The Complete Superman Collection

Studio: Warner Home Video
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com
With great aplomb--and the tag line "You'll Believe a Man Can Fly"--DC Comics' Superman met with movie magic in 1978. The film featured Oscar-winning flying effects, John Williams's soaring music, and an innovative title sequence, and audiences ate it up, along with its thrilling sequel. Director Richard Donner's casting of the then-unknown Christopher Reeve couldn't have been better--the towering Reeve fit the suit and cape masterfully, but his real weapon was making the bumbling Clark Kent into an endearing leading man instead of the dry counterpoint to the Man of Steel that Kent had been in earlier film versions. Although most critics lean toward Richard Lester's Superman II (1980) as the series high point, which offered an endearing love story between the Man of Steel and Lois Lane (Margot Kidder), Donner's first film also deserves just praise in setting the old-fashioned cornball tone for the series and providing Superman's backstory from planet Krypton (featuring a high-priced Marlon Brando as Superman's father). The last two sequels lose much of the magic: 1983's Superman III seems to have been produced only to showcase red-hot comic Richard Pryor as a computer hack turned supervillain, and Reeve himself came up with the story line for 1987's Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, a silly attempt to impart a meaningful message of nuclear disarmament. Throughout the films, the supporting cast is first-rate, with old pros like Valerie Perrine, Jackie Cooper, and Ned Beatty having a grand old time. Even better are the villains, especially Terence Stamp as General Zod and Gene Hackman in his lightest, funniest work ever as Lex Luthor. --Doug Thomas

The Complete Superman Collection
Average customer rating:

Disappointed

Wait until November

Do not buy this set!

A Great Superhero & A Great Movie

The COMPLETE Alexander Salkind Production's SUPERMAN Movies

The Complete Superman Collection

Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video
General | Superheroes | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video
All | Superman | Superheroes | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video
General | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video
Superman | Characters & Series | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video
7-9 Years | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video
10-12 Years | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video
Family Films | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video
Hackman, Gene | ( H ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Kidder, Margot | ( K ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Reeve, Christopher | ( R ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Action & Adventure | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video
Action & Adventure | Warner Home Video | Studio Specials | Stores | DVD | Video
All Titles | Warner Home Video | Studio Specials | Stores | DVD | Video
Action & Adventure | DVDs Under $20 | Warner Home Video | Studio Specials | Stores | DVD | Video
( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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Superman Returns (Two-Disc Special Edition)

ASIN: B000059Z8L
Release Date: 2001-05-01

Amazon.com

With great aplomb--and the tag line "You'll Believe a Man Can Fly"--DC Comics' Superman met with movie magic in 1978. The film featured Oscar-winning flying effects, John Williams's soaring music, and an innovative title sequence, and audiences ate it up, along with its thrilling sequel. Director Richard Donner's casting of the then-unknown Christopher Reeve couldn't have been better--the towering Reeve fit the suit and cape masterfully, but his real weapon was making the bumbling Clark Kent into an endearing leading man instead of the dry counterpoint to the Man of Steel that Kent had been in earlier film versions. Although most critics lean toward Richard Lester's Superman II (1980) as the series high point, which offered an endearing love story between the Man of Steel and Lois Lane (Margot Kidder), Donner's first film also deserves just praise in setting the old-fashioned cornball tone for the series and providing Superman's backstory from planet Krypton (featuring a high-priced Marlon Brando as Superman's father). The last two sequels lose much of the magic: 1983's Superman III seems to have been produced only to showcase red-hot comic Richard Pryor as a computer hack turned supervillain, and Reeve himself came up with the story line for 1987's Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, a silly attempt to impart a meaningful message of nuclear disarmament. Throughout the films, the supporting cast is first-rate, with old pros like Valerie Perrine, Jackie Cooper, and Ned Beatty having a grand old time. Even better are the villains, especially Terence Stamp as General Zod and Gene Hackman in his lightest, funniest work ever as Lex Luthor. --Doug Thomas

Customer Reviews:

Disappointed.......2007-03-15

This set was supposed to have the Christopher Reeve "Superman 1-4" movies, but #3 was missing and instead, there were 2 #2s. It was especially bad because the movies were a gift from "Santa" for my 6-year old son. Further, the seller could not send me a #3 replacement, but offered to refund me $9. However, i still have to go buy #3 on my own.

Wait until November.......2006-08-02

On November 28 two better versions of this collection will be released. The first is entitled "The Christopher Reeve Superman Collection". This release is listed on Amazon.

This version will have 8 disks including a 4 disk special release of Superman I with both the 1978 release and 2000 expanded edition (don't know how that relates to the longer TV version only shown twice). There will be a two disk version of Richard Lester's Superman II which will only contain one version, not the longer TV version (a darker film), which has not been rebroadcast. There will also be one disk versions of III and IV with some new special features. In the case of IV it is not clear whether it will be the version released in the US or the 20 minute longer version released in the rest of the world.

