally deep, high amplitude bass rocks the room; I heard room rattles that I thought I had fixed many months ago.  You’re going to need a very powerful subwoofer with a deep reach to fully appreciate the bottom end found on this disc.  Sound effects are convincing and fully dynamic.  John Ottman’s rousing orchestral score borrows freely from John Williams’ score for Superman: The Movie.  This helps provide a welcome continuity that makes this film seem like it belongs in a continuing Superman pantheon.  The dialog remains crystal clear throughout.  Very well done.

Supplements: What Goodies Are There?

Take a deep breath, y’all.

Disc One: The original 1978 Superman: The Movie comes with a new screen-specific audio commentary with producers Ilyan Salkind and Pierre Spengler, and it’s a dubious start to this collection. Boring, dull, and decidedly fails to engage, this one is a full-blown dud. More interesting are the two trailers and a TV spot that have also been included.

Disc Two: We begin with a screen-specific audio commentary by director Richard Donner and creative consultant Tom Mankiewicz.  Donner and Mankiewicz dish the dirt on the film (films, actually, Superman and Superman II were, of course, filmed simultaneously by Donner) and the stuff that never made it to the screen.  The rumors were that chaos ensued behind the scenes and this track would seem to bear that out.  With a story by Godfather scribe Mario Puzo, the screenplay was then written by Puzo, Robert Benton, David Newman, and Leslie Newman, all of whom received screen credit.  What is revealed in the commentary is that the screenplay was, for the most part, actually written by Mankiewicz, a friend of Donner's brought in to fix what was a much campier treatment.  But because of odd Writers Guild of America guidelines, Mankiewicz received no screen credit and was given the title of Creative Consultant instead.  His credit immediately follows the credited writers, much to the disapproval of the WGA that didn't want his credit there at all.  It's obvious listening to Mankiewicz that he truly was the force behind the screenplay as he remembers just about every line in or out of the movie.  There were also some great ideas that Mankiewicz had for the sequel that never made it to the screen after Donner was unceremoniously fired as director of Superman II, despite having shot 70% of the sequel’s footage by the time the original film was released. Even more fun, the pair speak with a loving distaste for one another that is palpable throughout.  At one point during the reinstated "Gauntlet scene," Mankiewicz, after realizing that the scene was ultimately unnecessary and cut from the original film, (jokingly?) ribs Donner, "Geez, how many days did you waste shooting all this stuff?"  Donner goes into detail about the effects that required pioneering new production techniques never before attempted.  From the intricacies of doing front projection work for the flying shots to the happy accidents such as the one that gave Superman one of its most unique and innovative costuming achievements, this is one of those tracks that you just don't want to end.  I'm really impressed with the amount of detail these guys remember so long after the film was made.

The next extra is an isolated music track with John Williams’ Oscar-nominated original score in Dolby Digital 5.0. The score sounds great, but not as good as it does during the feature, which contains more active surrounds and better imaging.  Just do a quick comparison of the opening credits and you'll see what I mean.

Disc Three: Here come the featurettes. First is Taking Flight: The Development of Superman, a thirty minute retrospective, hosted by Marc McClure (Jimmy Olsen).  It focuses on the oftentimes-arduous process of getting the film made, from signing Brando and Hackman, to secure funding, to the search for just the right actor to embody the Man Of Steel.  It was interesting to see that Bond veteran Guy Hamilton was originally set to direct, and the documentary presents a few bits of the concept art and footage that Hamilton did for the film.  It is vastly different than what it finally ended up being.

The second featurette, Making Superman: Filming the Legend, also runs about thirty minutes and covers the production of the film once shooting commenced.  There's plenty of behind-the-scenes footage, and this is where you'll find the real story behind some of the legendary difficulties in making Superman, including the infamous Salkinds seemingly torpedoing their own film. This featurette also devotes time to the editing and the musical score.  As I found with the commentary, I really hoped that this documentary would not end when it did; it is that entertaining and informative.

