After posting my thoughts on my Instagram page, The Daily Superman, regarding most (not quite all) of the many actors and actresses who've brought the Superman family to life since 1948 (see last post), I ranked every live-action Superman movie (excluding JUSTICE LEAGUE... either version) from favorite to least-, primarily because there's really no mystery over what would take the top spot.
At the age of 13, I saw Richard Donner’s SUPERMAN on its release date, Dec. 15, 1978 at the Wonderland Cinemas in Lancaster PA and it instantly and forever became my favorite film of all time (making it by default my favorite Superman movie).
It’s not perfect. There are some plot holes. A few effects are a tad wonky. The acting can feel inconsistent at times. But everything else… Jesus, what a miracle. Between Donner’s insistence on treating the material with respect and his smart, thoughtful direction, Tom Mankiewicz’ witty reworking of the patchwork screenplay, John Barry’s sumptuous production design, Geoffrey Unsworth’s gorgeous cinematography, the effects team’s groundbreaking work, John Williams’ magnificent score, Lynn Stalmaster’s impeccable casting, and of course, the indelible performances of the cast, SUPERMAN has become not just the quintessential gold standard of superhero cinema (Heck, even Kevin Feige’s stated its the template that Marvel followed while building the MCU), it’s inarguably a classic film in its own right.
SUPERMAN had spectacle, but it was the smaller parts that made it work. The movie remembered to show the audience that Superman’s not just about stopping global cataclysms or alien invasions. He’s also about capturing a petty cat burglar or saving a cat from a tree, letting everyone know that this most powerful being on the planet is not to be feared; he’s just here to help. Or, to quote our hero himself, he’s “a friend.”
SUPERMAN straddled the line between the nascent blockbuster cinema and the auteurism of 1970s film. Donner managed to create a big budget movie about a comic book character that felt like a work of art. And not only has it stood the test of time, it find new acolytes with each passing year. It’s also the only Superman movie to make me cry every damn time I watch it. So yeah, it’s my favorite. And I’m gonna guess it’s most of yours as well.
Our #2 favorite Superman movie has a two in its very title!
As excited as I was for 1978’s SUPERMAN, I may have been even more jazzed for its sequel. For the first time in live action, we were going to get a no holds barred superhero battle, courtesy of a creative team that already proved its mettle (with one glaring exception). And at the time, I absolutely loved SUPERMAN II, seeing it in the theater six times during the summer of 1981.
The conflict between the Salkinds and Richard Donner and his subsequent replacement with the far less reverent Richard Lester was not a secret, even if the full details of how that played out cinematically were not fully known in 1981. But I could tell that tonally, visually, and narratively, this film felt very much like the product of two different directors. Over the years, those differences have gained weight with me and there are parts of SUPERMAN II that make me wince when I watch it today (and not just Lester’s campy cheese, I also hate the revenge scene on Butch at the film’s end). But overall, it remains a great movie, filled with fantastic performances (has anyone ever chewed scenery more deliciously than Terence Stamp and Sarah Douglas as General Zod and Ursa?), fantastic set pieces, and a continuation of the romance between Supes and Lois (even if I can’t buy that Superman would trip over a bearskin rug, and there are some really dumb decisions made that sadly end the whole relationship).
But maybe the saddest thing about this movie (that, remember, I do still love) is that it was—again, my subjective opinion—the last good Superman theatrical film we’ve gotten. 44 years ago. Richard Lester may have been the first steward of the Man of Steel’s cinematic adventures to miss the point, but he would not be the last… nor even the worst.
Coming in at #3 on my rating of the 10 live action Superman movies is 1951’s SUPERMAN AND THE MOLE MEN.
A theatrical back-door pilot for the ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN TV show, this 58-minute movie entirely takes place in a small town (not Metropolis), has a rather thin plot, very little action, minimal, crude special effects, and the only other member of his cast to appear is Lois Lane.
So why is it my third favorite Superman movie? Well, in part because SUPERMAN AND THE MOLE MEN (note it’s not “VS”) introduced the world to George Reeves’ unforgettable version of the superhero, one who would define the character for generations. It also introduces Phyllis Coates as a very Golden-Agey Lois Lane (that’s a compliment). But mostly, I love this thing because of the kind of Superman we get here, one whose compassion outshines his powers, who despises bullies, and who fights for the persecuted.
