The most requested film finally reaches DVD. It took Warners ages to get of there backside and release this classic film. The DVD should of came out on the films 20th Anniversary in 1998 but the original film was left on the side to rot. So here it is finally remastered in digital glory and with a brand new spanking surround sound mix.DVD REVIEW
Oliver Harper's review
What can I say the best comic book film ever committed
to film has finally recieved the treatment it deserves. Remastered in digital
glory by Pacific title the people behind the Star Wars special edition
re-release. Pacific title have done a fantastic job in bringing the film
back to its original look. People were so used to the crusty VHS and the
washed out LaserDisc that the film lost its respect in the design and style.
Now people can finally see why this film stands out amongest the rest.
The DVD transfere is amazing, the colours are fresh through out the picture
Christopher Reeve really does shine thanks to some of the best photography
and lighting ever!. I was really impressed with the picture, alot of NTSC
discs do have that white hue that comes from the signal but this disc really
holds up well compared to brand new discs.The disc is taken from a remastered
35mm negative to bad they didn't blow it to 70mm for the release. Not many
people may have seen the film in its widescreen glory before. In Europe
we were given a widescreen release on video and in the states they recieved
the LD. So if its your first time then your in for treat. Donner is the
master at filling the lense with action and set pieces. In my books he
is the best at wide angle lenses. One of the best moments is the earthquake
scene the lense is cram packed with action that any film buff will wet
there pants over.
Some fans were upset by the new sound effects that were
created for the re-release. But what I've heard sounds fantastic. The surround
sound mix is a home cinema buffs dream. This film will give your sound
equipment a good work. From the opening credits you know what your in for.
As soon as the ' S' blazes on screen you know that this film is going to
rock your room. Superman the movie has now come the main DVD test demo
for every home cinema. I was used to the flat Dolby Stereo mix on the VHS
and LD so hearing this for the first time, its was so refreshing it sounded
like a brand new film. If you have watched the film alot you will notice
the new sound effects that can be heared through out the films flying and
action pieces. A few people were upset by the changing of the title sequence
sound effects. In the original the titles had pretty much had the same
effect but for the remaster each title has its own sound. The best new
effect of the bunch has to be when Richard Donner's name slams together
at the end of the intro. The bass rumbles like an earthquake, ' very cool!
'.
Superman wouldn't be a special edition if it didn't have loads of extras?, the film comes on a DVD 18 disc. Side one has the film, commentary, trailer and the isolated score. Side two has the three documentries, TV spot, preview trailer, music cues, deleted scenes and screen tests. Some DVD's that are released now like Gladiator and MIB have tons of stuff but you hardly ever go back to it once you watched them. On the Superman DVD you will go back to watch the extras over and over again. The documentries are excellent and informative about the production and the problems that effected the crew and Donner. The programs are wonderfully put to together with nice intros and proffesional editing. The doc's are presented and narrated by Marc McClure ( Jimmy Olsen ). The third program gives a look behind the special effects which are presented by Roy Field ( Optical master ).I was very pleased with Warners effort on this disc. It does look like they spent all there budget on the first film and left the other DVD's to the budget side of Warner. I do not like the snappy cases Warner seems to provide for all its films. Superman should of came in a special edition box like the bladerunner with lobby cards and programs etc. Maybe that will happen when Superman the movie reachs its 25th Anniversary.
Adam Berry's review:
At long last the best comic book
hero movie Superman has made it to DVD, and with loads of special features
on the disc. First of all the picture quality of the DVD is amazing - the
colours are vibrant and have such clarity, especially the opening scenes
on Krypton.For the most part Supermans' costume is Blue instead of the
shades of Green which we are used to seeing on VHS. All in all a
big improvement. Picture score 9/10.
Now to the sound. There
has been a lot of discussion over the internet amongst fans, some prefering
the new sound effects and some people have said that they don't like it.
I have to admit before seeing the DVD I was aprehensive, I shouldn't have
been. Personally I think on the whole the sound is a lot better.
The explosions are much better, you can now hear Supermans' cape flapping
when he is in flight and so on. Sound score 9/10.
I am really pleased with the extra
scenes that Richard Donner decided to put into the film. The best
of them being Superman going through fire,bullets and ice down in Lex Luthors
lair and of course Superman in the Fortress of Solitude speaking to his
father after his first day of heroics. I suppose one of the other
extra scenes really add anything to the film, butt hey are nice to see
never the less.
There are three documentaries
hosted by Marc McClure and screen tests on the DVD. They all give
a wonderful insight into how they made the film and how they came to the
decision of casting Superman and Lois Lane. It is great to see the
likes of Christopher Reeve, Margot Kidder, Richard Donner, Tom Mankiewicz,
John Williams etc talking about the film. The great teaser trailer
is there as well as some music cues and two deleted scenes. Extras score
8/10.
The only critism I have is that
it would have been much better if there would have been more extra scenes
in a supplementary section instead of just the two we got (we all know
from the extended TV version that there is a lot more out there), and it
would have been nice if the theatrical re-release trailer was there also
where is the original
making of Superman The Movie?
All in all though this DVD is definatley worth buying.