Both featurettes include an enormous roster of talent from the film, all providing interviews, including Donner and Mankiewicz, Christopher Reeve, Margot Kidder, Gene Hackman, composer John Williams, editor Stuart Baird, casting director Lynn Stalmaster, optical effects supervisor Roy Field, and many, many others.  There is also archival interview footage of Brando and production designer John Barry.

Then there’s The Magic Behind the Cape (24:00). With optical effects supervisor Roy Field, we are taken on a tour of the many different methods needed to make us believe that a man could fly. It's another outstanding piece, although I actually learned something here that I'm sort of disappointed to find out, but I won't spoil it for you. Such is the price you pay when these documentaries are so well done.

We also have some screen tests for Clark Kent, Lois Lane, and Ursa (the Kryptonian villainess that abused Superman in Superman II), all with introductions from casting director Lynn Stalmaster. For Clark Kent/Superman, we are treated to roughly ten minutes of Christopher Reeve's original test as he played two scripted scenes with Donner's old Omen star Holly Palance ("It's all for you, Kal-El!") It's fairly obvious that Reeve was absolutely right for the role, and legitimately this is one of the few times where an actor and the part he plays are so perfect it had to be fate. For the Lois Lane screen tests, we get another eleven minutes. This time, however, we get to see some of the women who might have been Lois Lane. Trying out for the role were Anne Archer, Lesley Ann Warren (who's absolutely horrible), Stockard Channing, and finally Margot Kidder. I was actually really impressed with Channing as Lois, although it's truly hard to imagine any one else in the role of Lane after Kidder made it her own. For Lois' screen tests, Stalmaster has recorded an optional commentary to discuss the variables in each actress’s performance and where and how they differed from what the director ultimately wanted. Ursa's screen test is the most bizarre, because not only did she have to act and be fairly menacing, she had to be able to effectively flip a stuntman in the audition to prove she could handle the physicality of the role. Ursa's screen tests only run two minutes, and are much less interesting than either of the lead character's.

Also included is an added scenes index for all the changes in this new cut of Superman. There are ten scenes or scene extensions listed, and while I'm not exactly sure why you would want to view just one scene, you can if you want. And of the mounds and mounds of additional footage that was shot for Superman, Richard Donner has chosen only two additional deleted scenes to be included on this disc. Running about three and a half minutes total, the first scene sets up the second with Luthor forcing to Otis to "feed the babies," some sort of wild animals housed in the lower reaches of an abandoned elevator shaft. The second ties in with that as Superman, after saving the country and stopping the disaster of the bombing, returns to Luthor's lair as Luthor and Otis are dropping Ms. Teschmacher down the shaft to "feed the babies." Superman flies down the shaft and reemerges with Ms. Teschmacher, nabbing Luthor and Otis in the process. Both of the scenes look fairly finished, and are even presented in anamorphic widescreen.

More great inclusions are eight additional music cues cut from John Williams' score presented in Dolby Digital 5.0. The additional cues are for the "Main Titles," "Alternate Main Titles," "The Council's Decision," "The Krypton Quake," "More Mugger/Introducing Otis," "Air Force One," "Chasing Rockets," and a funky pop version of "Can You Read My Mind.”

Disc Four: This is a disc for die-hard Superman freaks only. First up is a vintage featurette, The Making of Superman (52:00), that is basically a really, really long EPK-grade behind-the-scenes peek at the film. Then we get a bonus film, Superman and the Mole Men; it was made in 1951 and stars television series The Adventures of Superman’s George Reeves, whose tragic life was recently captured in Hollywoodland. Let’s just say this; this movie makes the acting and special effects in Superman: The Movie look like The Lord of the Rings. There are also nine Superman cartoons from the 1940s: Superman, The Mechanical Monsters, Billion Dollard Limited, The Arctic Giant, The Bulleteers, The Magnetic Telescope, Electric Earthquake, Volcano, and Terror on the Midway. Quality is good, even if the material can really only be appreciated by diehard Superman fans.

