All of the above and then more.

Batman does not go back in time in a terribly unconvincing, vague manner.

Yes, but Superman does not have to bend at the waist to look up.

The useless neck thing is foolish, yes. However, the climax of the film isn't dependent on Batman's neck.

I'm trying to think of a scenario where Batman's neck could play a central role..
But really, for me a super-hero movie hinges on a believable central performance. And when you're talking about people with special abilities that wear their underwear on the outside, a good part of a believable performance is the physicality of the actor involved. So, for me, Christopher Reeve = Superman, while Michael Keaton = puny guy in an awkward rubber suit making a kissy face.

By the same token Luther, if you have an incredibly capable actor with the correct physicality an' all thrown into a laughably bad situation, it won't work. Also, whereas Keaton sure doesn't look like a suave built millionaire playboy, he's a good enough actor to sell it.

I have to agree with this too. I used to love Superman 1 & 2 when I was a kid. I hadn't watched them in about 13 years, so I decided to rewatch them yesterday. I am very sad that I did now. My childhood nostalgia of these movies is ruined, and now as an adult, I see them as the putrid crap they are.


I was seriously bored watching Superman and felt like turning it off several times, but I never did. I wasn't even going to bother with Superman 2, but my childhood nostalgia told me that I liked it better, so I decided to try it out. I ended up hating it even more than the first movie. The only good in the movie was the "Kneel before Zod!" line; the rest was absolutely horrible. In my opinion, these movies weren't even worth the $6 rental fee I paid for them. All they did was ruin my nostalgia about how much I liked them as a kid.


I really wonder how many people here who like these movies have actually watched them in the last few years? I think most are probably like me, and are just remembering childhood memories of the movies.

If I went with how I felt when first watched the films, Superman all the way. I remember being disapointed by Batman. Watching them now? Batman. It's a much better crafted movie.

Superman: The Movie was a superior film in all but production design and main villain (and of course, one could argue that Batman benefits from a decade of advancement in technology). I love Hackman in everything he's ever done, but Jack Nicholson is the "nuclear option" in casting.

Batman isn't a "great" film or anything, but to me it doesn't really have any glaring flaws. Sure, Jack Nicholson stole the show, but I don't see how that's a bad thing. He was f'ing brilliant...and somehow managed to be less campy as the Joker than Lex was in Superman.

The first two acts of Superman are pretty good in spite of a terrible Lois Lane and a ridiculously campy Lex Luthor...but that third act is soooooo stupid.

Oh, and anybody who CAN'T hum the Batman theme doesn't belong in this thread.