Superman

It's a plane! It's a bird! No! It's...

SUPERMAN is the most boring character of all the superhero's. He is simply perfect, but that creates his allure: he is what we aspire to be. In 1978's SUPERMAN, the filmmakers understand this truth, and go with it. Beginning slowly with the origin of the caped crusader, Marlon Brando plays Jor-El, who predicts the destruction of planet Krypton, and sends his son via crystal flying saucer to Earth. The boy is discovered by Kansas farmers, and raised nicely by loving parents. He grows up to become Clark Kent, a mild-mannered, annoyingly ordinary newspaperman with no convictions. The joke, however, is that this is Superman. An hour in, Clark Kent sheds his foolish glasses and working clothes to transform into Superman (not even requiring a mask, because nobody in their right mind would think of Clark Kent and Superman in the same breath). Superman goes about saving lives and performing corny tricks, but the evil Lex Luthor plans beneath the city, discovering the crusader's weakness: kryptonite, while also concocting a ridiculous, but evil plan. Superman flies to the rescue, and some of his rescues are quite impressive despite extremely dated special effects of Superman flying. The film itself is a better pop culture landmark than entertaining film, but it has an undeniable charm about it that makes most of its corniness passable within the context of a winking Christopher Reeve behind the cape.
Superman: ★★★