Superman has been appearing on the big screen since 1951. In fact, Superman and the Mole Men marked the first ever feature film based on a DC Comics hero. It was only fitting that Superman would garner DC’s first live-action feature film, considering he’s the hero that truly vitalized the modern superhero genre. For the past 7 decades, the man otherwise known as Clark Kent has delighted audiences with his portrayal on the big screen.
Over the years, the films have evolved significantly, alongside technological advancements. Superman went from being depicted in black and white, to making audiences believe they could really fly, to fighting breathtaking battles with cutting-edge visuals and CGI. Of course, despite clearly advancing in costume and graphics from film to film, not every Superman film has made its mark.
In fact, several of the Superman films were plagued by poor scripts, studio interference, budget cuts, technological limitations, or lackluster performances. Though he is the archetype of superheroes, Superman’s history on the big screen suggests that there is much disagreement about how to properly translate him to film. While not all of them were well-received, every live-action Superman film offers its own unique and original interpretation of the hero. Here is every Superman film, ranked worst to best.
9. Superman IV: The Quest for Peace
Superman IV: The Quest for Peace premiered in 1987 and marked the fourth, and final film, in which Christopher Reeve appeared as Superman. The film follows Superman (Reeve) as he takes action during the United States and USSR’s arms race. He gathers up the worlds nuclear arms and tosses them into space. However, his nemesis, Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman) has escaped prison and creates a clone of Superman, named Nuclear Man (Mark Pillow) to take down the hero.
The Superman film series had already derailed with Superman III, resulting in Reeve’s reluctance to return. However, the studio convinced him to return in exchange for a storyline about nuclear disarmament. Right before production began, though, the studio faced an enormous financial loss that led to dramatic budgets cuts for Superman IV. It also resulted in a full 40 minutes of footage being cut from the final picture. The result was an incredibly cheap-looking film, with terrible special effects, and a dull plotline peppered with holes and inconsistencies. Even the actors’ disheartenment with the film is noticeable, as nothing on their parts could’ve fixed this disaster of a film.
8. Superman and the Mole Men
Superman and the Mole Men premiered in 1951 and marked the very first live-action Superman feature film. The film was created to be a pilot for the subsequent TV series Adventures of Superman. Superman and the Mole Men sees reporters Clark Kent (George Reeves) and Lois Lane (Phyliss Coates) covering the drilling of the world’s deepest oil well in the town of Silsby. When the drill penetrates the home of an underground race of humanoid creatures, they travel to the surface and give the town a fright. When the hysterical townsfolk decide the kill the unexpected visitors, Superman arrives to see if peace can be made between the town and the creatures.
As the first feature length Superman film, Superman and the Mole Men set a precedent for the films to follow it. For the time period, the graphics and visuals weren’t bad. Also, Coates and Reeves offered on-point portrayals of Superman and Lois. The only downfall was that, even though it runs just 58 minutes, the plot manages to drag on. Its theme about accepting those who are different is childishly simplistic and way over-emphasized. The Mole Men’s design is also underwhelming, though their performances aren’t bad. Ultimately, for a 1951 black and white film it wasn’t bad, but by today’s standards, it is a bit simple, goofy, and childish at times.
7. Superman III
Superman III premiered in 1983 and marked the third film in Superman film series. The film follows computer programmer Gus Gorman (Richard Pryor) and his boss, financial tycoon Ross Webster (Robert Vaughn). The two come up with a nefarious plan to wipe out a competitor’s coffee crop, but it is foiled by Superman. Seeking revenge, Webster enlists Gorman to help him track down Kryptonite and present it to Superman. However, the Kryptonite, instead of killing Superman, corrupts him and surfaces his negative personality traits.
Given the success of Superman and Superman II, many anticipated Superman III‘s success as well. Unfortunately, though, Superman III deviated from the first two films in a drastic manner that wasn’t well received. The film, essentially, trashed everything the first two films established in favor of a campy, slapstick, Richard Pryor-comedy. The plot is messy and nonsensical, the gags aren’t funny, and the villains aren’t compelling. While Reeve offers up a strong performance, there are few other high points in Superman III. Superman II had already received light criticism for being a bit heavy on the slapstick humor, but Superman III then chose to make an entire film based on that element, which obviously wasn’t a smart move.
6. Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice
I know this isn’t strictly a solo Superman film, but since Superman figures into it as a lead character, it should have a place on this list. Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice premiered on March 25, 2016, and marked the second film in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). The film follows Batman (Ben Affleck) who has become disillusioned by Superman (Henry Cavill) after his destructive battle in Metropolis against Zod (Michael Shannon). He then sets out to stop Superman’s reign on Earth. Unbeknownst to both Batman and Superman, though, is that Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) is working behind the scenes to fuel their feud and launch his own attack on Superman.
Batman vs. Superman is a pretty bad film all around. The script is pretty much nonsensical and the performances across the board are poor. Even Cavill, who portrayed Superman decently in Man of Steel, falls flat in this film. None of the actions or motives of any of the characters actually make sense and none are realistic. The visuals are strong at times, but for a film supposedly about Batman and Superman it is telling that the best scene is when Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) pops in and shows them what an actual superhero looks like. Also, don’t even get me started on how Batman and Superman decide not to kill each other because their moms are both named Martha.