In the film (directed by Lee Sholem and written by Robert Maxwell), a race of “mole men” (played by little people in makeup, carrying a modified vacuum cleaner) climb up from an oil well into the western town of Silsby, where, despite no foul intent, cause a man’s heart attack, play glow-ball with a little girl, and frighten the populace into forming a lynch mob to get the creatures. But Superman’s having none of it, calling out their knee-jerk hatred for the ignorance and fear it is, defending the beings and fighting off the riled-up townsfolk.
Any Superman movie that gives him the line, “I’m going to give you one last chance to stop acting like Nazi stormtroopers!” is okay in my book. Is SUPERMAN AND THE MOLE MEN more spectacular or exciting than some of the films that are lower on my subjective list? Absolutely not. But it understands him more than most of them do.
The #4 selection on our top ten Superman films is 1983’s much-maligned SUPERMAN III.
Christopher Reeve’s third outing as the Man of Steel is a misfire that’s become a textbook lesson in how not to make a superhero movie and a reminder to not lose focus. When Richard Pryor stated on THE TONIGHT SHOW that he’d love to be in a Superman movie, the producers jumped on the offer, and turned (or at least tried to turn) the next installment of the series into more of a showcase for Pryor’s comedic talents than the hero’s never-ending battle. Add to that Robert Vaughn as an utterly uncharismatic industrialist villain, an ill-used Annette O’Toole as a downtrodden single mother version of Lana Lang, and another campy directing job by Richard Lester (oof, that opening), and you’ve got a super disappointment.
And yet, 1983’s SUPERMAN III does have enough going for it to make it not a total loss. First and foremost, Reeve continues to own the role(s), and a literal and existential battle between Clark Kent and an evil version of his alter ego is the film’s highlight. There are a few nice set pieces, and a final battle with a supercomputer contains maybe the most terrifying scene in any of these films when Annie Ross turns into a computer-human hybrid. Richard Pryor’s charm is in evidence despite the quality of the material he’s given. There’s even an implication that evil Superman got it on with Pamela Stephenson (which apparently doesn’t count)!
Let’s put it this way: A mediocre Superman movie that stars Chris Reeve is better than one that stars someone else in the suit. That alone makes it worth watching. And while still not good, as Michael Bolton (not that one) sagely opined in 1999, it’s actually not as bad as you remember.
At the halfway point in our survey of live action Superman movies, and coming in at #5 it’s 1950’s ATOM MAN VS. SUPERMAN.
The second Superman serial ups the ante on its 1948 predecessor by bringing in Lex Luthor as the enemy and introducing some new elements to the story, including a predecessor to the Phantom Zone. Kirk Alyn plays Superman with a devil may care bravado, while his Clark Kent adopts the meek and mild-mannered persona that his successor would forego. Noel Neill and Tommy Bond are fine as Lois and Jimmy, while Pierre Watkin continues to be a perfectly annoyed Perry White.
Lyle Talbot plays a Lex Luthor who’s closer to the comic book version than any other live action adaptation. A scowling, evil scientific genius who invents both a transporting device and synthetic kryptonite, he takes on the dual role of Atom Man to keep Superman from discovering his true identity (Supes thinks he’s still behind bars). Additionally, the producers came up with ways to show Superman in flight besides just turning him into a cartoon (see next Tuesday’s [spoiler alert!] post).
The limitations of both the time and the serial format mean that AMVS (directed by Spencer Gordon Bennett) probably couldn’t be considered “great,” and maybe its enjoyability comes more from a nostalgic place than anything (even if you were born—like me—decades after this series was released). But really, is that the worst thing in the world?
Coming in at #6 is the second-mopeyest (is that a word?) Superman ever, Bryan Singer’s ill-fated Reeve-reboot, SUPERMAN RETURNS.
When SUPERMAN RETURNS came out in 2006, I rounded up a group of friends to come watch SUPERMAN and SUPERMAN II at my apartment before going to see the new film in the theater. When the end credits finished and we all stood up, I humbly apologized to the group and we adjourned to a nearby public house to drown (mostly my) sorrows.
I’d hoped that continuing the most beloved take on the character could work, even if I wasn’t convinced the leads had the juice to embody those formidable mantles (they did not) and would’ve preferred if Singer maybe just took inspiration from Donner’s films rather than crafting an actual continuation. But I wasn’t prepared for such a boring, creepy, downer of a flick.
