One of the things that make Superman great is the special effects. Before the days of CGI directors actually had to try and make things look real, and in my opinion all this CGI is really hurting the films of today. Another great quality is the script. Although it starts out poorly with a few too many clichés from Marlon Brando, it really gains strength upon Kal-El's arrival on Earth, as it becomes less pretentious and the perfect amount of humor is thrown in.

Christopher Reeve plays the part to a tee; he even looks like Superman did in the comic books. Although Superman was not Christopher Reeve's big screen debut (that honor going to Gray Lady Down), it is most certainly the role for which he is best remembered. He was a fine man and will surely be missed. Glenn Ford is fantastic in his small yet important role as Jonathan Kent; he was a great actor in the '40s and '50s and shows here that despite his age he didn't lose a step. As always, Gene Hackman is great as the diabolical Lex Luthor, and Ned Beatty gives one of the all time great comedic performances as Otis, Luthor's idiotic henchman.

Superman is definitely worth seeing for anyone who hasn't yet done so, and definitely worth showing your kids. They will love it; I did when I was a child. I don't hold it in as high regard as Tim Burton's Batman, but they can't really be compared, as Batman is a much darker film. For an action/adventure movie it is a bit long at two and a half hours, but the time just flies by. I've seen 90-minute long films that took a lot longer than this.

Grade: B+