Superman: The Movie

Play trailer

2:16

Superman: The Movie

PG

1978

2h 23m

Adventure

Sci-Fi

Action

Fantasy

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

87%

Tomatometer

123 Reviews

86%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

Just before the destruction of the planet Krypton, scientist Jor-El (Marlon Brando) sends his infant son Kal-El on a spaceship to Earth. Raised by kindly farmers Jonathan (Glenn Ford) and Martha Kent (Phyllis Thaxter), young Clark (Christopher Reeve) discovers the source of his superhuman powers and moves to Metropolis to fight evil. As Superman, he battles the villainous Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman), while, as novice reporter Clark Kent, he attempts to woo co-worker Lois Lane (Margot Kidder).

Watch on Fandango at Home

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

Superman: The Movie deftly blends humor and gravitas, taking advantage of the perfectly cast Christopher Reeve to craft a loving, nostalgic tribute to an American pop culture icon.

Read Critics Reviews

Zaki Hasan

San Francisco Chronicle

Jul 16

Reshaping a comic book adaptation into a modern myth told with wonder, sincerity and soul, “Superman: The Movie” didn’t just make you believe a man could fly, it made you want to.

Go to Full Review

Gene Siskel

Chicago Tribune

Jul 8

3/4

The film is a delightful mess. Good performances. Sloppy editing. Cheap nonflying special effects. Funny dialog. In sum, Superman is the kind of picture critics tear apart, but still say, "You ought to see it."

Go to Full Review

Susan Stark

Detroit Free Press

Jul 8

What was fun in the comic books, what is still fun in the comic books 40 years later, is also fun in the movie. The fun is scaled up, to be sure. The fun is spectacular. But it is never snide, never mocking.

Go to Full Review

Richard Freedman

Newark Star-Ledger

Jan 12

"Superman" is a superbore.

Go to Full Review

Alan Jones

Radio Times

Sep 19

5/5

This big-budget, epic-scale version of the Man of Steel legend is irresistible, fabulous entertainment.

Go to Full Review

Yasser Medina

Cinefilia

Jul 13

7/10

It is, to me, a superhero film that, at a breakneck pace, still maintains a sense of wonder with Christopher Reeves' legendary performance as the man who flies high as an plane to defend truth, justice, and the American way. [Full review in Spanish]

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

kyle

Jan 7

Love the old Superman movies

See more

Patrick

Jan 5

The best Superman film!

See more

Mr. Hollywood

04/26/2023

The classic superhero movie still holds up. Some scenes are campy for sure but the whole film is enjoyable and is better than most current superhero movies out there. RIP Richard Donor, Christopher Reeves, Margot Kidder, Marlon Brando etc

See more

Adam P

04/20/2023

Greatest superhero movie ever made

See more

Eduardo

04/19/2023

I really enjoyed watching this movie on the big screen for the 1st time.

See more

Doug S

04/19/2023

Still the bar for superhero movies to strive for. Idealistic. Wholesome. Joy filled. John Williams! Yes dated in many ways but holds up. Wonderful to see on a big screen again. My daughter looked at me during the opening credits & said do you feel like youre 8 again? Yes I did.

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Richard Donner

Director

Christopher Reeve

Clark Kent

Gene Hackman

Lex Luthor

Marlon Brando

Jor-El

Margot Kidder

Lois Lane

Ned Beatty

Otis

Superman II

88%

76%

Superman II

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Superman II

Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope

94%

96%

Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope

Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back

93%

97%

Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back

Superman III

31%

23%

Superman III

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Superman III

Superman IV: The Quest for Peace

16%

16%

Superman IV: The Quest for Peace

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Superman IV: The Quest for Peace

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Five Ways Superman: The Movie Defined The Superhero Genre

Character Face-Off: The Best Version of 15 Mega Popular Movie and TV Characters

The 20 Best Superhero Movie Villains

Superman: Trailer 1

2:16

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

Just before the destruction of the planet Krypton, scientist Jor-El (Marlon Brando) sends his infant son Kal-El on a spaceship to Earth. Raised by kindly farmers Jonathan (Glenn Ford) and Martha Kent (Phyllis Thaxter), young Clark (Christopher Reeve) discovers the source of his superhuman powers and moves to Metropolis to fight evil. As Superman, he battles the villainous Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman), while, as novice reporter Clark Kent, he attempts to woo co-worker Lois Lane (Margot Kidder).

Director: Richard Donner
Producer: Pierre Spengler, Richard Lester, Alexander Salkind
Screenwriter: Jerry Siegel, Mario Puzo, David Newman, Robert Benton, Tom Mankiewicz, Leslie Newman
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co: Dovemead Films, Film Export A.G., International Film Production
Rating: PG
Genre: Adventure, Sci-Fi, Action, Fantasy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 15, 1978, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 1, 2008
Runtime: 2h 23m
Sound Mix: Surround

Most Popular at Home Now