Aside from the pointless navel-gazing, repetitive plot (another real estate scam? Really?), reused beats and dialogue, marked lack of action (Superman is REACTIVE in the entire film, he catches and deflects things, but that’s it), murderous offspring, and utterly implausible finale (no way he’s lifting an entire freaking continent made of kryptonite, even if he’d have donned that gray radiation suit from the beginning), the movie is (I have to use the word again) creepy. There’s super-eavesdropping, attempted infidelity, elder abuse, and that’s not even taking into account the discomfiting veneer that coated the film in the wake of allegations against some of its principals.
Certainly, the film has its moments, most notably that amazing plane rescue, and some of the flying scenes are gorgeous, but overall, RETURNS was just… sad. Although not nearly sad as our next entrant…
We’re at #7 with the most polarizing take on the character ever to hit the big screen, 2013’s grim-n-gritty reboot, MAN OF STEEL.
As with a few others on this list, MoS is a bad movie with enough good parts to make it not altogether unwatchable. So, let’s start with the positive: First, Henry Cavill makes for a pretty solid Superman; he’s charming and imposing at the same time and looks good (albeit in a bad suit). The scene on the burning oil rig is the film’s best (with the action on Krypton in the opening of the film coming in second). Some of the effects are pretty spectacular. And, um… wait, let me think…
Nope. Writer David S. Goyer and director Zack Snyder’s decision to go dark and have Superman perpetually suffer an existential crisis regarding his powers and abilities (thanks to adoptive parents who taught him it’s probably better to hide rather than help people) just runs counter to everything that makes Superman work. And while Michael Shannon makes for a formidable Zod (shoehorned in way too soon), the chaos and destruction that their clashes cause are so over the top that they’re not at all fun to watch (unless you’re one of those people who thought 9/11 was “like a movie”).
Additionally, Amy Adams and Cavill have zero chemistry as Lois and Superman (their weirdly-shivering “kiss amongst the rubble” scene is so cringe I can’t even watch) and pretty much all other supporting characters are reduced to cameos at best. There’s just nothing to latch onto with this film.
Oh, and Clark totally could’ve saved Jonathan from that tornado without revealing himself. That’s just one of so many dumb choices in this thing.
I’d like to say I don’t get the fervent, even hostile ardor that some people hold for this iteration of Superman, but sadly, I do. Like Snyder, these people think that in order for superheroes to be cool or interesting, they have to be dark and brooding. Which works for Batman, but you know… Superman, not so much. But hey, if it’s your bag, knock yourself out.
#8 on our list of live action Superman movies is the original 1948 SUPERMAN serial from Columbia Pictures, directed by Spencer Bennett and Thomas Carr, and starring Kirk Alyn as Clark Kent, Noel Neill as Lois Lane, Tommy Bond as Jimmy Olsen, and Superman as himself (or so the credits stated).
After a very Golden Age origin chapter, the tale gets under way as Superman takes on the menace of, uh, the Spider Lady (played with little enthusiasm by Carol Forman), the mistress of crime! Also, Superman encounters kryptonite for the first time (then again, everything in this is for the first time, as this is the inaugural live action Superman). As I mentioned the other day, the leads are fine (Noel Neill is much more feisty in the serials than the later television series).
In fact, it’s the seminal nature of this serial that most makes it worth watching. You may wince at the cartoon Superman taking flight and stock footage menaces, but if you can keep things in perspective, there’s enough going on here to make for an enjoyable Saturday morning.
Just don’t watch the whole thing in one sitting.
The next-to-worst (IMO) Superman movie has has come to define diminishing genre sequel returns and what happens when a would-be blockbuster is shot on a shoestring budget. And after all these years, it still hurts to dislike a Chris Reeve outing.
1987’s SUPERMAN IV: THE QUEST FOR PEACE (directed by Sidney J. Furie) had a noble intent: Superman tackles nuclear proliferation. But as SI/II script doctor Tom Mankiewicz warned, putting the superhero in a real-world context is a tricky proposition, one that might have worked in the right hands. But when the Salkinds sold the rights to notoriously cheap Cannon Films, the project became doomed from the start.
