Ranking the 8 Superman movies since Christopher Reeve’s portrayal
By Barlow Adams
NEW YORK, NY – MARCH 20: (Editors Note: This image was altertered using digital filters) Actor Henry Cavill attends The ‘Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice’ New York Premiere at Radio City Music Hall on March 20, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images)
Silver Screen Superman: which film reigns Supreme?
Perhaps no superhero is more iconic or indelible to American entertainment than Superman. His exploits and adventures have become synonymous not only with what’s best about the genre, but what’s best about the country. He is a modern-day cultural icon, instantly recognizable across the world from only a silhouette, or even just the curl of his hair. He has added words to our lexicon (that’s right, brainiac) and been the subject of no less than 26 popular songs.
The Man of Steel is that rare phenomenon that has outgrown his origins. People who’ve never so much as stepped into a comic book store can tell you all about the Last Son of Krypton. They can tell you where he grew up, the name of his arch-nemesis, even identify the particular space rock that he is so famously allergic to.
Some of this lore can has been plucked directly from the cultural zeitgeist, so great is Superman’s influence, but much of the spread of The Gospel of Kal-El can be attributed to his many movies, predating the current superhero boom and continuing still: a live-action legacy of America’s greatest hero.
But not all of these films have been created equal. Which of these films are more powerful than a locomotive, and which have left us wishing we could leave the theater faster than a speeding bullet.
For the purpose of these rankings, we will only consider the movies after Christopher Reeve’s iconic portrayal. While Superman and the Mole Men, featuring the stoic George Reeves (no relation), is technically the first Superman movie, it hardly qualifies as such, being both incredibly low-budget and primarily serving as a test for the television series The Adventures of Superman. It’s more two-episode pilot than proper film. Still, were it included, it may very well have beaten out our lowest ranked film.
Which brings us to the business at hand. Without further ado, let me present the movie with the dubious honor of being the worst Superman flick of all-time…