Run time: 143 mins

Christopher Reeve’s iconic performance remains the benchmark in Richard Donner’s timeless superhero classic.

Moments before the destruction of Krypton, Jor-El (Marlon Brando) sends his infant son Kal-El on a spaceship to Earth. Raised by farmers Jonathan and Martha Kent, young Clark discovers the source of his superhuman powers and moves to Metropolis to fight evil. As Superman, he does battle with the villainous Lex Luthor, while, as Daily Planet reporter Clark Kent, he chases the affections of co-worker Lois Lane.

It’s wonderful to see these faces again. Putting Reeve to one side for a moment, there are terrific supporting performances down the line. Gene Hackman as Luthor and especially Margot Kidder as Lane do serious battle for top honours here. And of course Brando is, well, Brando.

Superman was groundbreaking for its time, using state-of-the-art special effects to bring the Man of Steel to life on the big screen, winning the ’79 Oscar for Visual Effects. John Williams’ unforgettable score is similarly now legendary. Earning him a nomination that same year, it remains synonymous with the character today and is arguably the pinnacle of superhero themes.

Even with the explosion of comic-book films this century, Superman ‘78 is still flying high as one of, if not the, greatest