5. Man of Steel
Man of Steel premiered in 2013 and marked the first DCEU film. The film decided to reboot the Superman film series and sees Henry Cavill in the titular role. Man of Steel is an origin story for Superman and details his arrival on Earth after the destruction of Krypton. Sent to Earth as an infant, Superman is adopted by Jonathan (Kevin Costner) and Martha (Diane Lane) Kent, who name him Clark. For many years, he hides his powers and lives on the fringe of society. However, when General Zod (Michael Shannon) surfaces, Clark must embrace his superhero identity to save his friends and family.
Man of Steel is by no means a bad film, but it isn’t a particularly good one. The film switched gears from most previous Superman films by dropping the campy tone and giving audiences a darker, more mature film. Meanwhile Cavill’s performance as Superman was original and intriguingly centered more on his humanness than his heroism. Costner and Shannon offered very strong performances, too. At the same time, though, it definitely lacked the heart and epic nature of a true superhero film. The tone was brooding to the point of being colorless and bland, and the pacing is very inconsistent. It has the visuals, costumes, and performances of a superhero film, but just lacks the spirit of one.
4. Superman Returns
Superman Returns premiered in 2006 and is technically the 6th film in the Superman film series. However, it ignores the events of Superman III and Superman IV. The film sees Superman (Brandon Routh) return to Earth after a long period of absence. Upon his return, he finds that much has changed. Lois Lane (Kate Bosworth) has moved on with her life and is engaged, and Lex Luthor (Kevin Spacey) is out of prison and cooking up a scheme to kill Superman. Meanwhile, society as a whole seems to believe they don’t need Superman anymore.
Superman Returns was a good film, though it did have its flaws. The visual effects were on point, the cast was strong, and the storyline was intriguing. It definitely took the Superman series in the right direction after the failure of Superman IV. It found balance in its tone and plot, offering the right mixture of humor, romance, and character development. At the same time, Routh’s performance of Superman wasn’t particularly special and he lacked personality and charisma. The film also runs very long, the action sequences are few and far between, and the climax is underwhelming, making the film drag a bit. It’s the best Superman film of the 21st century, but it’s not perfect.
3. Superman II
Superman II premiered in 1980 and was the sequel to the 1978 Superman. The film sees Superman (Christopher Reeve) stopping terrorist by hurling their weapons into outer space. Unwittingly, the shockwaves admitted from the weapon free Kryptonian General Zod (Terence Stamp) from his imprisonment. He quickly heads to Earth to wreck havoc. Unfortunately, his arrival coincides with Superman’s decision to live as a mortal so that him and Lois Lane (Margot Kidder) can live a quiet, happy life together.
Superman II proved to be a very worthy sequel to Superman. In fact, the performances and storyline may actual exceed its predecessor. The story is entertaining and boasts quite a bit of emotional depth. Meanwhile, Reeve, Gene Hackman, and Stamp offer iconic performances and perfectly embody their roles as Superman, Lex Luthor, and Zod. The only flaw was that the humor was a bit overdone and the film sometimes approaches campy and slapstick humor territories. Also, the visual effects fell a little flat, especially in comparison to Superman‘s groundbreaking use of them.
2. Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut
Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut premiered in 2006. Donner was the director of Superman, but was controversially fired as the director of Superman II and replaced by Richard Lester. Lester significantly rewrote and reshot the work that Donner initially completed. As a result, Lester set out to complete his work and released an alternate cut of the film. Donner’s cut featured discarded footage, alternate cuts, and story elements not featured in the original. This included unused footage of Marlon Brando as Jor-El and an alternate ending and beginning.
Donner’s cut did prove to be slightly superior to the theatrical cut of Superman II. Donner was always against the campy tone and slapstick humor, cutting most of these elements out of his final cut. The addition of Brando as Jor-El to the film also elevated it and added more depth to Superman’s conflict over his superhero and human identities. Additionally, these changes balanced out the tone and pace nicely. Ultimately, Donner took a very good film and managed to improve on it further.
1. Superman (1978)
Superman premiered in 1978 and marked the first installment in the Superman film series. The film serves as an origin story for Superman (Christopher Reeve), opening up with infant Superman’s arrival on Earth. He is subsequently taken in and raised by Jonathan Kent (Glenn Ford) and Martha Kent (Phyllis Thaxter), who name him Clark. As a young man, he discovers his powers and true superhero identity. Moving to Metropolis he becomes a reporter and finds himself falling for co-worker Lois Lane (Margot Kidder). However, he also secretly fights evil as Superman and soon takes on the villainous Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman).
Superman was a fantastic film, all the way around. The screenplay and plot were perfect for a Superman film and offered a strong balance of heroism, humor, wit, romance, and chivalry. Additionally, the special effects were absolutely groundbreaking. Utilizing scale models of the Golden Gate Bridge and Hoover Damn and a number of techniques to imitate flying, Superman was unlike anything audiences had seen before. Of course, the crown jewel of the film was Reeve’s performance as Superman. Reeve radiated confidence, charisma, and wit and truly shined as Superman. Performances across the bored were also strong. Superman thrived from innovation, balance, and impeccable casting choices.
(featured image: Warner Bros.)