I and II will also have remastered productions of the Fleischer Studios Superman cartoons, long overdue since the special edition VHS versions of those cartoons (no longer available) were of superior quality to the DVD releases.

The four Superman movies as described above supposedly will also be released individually.

Most importantly, the long hoped-for Richard Donner's version of Superman II (a noticeably different movie from Superman II heretofore available) has been completed and will also be released seperately at the same time. This is not just a modified cut, but actually a noticeably different movie as Richard Donner had a different view of the basic story. For one thing, Marlon Brando as Jor-El has a major role in Richard Donner's version, while he was totally writtten out of Lester's intrepretation. Marlon Brando's appearance in Superman Returns was made up of alternate takes of what he did in Superman I. What is in Donner's Superman II has not been seen publicly before. Donner's Superman II is not planned to be part of the collection above. Superman Returns will also be a separate release in one and two disc versions, although this is not yet shown on Amazon

On November 28 the Ultimate Superman collection will also be released. it will include all of the above along with the Richard Donner cut of Superman II, the 2 disc version of Superman Returns and a host of special features. Not yet sure if Supergirl will be in the package, although a new release of that (not yet listed on Amazon) comes out the same day). Still some speculation if 13 or 14 discs.

There is reportedly another package, also called the Ultimate Superman Collection, that will come out the same day, consisting of 19 discs. Not sure what's on the extra discs relative to the US release. That version will be released abroad, not in the US, at least not now. Maybe later, after they've sold as many US versions as they can and want to see if they can sell the collection agian with these extra discs.

Do not buy this set!.......2006-07-23

Wait till November this year because the Superman 14-Disc Collection is coming out. It will have extra scenes on Superman IV. All the Supes films will be on it like Superman, Superman 2, Superman 3, Superman 4, Supergirl, and Superman Returns. Nothing really exciting about this set. It was exciting the first day it came out but not much anymore. There's only extra features on Superman 1 but the rest of the series just has the trailers. You will get more extra features on the 14-Disc but do not buy this set.

A Great Superhero & A Great Movie.......2006-06-23

Richard Donner's 1978 Superman movies, Superman: The Movie and Superman II are clearly the best 2 superhero movies ever made, but its a real shame that only the first movie was made into a special edition while the others didn't get the same star treatment when transferred to DVD format.

Superman: The Movie got a great DVD release which includes a total re-mastered movie with superb picture quality and presented in true widescreen format, including 8 new added scenes, 5.1 super surround sound, two 30-minute documentaries with cast interviews, rare Christopher Reeve 1977 test shots, and deleted scenes which is all a hell of a DVD.

In this DVD set Superman II, Superman III and Superman IV: The Quest For Peace have only been transferred straight to DVD format from the original source, so even though the picture quality is still brilliant and their presented in widescreen also, these movies are only in 2.0 audio stereo sound and come with their original trailers, that's it for the movies and extra features, nothing when compared to what Superman: The Movie is packed out with.

I have heard a few rumours that Warner Bros have special editions planned for the other 3 movies later this year. This could well be true because as we all know (well Superman fans anyway) the new Superman Returns movie will open this year for 2006's summer blockbuster, which means a DVD release 3 months after cinema release so they may plan to release the original Superman movies on special edition DVD around the same time to coincide with the new movie, just like they released all 4 Batman movies on special edition along side the Batman Begins cinema release last year, lets just hope.

