Action Figure Planet: March 2014

Custom Christopher Reeve Superman

I used to not own a Hot Toys Superman. My only relief in owning a Christopher Reeve Superman was through a custom Christopher Reeve Superman that I made utilizing a DC Direct Gary Frank Commander Kal El figure and the body of a DC Direct History of the DC Universe Superman. Having a representation of Christopher Reeve's Superman in my collection is very essential to me. But more on this custom Superman later, I would like focus first on reviewing Richard Donner's 1978 epic Superman: The Movie. I'm reviewing it with a current mindset (which means these contemporary times) and view it alongside the recent superhero movie explosions that seems to be enjoying huge success for the past 10 years or so. How does Superman: The Movie compare with them? Let me share my views below.

Superman: The Movie

Superman: The Movie was the first attempt to bring a Superhero movie to the big screen. During that time, Superheros were treated less seriously because of the stigma that comic books and superhero fantasies were just childish pleasures. Ilya and Alexander Salkind, a father and son tandem who had drew interest to bring Superman to the big screen, gambled on acquiring Superman's film rights from DC Comics and decided to produce a two part Superman epic. They signed Richard Donner to direct both films and landed Christopher Reeve to play the role of Clark Kent/Superman. He is joined by a powerful set of casts in the person of Marlon Brando (who played Superman's biological father Jor El) and Gene Hackman (as Superman's arch-nemesis Lex Luthor) among others. Reeve is also joined by Margot Kidder who played his love interest Lois Lane (a role that would define her film career). After continuous rewrites due to campy stories turned in, a script was finally delivered with a story that was a brainchild of Mario Puzo (of The Godfather movie fame) and script by Tom Mankiewicz. Shooting commenced with Superman 2 being shot continuously with the first movie. But due to time constraints, the crew decided to went on instead to release Superman: The movie first and just follow up on the sequel once the movie is released. Thus, the intended ending for Superman 2 was used as the ending for Superman: The movie. The rest is as they say is history. Superman: The Movie thrilled a lot of audience and got eyebrows raised in the film academy circuit. 1978 was the year that a lot of kids began to take interest in Superman, and from what I understand, the movie was a key factor in establishing a new Superman fandom for the modern age. I know a lot of Superman fans who are aged 30 plus and above to have gotten their first glimpse of Superman in this movie. And since then, they have become avid fans of Superman.

Jor El and Lara El

The movie opens in a cold and sterile planet called Krypton where we are treated to a contentious trial where three Kryptonian (who would be the main villains in Superman 2) insurgents are sent to the Phantom Zone, a prison that would house criminals to an eternal living death. These Kryptonian rebels were inspired to take up arms once they learned of their planet's possible fate. Jor El meanwhile tries to convince the Kryptonian ruling council that their planet is dying. And that they must act fast. Unfortunately, Jor El's effort to convince them fell short. However, joining the rebels was not Jor El's option. Jor El instead prepared a spacecraft that would send his son, Kal El, to a planet called Earth. It was his last ditch effort to save his son from the destruction of their planet. Earth was to be the new home of Kal El where its younger yellow sun would grant Kal El indestructible powers and make him a god among men. Krypton exploded to ashes just as Kal El's spacecraft departs for planet Earth. The spacecraft would crash in a deserted Kansas cornfield in a town called Smallville. Kal El is discovered by two kindly but childless couple by the name of Jonathan and Martha Kent, who adopted him as their own. Now christened as Clark Kent, he would grow up feeling alienated due to his powers as he made it an effort to conceal them at the behest of his foster parents. By the age of 18, and not soon after Jonathan Kent died, Clark would discover the spacecraft that housed him in his journey to Earth. A glowing crystal would beckon him. This encouraged Clark to go on a journey to the arctic where the glowing crystal created a Fortress that resembled that of Krypton. This became Clark's Fortress of Solitude and he would spend years in isolation and training before he finally reveals himself to the world with a costume in tow.

Superman and Lois' romantic date up in the sky

Clark would find a job in Metropolis at the Daily Planet as a reporter and there he would meet Lois Lane, considered as the Daily Planet's top reporter. Clark disguises himself as a reporter by profession so that he would come to learn of accidents,disasters and crime as they happen, helping him get a head start in doing his super heroic acts. One of these accidents would finally reveal Superman to the world. When Lois' helicopter was about to crash, Superman appears and saves Lois and the helicopter. Superman became an overnight sensation. Superman would thwart various crimes and disasters and this would draw pique interest from the Metropolis citizens and the world at large. By this time, Clark began to have a romantic interest in Lois, but Lois ignores him as Lois seems to be romantically interested to Superman. Being Lois' partner as a reporter, Clark decides to give Lois the exclusive scoop through a one on one interview he arranges for Lois and Superman. The interview led to Superman touring Lois above Metropolis' skyline, flying up in the sky with Lois in tow. By then, romance was started to brew between the two of them. By the following day, Lois' one on one interview with Superman was on the press. The interview also formally introduces the name Superman to be used as Clark's superhero alias. Superman also continues his feats in saving the world, from big crimes to even a small deed like saving a cat that is stuck on a tree. Superman was just not a hero, but he also became a celebrity.

