SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE is in my personal top 5 comic book/superhero films of all time. It and BATMAN (1989) are, without a doubt, the 2 most influential comic book/superhero movies in the history of the genre.
Yes, the greatness of SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE is due to the late Christopher Reeve’s portrayal of The Man of Steel. But, it’s also due to the man who cast CR and directed the movie: Richard Donner.
That film made a HUGE impact on me as a kid and made me want my beloved fave, Batman, to get the same cinematic treatment.
Without SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE, there’s no BATMAN ’89, and arguably, the comic book movie genre as we know it today. (Hell, by default, there would be no BOF.)
My 13-year-old self thanks Mr. Donner (and Mr. Reeve, of course) for bringing my second favorite comic book superhero to life on the big screen.
So does my 55-year-old self.
Yes, I do believe a man can fly. – Bill “Jett” Ramey
(Thanks to BOF’s Eric Holzmann for the heads up.)