BLU-RAY REVIEW

Superman

Featured In Issue 117, February 2007

Picture2.5
SoundNR
WSR Score
Basic Information on new release titles is posted as soon as titles are announced. Once reviewed, additional data is added to the database.
(Studio/Distributor):
Warner Home Video
(Catalog Number):
113101
(MPAA Rating):
PG
(Rating Reason):
For peril, some mild sensuality, and language
(Retail Price):
$28.99
(Disc Type):
Single Side, Dual Layer (BD-50)
(Widescreen Edition):
Yes
(Full Screen Edition):
No
(Running Time In Minutes):
151
(Color Type):
Color
(Chaptered/Scene Access):
Yes
(Closed Captioned):
Yes
(Regional Coding):
Not Indicated
(Theatrical Year):
1978
(Theatrical Release):
Yes
(Direct-To-Video Release):
No
(Disc Release Date):
11/28/06
(THX® Digitally Mastered):
No
(Director):
Richard Donner
(Screenplay/Written By):
(Story):
(Music):
(Director Of Photography):
(Production Designer):
(Visual Effects):
(Costume Designer):
(Editor):
(Supervising Sound Editors):
(Re-Recording Mixers):
(Executive Producers):
(Co-Producers):
(Producers):
(Academy Awards):
(Principal Photography):
(Theatrical Aspect Ratio):
(Measured Disc Aspect Ratio):
(Disc Soundtrack):
Dolby Digital 5.1
(Theatrical Sound):
(Theatrical Re-Issue Soundtrack):
(DTS Bit Rate):
(Dolby Digital Bit Rate):
(Additional Languages):
(French Language):
(Spanish Language):
(Chinese Language):
(Subtitles):
(Cantonese Language):
(Mandarin Language):
(Japanese Language):
(Italian Language):
(German Language):
(Portuguese Language):

Jor-El (Brando) knows that his planet, Krypton, will soon be destroyed, so he decides to send his infant son to the distant planet Earth where he will be safe. Taken in by the Kent family, the young boy, now named Clark, begins to discover he possesses some unusual powers. Knowing he must hide these powers from the mere mortals on Earth, he becomes a man of two identities: the mild mannered reporter for the daily planet, and the most versatile good guy ever...Superman! Christopher Reeve is dashing as the man of steel. The film won an Oscar® for visual effects.

The special features can all be found on the DVD reviewed in Issue 50: audio commentary by Richard Donner and Tom Mankiewicz, the isolated music score, the Superman screen test, the theatrical trailer, teaser trailer, and a TV spot. There are also documentaries: Taking Flight: The Development Of Superman (30 minutes) and Making Superman: Filming The Legend (31 minutes),

The 2.35:1 Blu-ray Disc picture often looks washed out, with undersaturated colors and bloomy whites. Skin tones are pallid, and details are not convincingly well resolved. (Danny Richelieu)

The Dolby® Digital 5.1-channel soundtrack is mixed well, utilizing each of the available channels at key moments. Dialogue generally sounds thin, and can often distract from the movie with a sparkly distortion and poor spatial integration. (Danny Richelieu)