4 Film Favorites: Superman (DVD)

If you're a Superman fan, this collection is a solid pick, bringing together all four Christopher Reeve films in one set. Here’s a quick rundown of what you get: 1. Superman: The Movie (Special Edition) – The one that started it all! Clark Kent embraces his destiny, battles Lex Luthor 2. Superman II (Special Edition) – General Zod and his Kryptonian crew arrive to take over Earth, while Superman wrestles with his dual identity 3. Superman III (Deluxe Edition) – Things get campy as Richard Pryor joins the mix, and Superman faces a dark version of himself 4. Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (Deluxe Edition) – Superman takes on Nuclear Man in a well-intentioned but very flawed finale Having all four movies in one place is super convenient, and the special editions offer some nice extras. The downside? The quality of the movies varies—while the first two are classics, the last two are more for die-hard fans. Still, if you love Christopher Reeve as the Man of Steel, this set is a great way to own his full Superman legacy.

Before I get into the films, I must say that I'm really not a big Superman fan. Not of the comics, other live action versions, cartoons, toys, videos games, and etc. I've never gotten into them and probably never will. All I know is enough of his origins, his background, and characteristics to say that he's an okay superhero. I DO however think that Christopher Reeve was an excellent actor and in my opinion, he IS Superman! He's what made Superman cool in my opinion. If it wasn't for Christopher Reeve playing the hero, I wouldn't even like Superman. I only like these 4 films and Superman because of Christopher Reeve. When I watch these films, I don't think of any version of Superman, except the one I see on the screen. All I think about is the fact that here's a great actor making a hero I normally wouldn't think is awesome, into an awesome and a very likable hero. Christopher Reeve plays the part perfectly. He was dedicated to the role, he has the perfect skills to play the perfect Clark Kent and Superman and the difference between them, he has the perfect look, and attitude in general. The plots of the movies and his performance mix together flawlessly. So I only like this version of Superman, no more, no less. So now that that's done, into the dvd set. This is a 2 disc set. Disc 1 is two sided with the first two films with some extra features and disc 2 is another two sided dvd disc with movies 3 and 4 and again with some extra stuff. The special effects were fantastic for their time and still hold up great even for todays standards, the music is great, the action is awesome, and the actors make it happen. It's almost like a separate Superman franchise in itself. If you like Christopher Reeve and Superman, just Superman, or if you're like me and you're not a Superman fan, but like Christopher Reeve, I very much recommend these 4 films. Even with the negative reviews about movies 3 and 4, I still say that in my opinion, compared to EVERYTHING else that is Superman related that Christopher Reeve is not involved in, movies 3 and 4 are superb. Thanks for reading.

I enjoyed all the four movies. I love the actions in the movies. I changed my mind about three and four because the first time I watched it was pretty good but when I watched them for the second time or more they got better and better so that is why I changed my mind. I will keep watching all four movies and keep them for a long time. I love Christopher Reeve as superman and he is fun to watch him fly and be a superhero. I love all four movies.

good movie

"Four Film Favorites: Superman" is best for completists who want to own all of Christopher Reeve's appearances as the Man of Steel in one convenient, low-priced package. Others will be better off owning just "Superman: The Movie" and "Superman II" and ignoring both subsequent films. Indeed, this collection might be called "Superman: The Diminishing Returns Collection." It starts, of course, with "Superman: The Movie," which vaulted Christopher Reeve from obscurity to stardom, made us believe a man could fly, and established the superhero film genre as we know it today. The film blends action, light comedy, and cliches from both romantic comedies and newspaper movies. "Superman II" wasn't so much a sequel to "Superman: The Movie" as a continuation of it. It continues the stories of Lois Lane's relationships with both Superman and his civilian identity of Clark Kent; of archvillain Lex Luthor; and of the three Kryptonian criminals Superman's birth father, Jor-El, exiled to the Phantom Zone, from which they escape to challenge the Action Ace. In addition, it also continues the light comedy approach to Superman and the excellent special effects that made the first film memorable. Then, the downhill skid begins with "Superman III," which drops the actors, characters and plot threads of the first two films for new villains Robert Vaughn, as a typical mad billionaire who wants to control the world's crops, and Richard Pryor as a befuddled computer programmer who tries to aid him. After Luthor's scheme to sink California and the Kryptonian criminals' attempt to take over Earth by brute force, it's tough to care about Vaughn, Pryor or their plan. And Annette O'Toole fared much better as Martha Kent in the later "Smallville" TV series than she does here as Superman's boyhood sweetheart, Lana Lang. Last and certainly least, the wheels fall completely off the wagon with "Superman IV: The Quest for Peace," which is distinguished by bargain-basement special effects of the type usually seen in the hapless no-budget films that get riffed on "Mystery Science Theater 3000." And it's not just the special effects that suffered from the nickel-nursing approach of Cannon Films, which had purchased the Superman rights from Alexander and Ilya Salkind. A scene that was supposed to feature the Man of Steel walking down New York's 42nd Street to deliver a speech at the United Nations instead became a stroll through an industrial park in England (!!!), with trained pigeons added for atmosphere (!!!). It's certainly well-intentioned, based as it is on Reeve's idea that Superman should be involved in nuclear disarmament, but good intentions are merely pavement on this particular path to cinematic hell. Since the first two Reeve Superman films more than compensate for the weaknesses of the final two, I give this release four stars, with the provision that it's best for those who want all four films.