The COMPLETE Alexander Salkind Production's SUPERMAN Movies.......2006-06-07

Following in the footsteps of the great italian movie maker predecessor Cecile B. DeMille (and Dino DeLaurentiis as well) who are known for opting on big budgeted colossal motion picture productions- Alexander Salkind came up with these SUPERMAN Movies that held an influential landmark amongst high-explosive infested movies of the current era, cashing on greatly humongous situational storylines, mainly with the first 1978 blockbuster fresh from the frenzy of the fever that moviegoers encountered with George Lucas' STAR WARS, featuring a musical score as well by John Williams, who'd just about equaled the great cinema score he had from the said flick, that gave a great effect for heightening the tension energy for the movie with its lengthy opening sequence which became a trademark for these SUPERMAN films, with its even more leghthier closing credits. Upon the dawning of the first SUPERMAN flick (which pioneered the film tagline 'The Movie' (crutchead's rate: 10 out of 10 notches ~ superb)), I must admit that I have been a kid hooked with the movies that are produced by the ALEXANDER AND ILYA SALKIND Productions, so much like those for the DeLaurentiis movie prod. SUPERMAN The Movie which opened up preparatory for what would come about on its sequel- went well with carrying the theological angle of the SUPERMAN mythos, wherein Supes being the son of Jor-El of the dying planet Krypton, sent his only son into planet Earth to save him, and thus in a scenario of a Christ-like paradigm - became the Saviour of the planet (and don't you know that their surname `El' is actually the equivalent Hebrew for the word meaning God?), which are all carried out in a brilliant execution courtesy of the script written by GODFATHER Writer himself - Mario Puzo, along a screenplay by director Richard Donner, who did a fitting job for directing the flick and most of its sequel, `til merits of artistic differences had him sacked stating the distaste for having Supes as a "James Bond superhero for kids" as according to Donner, left and was succeeded by Richard Lester, who also directed the second sequel (my rating: 8 out of Ten), that although maligned by movie critics like its predecessor - still spawned some of the greatest battle scenes on film, and a number of classic moments that are memorable such as its different opening sequence, despite that it had quite a great deal of some tomfoolery with its script making the movie into a comedy format along with the presence of comedian Richard Pryor, who stars as a bumbling computer wiz, mainly that given with the plotline of involving computers when they're still on their early phase, the script made it all ridiculously dated. It did feature some prolifically diverse acting from the late-Superman himself, Mr. Christopher Reeve by the way.
The first sequel however (my rate: 8 out of Ten notches), although it seemed to have ambitiously stretched far beyond than what is allowable (such as coming up with Supes new weapon - the SUPER-Web ~?) in its script, still it pulled through, despite that it might've made many fans uncomfortable with the plotline that Lois found out about Supes true identity and that Supes would have to choose `normality' over his super-powers to pursue a career on Lois (sic) - still its unanimous that no one goes unaffected.
As for these movies' palpatating critics, they could go so far as to criticise the movie for Supes' costume appearing with a marine-blue coloured complexion when struck by yellow coloured lights from particular scenes. Much likely its only due to hollywood politics again that the ever all-american red-caped crusaders movies' series here are made by the italian company of Alexander And Ilya Salkind Production.

As for SUPERMAN IV: The Quest For Peace (3 notches out of 10), on the other hand made the transition to pass its production with the crew of the Golan/Globus team (distributed (then) by Cannon Films), wherein Reeve on part of the deal that's signed and agreed upon insisted to make the script himself for the film (kinda like what Stallone did for the first RAMBO sequel (which's not such a bad thing though for Mr. Stallone)) in order to save his butt from the flying-sequences for which he made complaints about, that in the result suffering not only the over-all content of the movie, but the effects as well in particular to the flying sequences, wherein they'd have to resort in using cheap-looking optical double shot camera tricks for most of the flying scenes. And the script being absolutely tedious- also went blandly with its poor attempt to be meaningful about the nuclear-disarmament schtick, that unlike Stallone who did well on his contribution for the first RAMBO sequel script with TITANIC director James Cameron - Reeve could've used taking some more time in doing a bit of research about certain elementary scientific aspects such as regarding space travel. And its quite peculiar that all of a sudden, the characters are frequently in the habit of slipping in French lines with their script, and Supes now happens to be a linguist.
Welp, its all far too silly nonetheless so to speak. One can't tell for sure if Reeve did the script a sabotage for the flick to become intentionally that stupid, so's to get himself off the hook (no pun intended) for playing the guy in the red cape; when its all too peculiar even that of all the harness-using actors, it's only Reeve who complained so much about... and furthermore, if ever there's any truth about certain celebrities who'd fake their death in order just to escape celebrity - Reeve might not be that far from being a candidate about such. Because being pigeon-holed for playing the part of Superman, (a similar case that the other former late Supes-actor George Reeves also dreaded) many children with leukemia started asking to see him on their deathbeds, which is overwhelming enough for the actor (as read from an interview of the late actor), that comes as the most probable idea about the concept - whence its even more of some peculiarity that its not the wire-harnesses that triggered Chris Reeve's paralytic condition (which is even rumoured about as falsified during his period of the further directorial career that he had) but a horse-jockying accident. But note that we're only saying "IF" in that regard, with all due respect for the late actor.

SALKIND production went further in 1984 to come up with the flick for Superman's cousin SUPERGIRL (not included; rate: 4 out of 10), wherein similar to the casting format purveyed with that of the first SUPERMAN flick casting a then-unknown to debut on the title role, casts the gorgeous Helen Slater, along with the great sexy veteran-actress Ms. Faye Dunaway as a pseudo-coven occultist, and one of the best actors in filmdom Sir Peter O'Toole - who's presence drew the critics to lambaste the already obviously sleeper movie, when in this matter the motive only had to deal with Hollywood politics again, being that O'Toole is one among that's being slighted in Hollywood due to a statement made back then by the actor about his `homophobic' indifference - when a lot of influential moguls involved therein are offended; thus if one would like to easily make well in Hollywood... (cite: Tom Hanks). The following year after this 'sister-sequel' cross-over to the SUPERMAN franchise flicks of the SALKIND Prod, they embarked to take on with the rendition of SANTA CLAUSE The Movie, starring Dudley Moore (quite incoherently in his appearance) that's only made notable by the presence of John Lithgow as the villain.

However, this package (with the first installment in its SPECIAL EDITION format) no doubt deserves a place for anyone's personal DVD library.

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