Disc Five: Richard Donner waits for his cut of Superman II to provide commentary; this screen-specific audio commentary is provided again by producers Ilyan Salkind and Pierre Spengler, and again, it’s a waste. With a movie like Superman II, you know there was great, Shakespearean drama happening behind the scenes, and to hear these two sugarcoat everything is a real drag.

More interesting is the ridiculously silly deleted scene (involving Superman and a very mean soufflé) and the film’s kick-ass trailer.

Disc Six: Donner provides a short introduction to his cut of Superman II, but the real gem is his and Tom Mannkiewicz’s screen-specific audio commentary. Where Salkind and Spengler spout niceties during their commentary for the theatrical version of Superman II, there is no shortness of honest badmouthing when it comes to Donner’s description of his producers (and especially replacement director Richard Lester). This track is even more interesting and gleefully intriguing than Donner’s cut of the film.

Also on this disc is a featurette documenting the Richard Donner Cut’s development (13:00), as well as a handful of throwaway deleted scenes.

Disc Seven: We find two lackluster featurettes and an interesting peek at some early Superman cartoons. The Making of Superman II (52:00) and Superman’s 50th Anniversary (48:00) are EPK-grade vintage TV specials (the Anniversary special aired in 1988). After all the information included on other discs in this set regarding Superman II, they’re not much of anything. Then we get First Flight: The Fleischer Superman Series (13:00), a featurette looking at the famous Fleischer cartoons involving the Man of Steel, as well as eight Fleischer cartoons: Japoteurs, Showdown, Eleventh Hour, Destruction, Inc., The Mummy Strikes, Jungle Drums, The Underground World, and Secret Agent.

Disc Eight: Superman III’s bonuses are a straight-out bust. The screen-specific audio commentary by producers Ilyan Salkind and Pierre Spengler is their third (and probably most grating) track of this collection, and it isn’t worth a damn. Isn’t there anyone else Warner Bros. could have found to offer thoughts here? Even a comic-book nerd expert’s perspective would be preferable to these guys.

The featurette – The Making of Superman III (50:00) – is another vintage snore-fest (although at least in Superman III’s case, there’s not a whole lot of repetition), and the twenty minutes of deleted scenes won’t impress anyone save those diehards who picked up this set just for Richard Pryor’s appearance. Also included is the film’s trailer.

Disc Nine: Thank God – a respite from Salkind and Spengler! Screenwriter Mark Rosenthal’s screen-specific audio commentary is one of the funniest things I’ve heard in a long time. It’s a little disheartening to hear him rip into the film the way he does; he clearly doesn’t care much for The Quest for Peace. But it’s a raucous commentary, one that is far more entertaining than the actual film.

Also included is a ton of odiously boring deleted scenes as well as the film’s trailer.

Disc Ten: No bonuses on this disc, but that’s made up for with the next.

Disc Eleven:  We begin with a dynamite documentary that is essentially one long production diary; it’s called Requiem for Krypton: Making Superman Returns.  Its aggregate length is an impressive 2:53:31.  This is a remarkably comprehensive behind the scenes record as cameras follow the director and his principal players during the course of the shoot.  You will not find discussions of the CGI or postproduction or the scoring sessions.  This almost exclusively highlights first and second unit work.  It does begin, however, with Singer and his writers conceptualizing, and there are sections dedicated to casting, but it’s the shoot that dominates.  There is entirely too much to describe, so I’ll mention only a few of the sequences that I found most interesting.  I was very impressed with the sophistication and magnitude of the wire rigs used on this shoot.  Singer is seen trying the outdoor rig used to portray young Clark’s exploring his ability to fly.  There is extensive footage of on set green screen work.  I enjoyed the Kevin Spacey segment both for his comments and his dry sense of humor.  At very nearly three hours in length, there is much to be learned, and despite the intensity of making this huge film, it was fun to learn about many of the lighter moments.  Note that the last five or so minutes are dedicated to outtakes and bloopers.  The documentary producers even managed to find film of Marlon Brando muffing his lines as Jor-El.  This is one of the best making-of documentaries I’ve seen.

