Scott Weinberg

I read David Cornelius's DVD review of Superman Ultimate Collector's Edition at http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=25423 and...

Dude. Wow. This REVIEW is a Collector's Series piece. Well done, you crazy Kal El kook.

David Cornelius

And here I was worried it was waaaaaaaay too long.

dabl

Question: Is this most recent release of Superman II (the original theatrical version) the same 2001 transfer like Superman (expanded) is?

digitalfreaknyc

I think it was graded more on how complete a package it is.

DonnachaOne

That's what I get from the reviews of big collections too, but it seems fair if the point of a big collection is how complete it is. Same with the Alien 9-disc set.

Scott Weinberg

I have a huge hate-on for Superman 3 and 4, and I didn't think Returns was nearly a 5-star flick, but I don't see anything wrong with Dave's 5-star overall rating.

I know this guy pretty well, and he loves the Superman movies like I love cheese steaks.

MEJHarrison

I have no problem with the 5 star rating. I'm sure by now we all know how we'd rate Superman 1-4. I wasn't really expecting him to rate the movies. I was expecting a rating for the overall package. Especially since I have the old box set. I just want to know if it's worth the $70 price tag. So I'm happy with the rating.

kevkev

5 star????hahahhahahhah. cmon. get some perspective. the last 2 films are terrible. regardless of extras. and from what i hear the superman the movie doesnt have any more footage than the 2001 release. there is still alot of good footage from that tv version missing. i'd say it's a near miss. sure there may be enough in there but is it enough when 2 of the films are hardly worth watching more than once.

kevkev

good review though. i like to know everything thats on a dvd.

Shannon Nutt

By this logic, the Alien Quadrilogy shouldn't get 5 stars either, since only 2 of the 4 are any good. Remember, that first rating is for CONTENT, not (necessarily) for the quality of the movies. As far as content goes, the Superman tin is pretty spectacular.

Rogue588

Yep. It's pretty much up to the individual reviewer how they want to reward/penalize a flim based on things such as presentation or the film itself.

Frankly, IMO there's no way in hell that Superman III or IV would knock this set down from anything other than 5 stars. Dave got it right.

Bacharach

I've got to agree that the five stars seems more than warranted. But then again ... the ratings are subjective. That's just the nature of it. Why is it really a subject for debate?

slop101

Also, out of 14 discs, the "bad" movies only take up 2 discs - you could throw those away, and still have a 12-disc mega-set. Just think of them as discs of extra meterial that round out the set.

As for the "bad" movies, the fight between Supes and his bad self is as good as any other scene in any other Superman movie, and while IV is very bad, it's very bad in a very fun and watchable way.

David Cornelius

I spent a while wondering if I should knock the "content" down to 4 or 4.5 stars, but then figured hey, it's just a subjective number of stars. So why not reflect (like Rogue said) that I, II, and Returns are such solid fives that they make up for the other two movies? And if people disagree, let 'em read on and find out why.

Plus, I really loves me some Superman III. Because, you know, somebody has to.

TNAJason

I'll do a REALLY mini review.

Superman:The Movie ****/*****(4/5)
Superman II *****/*****(5/5)
Superman II:Richard Donner Cut *****/*****(5/5)
Superman III *****/***** YEAH THATS RIGHT!(5/5)
Superman IV 1/2*(0.5/5)
Superman Returns *****/*****(5/5)

5 Great Movies,1 stinker,and a Fantastic 14 Disc BoxSet.
*****/***** Just IMHO.

My Favorite Movies of All Time Along with Star Wars and the ViewAskew Movies and the Terminator Trilogy.

vegasbaby

I'm sure its a rights issue, but I'm dissapointed that the footage that aired on ABC once a LONG time ago from Supe 1 wasnt included.

MonsterMan

Superman: Returns is easily one of the biggest disappointments that I've had the displeasure of experiencing in all my years of film watching. Brian Singer and his crew try so hard to recreate the feeling of the earlier Reeves pictures that they throw out every bit of excitement that goes hand in hand with the Kryptonian hero and abandon all creativity as well. Instead of pleasing us with something fresh, Superman: Returns plays like nothing more than a "greatest hits" homage to the first two films. Though new-comer Brandon Routh certainly provides us with a likeable charisma, he falls flat on his knees when handling the soap operish drama that writers Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris dish out in the ill-fated screenplay. Kate Bosworth proves that Margot Kidder makes the best Lois Lane. And Kevin Spacey can't quite muster up the menace or humor that the infamous Lex Luthor demands. Clocking in at well over two hours, the film moves along at a sluggish pace with barely enough action to keep the viewer's attention. Pay-off is non-existent throughout the lazily constructed third act. And the ending is exactly what one would imagine it to be within a few seconds after the film starts. After finally being treated to another good Bond film and a Batman adventure that can rival the first, it saddens me to say that the latest Superman outing, despite being in development for 20+ years, ranks as one of the sorriest excuses to cash in on the recent success of comic book adaptations. Try again Warner Bros.

tonyc3742

I agree with the 5-star perspective.
Not every movie--even 5-star classics--are for everybody. I think there are some movies everyone "should" watch, but still, not everyone will "enjoy" them [whether that be on a brain-off/popcorn level, or a cerebral level]. So there's always some level of subjectivity, and when reading a review the reader must ask, "Will I like the movie, regardless of whether I like the package it's in?"
So, especially for a megaset like this, completeness and physical quality of the content is important, and the package as a whole can earn a 5 star rating, and I can agree with or support that rating, even though I might not like the film/films contained within it. Plus, like someone said, toss two worse movies out and you've still got a buttload of quality content. I'd rather have a complete package with lots of great content, and a little not-so-great content, than a partially complete package.
But yeah, reviews are inherently subjective and the reader always has to consider "will I/do I like the movie itself".
disclaimer: I've seen S1-S4, enjoyed campy S3, hated S4, havent' seen SR yet.

drh4

Great review. David's enthusiasm is infectious. 100x watching SII?

It bears mentioning just how good a value this set is, IMO. A $100 MSRP for 14 well-produced disks isn't bad at all, and knowing Warner, it will come down from that MSRP fairly rapidly too.

I also like how thin the tin pack is for a 14-disc set. With the space issues many serious collectors have, more economical packaging makes the SAF (spouse acceptance factor) a bit higher.

Fok

I'm still trying to find this set in the stores

OldBoy

and if you got it through B&N.com you likely paid $3.78 per disc!! $3.78 for excellent movies including 2 cuts of Supe II, Supe I, and a 2-disc Supe Returns. you also get a stellar keeptin and more. plus, those "bad" movies really are campy fun and will be good to pop in at least twice in a long time. i always enjoyed III for the sheer idiocy of the thing.

i can't think of a better value on an ultimate set ever. this was a no brainer even if you are a mild fan.