In 1978 my little world was already engulfed by the phenomenon known as “Star Wars.” I lived, slept, ate and breathed it. I pestered my parents for every figure, ship and playset they had (and they obliged). Time inched by at a crawl as I awaited birthdays and Christmas for those inevitable gift-related payoffs but the worst was the three-year wait in between films. However for a brief moment circa December 1978 “Star Wars” got trumped by the Man of Steel.
Although I’m a huge comics fan Superman never really did it for me. At the time I was a dyed in the wool “Marvel zombie,” and didn’t have much use for the DC canon of heroes. I wouldn’t really get into them until I was a teenager, thanks to the intervention of a friend who loved DC as much as I loved Marvel. Superman had long since lost his relevance and if anything I was more inclined towards Batman, if it had to be DC. Of course I followed the Man of Steel's adventures on Saturday morning ‘toons and repeats of his 60s cartoon.
My father loved “The Adventures of Superman” as a kid and the show was still being syndicated when I was young so I watched it. I enjoyed it but still preferred Batman. Then in 1978 posters started showing up stating with conviction that, “You will believe a man can fly.” I still had “Star Wars” on the brain so I don’t remember much else about the build-up to “Superman: The Movie,” but I remember the first time I viewed it in a theater.
The opening strains of John Williams theme were as perfect a piece a music as I had ever heard, entirely appropriate for the subject matter, majestic in tone, sweeping you headlong into the story of the last survivor of an alien world sent to Earth not only to save his life but to save us from ourselves. The music still gives me goose bumps and instantly transports me back in time.
Christopher Reeve was pitch perfect as Superman and Clark Kent. He lost himself in both roles and captured the qualities of both sides of Kal-El brilliantly. What impressed me so much about Reeve was how seriously he took it. He often said he was the custodian of the role, not the embodiment. He was “my” Superman, the way George Reeves was my father’s, the way Brandon Routh will be for today’s kids. His desire was to do the character justice before passing the mantle.
The film, moreso than the comics of the day, gave me a reason to love Superman. It didn’t hurt that this was the first truly amazing live-action version of a superhero ever committed to film, and would be a decade before another decent version came around. Superman was now real to me and I could see why he had such longevity as a character. He is truly the “light to show us the way.”
Superheroes are an embodiment of what is best in all of us and no one epitomizes that more than Superman. I’ve always related more to Spider-Man because of his humanity and his foibles, but Superman is the well from which every other hero sprung. It’s always been a challenge to comics creators to succeed with Superman because he’s so powerful. The best ones have emphasized his humanity. Still Superman has always been kind of “vanilla” for me in the comics.
The first two “Superman” films are much more effective at communicating why he is so important as a character. In the later films, as bad as they were, Reeve always played the role with as much conviction as his first effort and remain watchable only for that reason. Now after many misfires Superman is returning to the big screen.
In the interim between Reeve’s “Superman” films the character has never been away from the screen. The Salkinds, who initiated the film series, produced a “Superboy” show which ran for four seasons in syndication. Despite its low budget the series was effective and wisely courted some of the comics’ better writers for its teleplays.
“Lois and Clark,” was also decent but focused too much on the romance between the titular characters for my taste, relegating Superman to an almost ancillary character. Dean Cain was also effective in the role but the line between his Superman and Clark Kent was often pretty blurry.
“Smallville” is a fun interpretation of the Superboy-era and Tom Welling is entirely believable and focused as Clark. The series really shines when it unravels aspects of the Superman mythos. Even though we know where it all inevitably leads it’s great to see Clark slowly uncovering his powers and his heritage. The show stumbles (in my opinion) when it focuses too much on the teen angst that is the WB Network’s bread and butter. Props also to Michael Rosenbaum, who may just be the best Lex Luthor ever.
What I also love about “Smallville” is its awareness of the importance of the original film and its numerous homages to it. I suppose it received the ultimate stamp of approval when Reeve guest starred on its most pivotal episode to date, when Clark discovered his Kryptonian heritage. There was no doubt that the underlying subtext of the episode was that here was Reeve the man passing the torch to the next generation.
Sadly he would not live to see the purest successor to his version of Superman. Next June, nearly 30 years after the first film and nearly 20 since Reeve’s last performance, “Superman Returns” will be released. The development process for his return has been long and tumultuous. Bryan Singer, fresh off the successes of the first two “X-Men” films Singer, a child of my generation, leapt at the chance to direct this film.
Much like a suitor who needs a father’s permission to marry his daughter Singer asked for Richard Donner’s blessing and discussed his intention not to reinvent the franchise but to build upon what Donner created with the first two films and craft a “vague sequel,” that incorporates the best parts of those films.
The recent teaser is proof that Singer has delivered on that promise. This is not a “reimagining” as the new Batman film was (and so desperately needed). This continues the story instead of treading on a brilliantly-told origin. The power of the first film – the escape from Krypton, the death of Johnathan Kent, Superman’s “first night” and rescue of Lois Lane, can never be surpassed. Singer need not reinvent the wheel and it’s obvious he has no intention of doing that and is taking the films in (at least in my opinion) a bold direction.
Maybe this sounds melodramatic but I got chills watching the new teaser, hearing Marlon Brando’s narration from the original and, of course, the Williams music. Based on those 90 seconds I am ready to say Singer got it right. June 30 can’t come fast enough.
You will believe a man can fly.
www.supermanreturns.com
