We’ve decided where “Batman v Superman” lands in the hierarchy of “Batman” films. Now let’s see how it measures up to past cinematic Supermans.
9. Christopher Reeve is by far the best Superman. But 1987’s “Superman IV: The Quest for Peace” is a bomb in every sense — partly because of its heavy-handedness about bombs. Nuclear bombs. The film finds Superman trying to eliminate the world’s nuclear threat, but his best intentions run afoul of a silly, badly dated villain named Nuclear Man.
8. “Man of Steel” (2013) could have been worse, I guess. But it’s still morally gross and has a plot that doesn’t make sense. That it’s very pretty to look at doesn’t override those things nearly enough to make it watchable.
7. “Superman and the Mole Men” (1951). I’m a sucker for a good Red Scare picture as much as the next person, but this backdoor TV show pitch never really gets off the ground.
6. “Superman III” (1983) featured a brilliant corporate rip-off — one later referenced in “Office Space” — but the attempt to funny things up with the addition of Richard Pryor didn’t gel. There was also a weird bit about a weather satellite creating bad weather, which isn’t what weather satellites do. Seeing Clark Kent fight Superman was pretty cool, though.
5. “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” (2016) is not a good Superman movie, but fortunately it is an OK Batman movie. Splitting the difference keeps it away from the bottom of the list.
4. “Superman Returns” (2006) is actually a pretty decent attempt by Bryan Singer to do a Christopher Reeve “Superman” movie in the present day, but Brandon Routh couldn’t pull off the charisma it takes to be the Man of Steel. It was his first movie, so that’s not surprising. But it’s a shame, because Routh has gotten much better in the years since.
3. “Batman v Superman Ultimate Edition” improves the movie — and the Superman side in particular — enough to get past the totally square “Superman Returns” on these rankings just because it’s more fun to watch. Still hugely flawed, however.
2. “Superman II” (1980) made kids everywhere cry as they watched Superman give up his powers for a normal life with Lois Lane (Margot Kidder). There are different edits of this movie, and we frankly can’t keep them straight. But the sight of a powerless Clark getting beat up in a diner made Superman as sympathetic as it’s ever been.
1. “Superman: The Movie” (1978) is the gold standard of Superman movies, and was the best superhero movie bar none for many, many years. John Williams’ score soars, and so does the believable and compelling romance between Superman and Lois Lane. The film convincingly blended camp (in the form of Gene Hackman‘s wonderful Lex Luthor), an epic origin story that actually felt epic, and funny lines. The scene in which Supes and Lois fly together is one of the most beautiful metaphors for new love ever captured on film.
