Ultra HD Blu-ray Movie Reviews

The Big Blue Boy Scout Reaches New Heights in 4K

To generations of fans the world over, Christopher Reeve simply was Superman. His look, his manner, his commitment to the dual role of lovable oaf Clark Kent of Smallville and Kal-El of Krypton defined the character and set the bar, perhaps impossibly high, for all who dared follow. And while these movies might not have always achieved that same high standard, Reeve and his co-stars have left a substantial cinematic legacy, commemorated in Warner’s Superman Film Collection: 1978-1987.

The saga begins with a richly realized retelling of Kal’s origin: escaping a doomed planet to begin a new life on Earth, and assuming the guise of a socially awkward but fleet-fingered journalist when he’s not serving as our god-like protector. The first sequel sees three fellow refugees follow him to his new home, using their same uber-powers to conquer humanity, and massive conflicts ensue. Superman I and Superman II have their share of laughs certainly, but they were never comedies: Superman III is supposed to be funny I guess, as Supes butts heads with a computer-enabled megalomaniac, but the “humor” has aged terribly. And the nonsensical Superman IV, which introduces the nemesis Nuclear Man, created from sunlight and a strand of Superman’s hair, aspires to do little more than fill its mercifully short runtime.

Much of Superman II was shot by Superman I director, Richard Donner, as part of a single elaborate production, but due to internal clashes, the movie was completed by director Richard Lester, who received sole credit. In 2006, the army of Donner loyalists received their wish and an approximation of what would have been his vision for Superman II was assembled by editor Michael Thau and others. It’s great to now have Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut on 4K but it’s so rough in so many ways that it endures more as a “what if?” curiosity than a finished film. (This is the fifth film noted in the set’s name.)

Supermanwas the only film released previously ion 4K, in 2018, and this is not the same disc per se but it utilizes the same video master. Considering the deliberately soft photography and limitations of analog visual effects technology of the era, it’s fairly gorgeous. I enjoy the amped up primary colors proffered by Warner, however watching all the movies back-to-back reveals some surprising inconsistencies. The bold red, yellow and blue of the Supersuit varies noticeably across the years when it really shouldn’t, and sometimes there are color shifts within each movie, on the telltale tights and elsewhere. The wide shots of Smallville in Superman III are lovely, and despite its irritating cheapness and looking like it was shot almost exclusively on overcast days, Superman IV actually looks the best overall in terms of image detail and clarity… if we ignore the wonky VFX shots.

That 2018 Superman disc defaulted to a 5.1-channel Dolby Digital mix born of the six-track available in 70mm venues, but the new disc has dropped this and replaced it with a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track that preserves the “Original Theatrical” mix heard in wide release. The four classic films offer such a lossless stereo option, and all five include a Dolby Atmos track with a TrueHD 7.1 core. The immersive remixes can be thrilling, occasionally overblown, enlivened by ample bass, some powerful explosions and directional whooshing takeoffs. The movies feature different iterations of John Williams’ timeless musical themes, interpreted by different conductors and performed by different orchestras for a fractured sort of unity. Some minor errors were made in the music editing for some of these new mixes but it’s nothing too worrisome.

Each film lands on 4K with an archival audio commentary by one or more of the filmmakers. The bundled HD Blu-rays include additional bonus content, all previously released, although past editions have contained more than is provided here, so collectors will likely want to hang onto their old discs. Each movie arrives in its own two-disc plastic case, all within a simple cardboard sleeve. Coattailing off of this set’s hoopla, Warner has also given us (available separately) the 4K debut of All-Star Superman, possibly the best of DC’s animated, direct-to-video Superman feature films along with the wonderful vintage Fleischer Superman cartoons, newly remastered in 16-bit 4K and presented at 1080p.

The Superman Film Collection: 1978-1987 might not leap tall buildings or change the course of mighty rivers, but the prospect of owning the full Christopher Reeve catalog together in 4K for the first time, with Dolby Atmos sound plus original theatrical audio, sent me scurrying to pick it up faster than a speeding bullet.

ULTRA HD 4K BLU-RAY
STUDIO: Warner
HDR FORMAT: HDR10, Dolby Vision (Superman only)
AUDIO FORMAT: Dolby Atmos with TrueHD 7.1 core
MPAA RATING: PG
STARRING: Christopher Reeve, Margot Kidder, Gene Hackman, Marlon Brando, Terence Stamp, Richard Pryor

Superman
YEAR: 1978
ASPECT RATIO: 2.40:1
LENGTH: 143 mins.
DIRECTOR: Richard Donner

Superman II
YEAR: 1981
ASPECT RATIO: 2.40:1
LENGTH: 127 mins.
DIRECTOR: Richard Lester (also Richard Donner, uncredited)

Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut
YEAR: 2006
ASPECT RATIO: 2.40:1
LENGTH: 116 mins.
DIRECTOR: Richard Donner

Superman III
YEAR: 1983
ASPECT RATIO: 2.40:1
LENGTH: 125 mins.
DIRECTOR: Richard Lester

Superman IV: The Quest for Peace
YEAR: 1987
ASPECT RATIO: 2.40:1
LENGTH: 90 mins.
DIRECTOR: Sidney J. Furie