And speaking of Marlon Brando, next we have a little featurette called Resurrecting Jor-El (4:00).  This fascinating demonstration is presented sans narration.  Special Effects house Rhythm & Hues takes us through a progression of computer manipulations that begin with the two-dimensional images of Marlon Brando reciting some of his lines for Superman The Movie.  They build a three-dimensional model, map his face, substitute a completely artificial mouth, map textures to the area, and create mouth movements that correspond to edited dialog.  Impressive.  We then see the final result in the context of the film.

There are eleven deleted scenes that have an aggregate runtime of 14:45.  There isn’t one bad scene among them.  One reveals Lois’s article too soon, and was likely cut for that reason.  Quite a few scenes take place on the Kent farm, including a tribute to Glen Ford, who played Clark’s adaptive father in the ‘78 production; he’s seen in photographs as Clark reminisces about his life on Earth.  I suspect that Singer wanted to cut to the chase and move the action to Metropolis faster.  The rest fill in plot points that the viewer must infer or ignore, with one exception.  The last deleted scene reveals the fate of a growing mass I shall not describe; but it does suggest a possible plot device for a sequel.

Which leaves a collection of trailers that include both the teaser (1:28) and the theatrical (1:52) trailers for this film, and a promo for the EA Superman Returns video game (1:11).

Disc Twelve: This disc offers a documentary entitled Look! Up in the Sky, and while its comprehensive view of the Superman mythos is interesting in theory, the thing ends up being little more than a ego-stroking teaser for Superman Returns. Part of this negative response comes from this viewer’s increasingly impatient tolerance for redundant Superman-related information (a bunch of the factoids included were featured in earlier featurettes and commentaries), but even so, while some of the historical background in this doc is fascinating, it’s a little too self-aggrandizing for my tastes.

Disc Thirteen: Now this is a documentary worth applauding. You Will Believe: The Cinematic Saga of Superman is almost reason enough to pick up this collection. Looking more at the Christopher Reeve era Superman films than the Man of Steel myth in its entirety, this doc gets into the nitty-gritty of the drama surrounding Superman II and even attempts to address why the last two entries in the Reeve Superman saga were such turkeys. Marvelous, imperative viewing.

Also on this disc are some so-so featurettes. The Mythology of Superman (20:00) is a look at the cultural implications of Superman’s story; and, Heart of a Hero: A Tribute to Christopher Reeve (18:00) is a tender and heartfelt peek at the actor’s superhero legacy. You’ll also find a hideously unwatchable pilot for The Adventures of Superpup, an awful looking kids’ show that (not surprisingly) never went anywhere.  Next are three Warner Bros. cartoons featuring spoofs of Superman: Super Rabbit (starring Bugs), Snafuperman (featuring Private Snafu), and Stupor Duck (with the one and only Daffy). We also get a trailer for Superman: The Theatrical Serial Collection (I can’t believe that serial wasn’t included in the disc set).

Disc Fourteen: The relatively short featurette entitled Bryan Singer’s Video Journals isn’t much of anything. In the style of Peter Jackson’s Production Diaries from his time on the set of King Kong, these are interesting for about five minutes, but then get dull really fast.

Exclusive DVD-ROM Features: What happens when you pop the disc into your PC?

None are included on this disc.

Final Thoughts

This one’s a monstrous collection, one that will no doubt sate the thirsts of Superman aficionados. Quality-wise, not everything is stellar (this could have been a ten-disc set pretty easily), but video and audio qualities are quite good. There was a snafu with the wrong Superman III disc and the missing track on the original Superman, but Warner Home Video made it right.  This is one big collection that’s hard to ignore.

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Warner Home Video / 1978-2006 / 906 Minutes / PG-13