The story’s just okay (a potentially engaging subplot about a tabloid takeover of The Daily Planet get the short shrift and could’ve given Lois some meaty scenes), but from the cartoonish opening credits, you can tell how cheap and slipshod the production is going to be. The effects are wonky (with certain shots reused throughout the film). They barely even try to make the suburban UK Milton Keynes shooting locations look like the bustling Metropolis. Gene Hackman’s lost his devilish enthusiasm for Luthor (and says “nucular”), Reeve and Kidder both look tired, but not as much as a painfully gaunt Jackie Cooper. Jon Cryer’s valley dude nephew of Lex is wince-inducing. Mark Pillow’s Nuclear Man is felled any time he’s out of direct sunlight (now THAT’S a kryptonite). Superman’s “Great Wall of China Rebuilding Vision” may be the most egregious made-up super power of them all. Oh, and humans survive in space with no protective spacesuits and Lex cuts a strand of Superman’s indestructible hair with a bolt cutter. It’s that lazy.
BUT (along with a terrific score by Alexander Courage) it’s still a Chris Reeve Superman movie, so even with all its faults, it bests what is to my (and many others’) mind, not just the worst Superman movie of all time, but also the tied-for-worst Batman film (that’s a hint), and proof that a big budget doesn’t equate quality...
We wrap our list of favorite-to-least Superman movies with as much of a no-brainer for #10 as STM was for #1: Zack Snyder’s BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE (2016), a film for which a litany of pejorative adjectives can be applied: Dour. Joyless. Dumb. Pointless. Wrongheaded. Convoluted. Overstuffed. Cynical. Exhausting.
Batman considering Superman a threat because of the rampant destruction he helped incur in MoS isn’t a bad springboard for conflict (I mean, he’s got a point). But, taking it to a Snyderesque extreme, Bats decides to put all his resources towards eliminating the alien threat, to which Superman responds with a schoolyard-taunting, “Oh yeah? Well I don’t like you either!” And then the worst Lex Luthor of all time plays them off each other and then they fight until they discover that their moms share the same name and now they’re besties who team up to battle Sorta-Doomsday and Superman dies (along with lots of other people… again) and Batman is sad. Oof.
I’d say that Warner’s rush to create the DCEU by cramming in other superheroes hampered the movie, but the introduction of Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman is the sole highlight of this slog.
Snyder spends two full films portraying Superman as a tortured soul who’s not sure of his place in the world, then suddenly at the end, Batman spins 180 degrees and mourns Superman as “a beacon of hope.” To whom? Fans who hoped that he’d snap the fuck out of it and embrace who he’s supposed to be? Because he sure didn’t inspire any hope in these films. Even Hans Zimmer’s score sounds like it belongs to a horror movie (seriously, there’s not one rousing moment).
Sigh. Again, Cavill’s likable (despite the script) and Affleck’s not a bad Batman (y’know, aside from the murdering). But this film, man. It is just the worst.
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After a week of writing mostly negative things about disappointing Superman movies, it thrills me to no end to say that James Gunn’s SUPERMAN is everything I’d hoped it would be. It’s a rousing, heartfelt adventure that boasts (mostly) impeccable casting, a solid story, incredible action, humor, and effects, and a comic book esthetic unlike anything we’ve ever seen in a motion picture.
The previews hinted at the tone and look of the film, but trust me when I say it’s just a hint. I was simply not prepared for how deeply Gunn and his cast and crew would lean into the source material. This is not to say it’s a rehash; it’s fresh and modern while paying homage to all eras of Superman. David Corenswet inhabits the title role, playing him as goofy and sincere and yet still imposing. Rachel Brosnahan is (as I’d surmised) absolute perfection as Lois Lane, portrayed here as an uncompromising journalist (with a punk rock background!!). Nicholas Hoult absolutely seethes with malevolence as Lex Luthor. The rest of the supporting cast is likewise solid (for the most part). The pace is excellent and it’s only a little overstuffed.
The film’s not perfect. I have a few complaints that I’ll eventually point out (let’s just say Gunn found a workaround for fans of anti-heroism, the cutesy factor is a tad high, and yeah, I still dislike the costume). But I left the theater feeling enervated and satisfied and… well, HAPPY (something I couldn’t say about any Superman film in over four decades). If this is the foundation for the new DCU, I am incredibly excited for what SUPERMAN portends.
In fact, I’d even go so far as to say that the very catharsis Siegel and Shuster’s original Superman provided to a Depression-suffering audience in the 1930s is analogous to what Gunn’s Superman offers to those of us struggling to find something good in the Trump era. (And for the record, the character’s been “woke” since 1938.)
I’ll have more to say later. Oh, but please stop calling Krypto a good boy. He’s really not.
Originally posted on Instagram, July 1-10, 2025
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