Review of Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987) by William W — 06 Jul 2009

Superman 4 is an unmistakably bad film but I have to admit that Christopher Reeve?s performance makes me wish the story and special effects were there to back him up.

It was an interesting idea. A Superman film that addressed the big problem of the time: the threat of nuclear war. Disturbed by the dangerous arms race and moved by a smear campaign against him (originated by the Daily Planet!), Superman decides to rid the world of nuclear weapons. He procedes to collect them all and toss them into the sun. At the same time Lex Luthor (played again by Gene Hackman) escapes from jail and creates a Nuclear Man to get even with Superman.

It?s a grand idea executed in puny fashion. It has to be said that the scenes with Nuclear Man are what ruin the film more than anything. Some of the worst effects in the series are doubly marred by illogical staging. (Superman rebuilds the Great Wall of China with brick vision?) The story falls apart as all this unbelievable action (even for a Superman movie) escalates.

But I want to get back to Christopher Reeve?s performance and why I can still admire it in what amounts to the worst of film in the series.

In Superman I and II, Reeve played Clark like a bumbling nice guy. He is likable but not the real person Superman wants people to see. It amounts to a successful dual performance and obviously Reeve is the single biggest reason that Superman I and II holds up to this day. In Superman III, Clark stops playing the clutz when Lana Lang shows some romantic interest in him (the rest of that film wasn?t particularly good, but Clark starts acting like a person and not just a comedic character).

By the time we get to Superman 4 Reeve was trying to give us a more serious and sympathetic Clark Kent. There are scenes with Lois (Margot Kidder) where a bittersweet friendship seems to have emerged after their confusing love affair. Clark also challenges the new editor of the Daily Planet when he wants to change the newspaper into a tabloid rag. Clark is even given the opportunity to play hard to get when Lacey, the new editor?s daughter, shows some romantic interest in him. In Superman 4 one gets the sense that Superman has found a normal life when he is in Clark-mode and seen fit to act like a real human being when in the glasses.

You can probably tell that I wish this film series hadn?t degenerated while Reeve was in the role. I know he wanted to ?escape the cape? for the sake of his career but in Superman 4 I can still see why he was the screen?s best version of the character.

I do hope that further depictions of the character can match Reeve?s sympathetic portrayal. I hear another 'reboot' of the character is on it's way so we'll see.

If you purchase the 4 movie DVD set go ahead and watch the good parts of Superman 4. You shouldn?t find it hard to admire the work of this fine actor even if the overall film is a trainwreck that even Superman could not stop.