Director Richard Donner's Superman is a classic. The first of all the Superman films, it is far and away the best and I doubt that they will ever be able to reach this quality again. Mario Puzo came up with the story and co-wrote the screenplay, and anyone who's seen The Godfather knows just how skilled Mr. Puzo is at storytelling.

The film starts on the planet Krypton. Jor-El (Marlon Brando) is giving a speech to the council, trying to convince them that the planet is going to explode within thirty days and they are doomed unless they evacuate immediately. Unfortunately, the council disagrees with him and insists he not cause widespread panic by either evacuating or leaving the planet on his own accord. Jor-El promises the council that neither he nor his wife will leave Krypton; however, he mentions nothing of his infant son. Jor-El and his wife load young Kal-El into a spaceship and send him off to Earth, just as Krypton starts to explode.

It takes three years for the ship to reach Earth, and when it arrives it crashes into a field somewhere in Middle America — a town called Smallville. Driving on the road through the field are Jonathan and Martha Kent. The meteor startles them and they swerve, causing a flat tire. They stop to fix the tire, and notice the ship. Emerging from the wreckage is a little boy — thus is born Clark Kent.

Growing up is tough for Clark, having to hide his special abilities from his peers, and upon his eighteenth birthday he takes a glowing crystal from the ship in which he arrived and heads on a quest to find himself and his meaning. This quest ends in what appears to be the North Pole, in what is now to become his Fortress of Solitude. It is here that over the next twelve years Clark Kent learns from Jor-El all the secrets to himself and the universe, and where he transforms into Superman.

When he returns to the regular world he assumes his secret identity, that of Clark Kent, the meek, mild-mannered reporter at the Daily Planet. This of course is only to hide his true self from his enemies, as he takes on evil genius Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman) and saves his true love, Lois Lane (Margot Kidder).