Lex Luthor and Otis

Meanwhile, a self proclaimed criminal mastermind by the name of Lex Luthor plans a real estate scam by destroying parts of California with a nuclear missile, planning to have it sunk in the deep waters. He recently purchased a large barren desert which would benefit as the new west coast of the United States with California gone. Aware that Superman would thwart his plans if he comes to know of it, Luthor lures Superman to his underground lair and tricks him by using radioactive fragments of Superman's planet, Krypton. This fragment called Kryptonite has the ability to weaken or even possibly kill Superman. Luthor takes care of Superman by wrapping him with a chain with the Kryptonite tied on it. He then fires off two missiles headed on separate directions because he knew even with Superman's powers, he cannot be at two places in the same time. Luthor's mistress, Eve Teschmacher, however saves Superman from death when she realized that one of the missiles was going to hit the town where her mother leaves. She breaks Superman free from the Kryptonite, cheering him on to save her mother. With two nuclear missiles heading in separate directions, Superman races against time to thwart it. Superman manages to haul one of the missiles in space but was unable to stop the other. As the missile starts causing destruction, Superman goes on a one man mission to take care of the after effects. Superman successfully saves hundred of lives and manages to salvage the sinking earth of the California state. But unfortunately the after effects were too much, and Lois (who was on a scoop towards California) became a casualty as Superman was too preoccupied saving others. Upon knowing this, an enraged Superman flies up in the sky and went up against his biological father Jor El's advice not to interfere with human history. Superman however took hold of his foster father Jonathan Kent's advice that he must have been here for a purpose. Superman eventually decides to travel back in time and save Lois. He then captures Lex and sends him to prison. The movie ends with Superman flying above Earth, ready for more adventures.

Christopher Reeve as Superman

Superman: The Movie if you actually compare it to the Superhero movies of our time feels a bit campy and less serious. But despite this, it did became a huge success. And just like how Superman became the pioneer Superhero character in the comic books, the movie became a template for other Superhero movies to follow. Non Superman fans who looks at the character as dull and boring would always find ways to diss the character but personally I find it a mystery that no one at that time could come up with a Superhero movie that would be at par with Superman: The Movie. True, that compared to today's standards, the film might look inferior in special effects, costumes, and plot tightness, but Superman is not supposed to be viewed as strictly an action movie. Superman: The Movie above all is a romantic sci-fi movie. It shows us that Superman is not just about saving the world and fighting bad guys. But the meat of it all is that Superman is about heart. And this is what the film set out to do. It made us believe that a man can fly. It made women wish that their Superman could fly them up in the sky every time they hear the famous song (Can you read my mind) in this movie. It inspired us to do good. Kids like me at that time was just so amazed at this brightly colored costumed Superhero could do wonders and feats that only gods could do. This Superman movie was just right for that time period. But if brought to our current standards, it still continues to be a legend, a classic. And despite all the success of the grittier Superhero movies that we are seeing now, people find it hard to move on from this Superman when given a modernized take on the character using the current standards. That's why Man of Steel (you can read my reaction here) was so polarizing. Superman: The Movie is the grand daddy of all Superhero movies. His legend is incomparable. You can't compare a legend from its spawn. It is a timeless classic that can stand the tests of time. It's no wonder why people had easily forgotten Tobey Mcguire's Spider-Man Movie Trilogy when a new Spider-Man starred by Andrew Garfield was released. Superman: The Movie is not a one-dimensional superhero movie. Not every Superhero movie can compare with a classic like Superman: The Movie. We don't compare this film to any Superhero Movie, even a movie that is a re-imagining of this classic like Man of Steel.

Gary Frank's Christopher Reeve Superman

The Action Figure: Well, even up until now, there's still no 6-7 inch Superman action figure in the market. Hot Toys' Christopher Reeve Superman despite its perfectness is too big for me. And Mattel had recently announced a Movie Masters Christopher Reeve Superman but was downgraded in a 4 inch scale. Since 6 inchers are my favorite scale, I desperately had to have a Christopher Reeve Superman for this scale. And thank God for Gary Frank's Christopher Reeve Superman art. It disappointed me however that DC Direct opted to release the Commander El figure only and didn't chose to release Kal El in his Superman costume. That figure would have been selling like hotcakes because as far as I know, there are a lot of toy collectors who would want to own a Christopher Reeve Superman in 6 inch scale. The Commander El figure however gives us a head sculpt featuring Christopher Reeve's likeness. So this gave toy customizers an opportunity to create their own 6 inch Superman action figures. So it takes creativity to get the best look that they can create to give justice to a 6 inch Christopher Reeve Superman. Collectors who are skilled in painting and sculpting went to work with their customs and made use of the DCUC Superman bodies because of it being highly articulated. Others opted to choose bodies that already had the Reeve costume colors like the DC Direct JLA Superman to avoid doing a repaint on the figure. Still others chose the lesser articulated DC Direct Superman action figures like the Enemies Among Us Superman.

My custom Christopher Reeve Superman

I however opted to use the DC Direct History of the DC Universe Superman for my custom project. That figure is one of the rarest Superman action figure of today but I have to sacrifice it in order for me to come up with my best rendition of the Christopher Reeve Superman in 6 inch form. I chose this because the body is a perfect replica of Reeve's costume colors. It also has better articulation than that of the standard DC Direct points of articulations. It features a ball jointed neck, ball jointed shoulders, swivel biceps, swivel forearm, swivel wrists, ball jointed torso, swivel waist, swivel hips, hinged elbows and knees, and a swivel lower leg. Some articulations are actually useless like the swivel lower leg and swivel forearm. They should have opted for ankle articulations. But despite these gripes, I still find this as the perfect body for my Christopher Reeve Superman project. The figure looks so gorgeous and really Reeve like because of the head sculpt and the right body build. Sometimes I'm tempted to restore the original head of this body and use the Enemies Among Us body instead because lately I've seen tons of them at a very low price. But that body looks more muscular for a Christopher Reeve Superman. So I guess I'll have to keep this one and sacrifice the History of the DC Universe Superman action figure in my collection. I'm keeping an eye on another one though. More photos below as I re-enact some of the Superman: The movie scenes.