If I were to ask if you’d seen the 1980 Superman film, your mind would immediately jump to Superman II starring Christopher Reeve. That film itself has an interesting production story behind it, with Richard Donner set to have directed it after the success of his 1977 outing. But what if I were to tell you that there was another Superman film that was released in 1980? One so few have even heard of, with only 53 people on Letterboxd even having it down as being “Watched”. I give you the 1980 Superman.
One of those rare examples of an international remake of a western film, in the same vein of Turkish Star Wars (Dünyayı Kurtaran Adam). Superman comes from India and is what can be boiled down to an Indian Bollywood remake of the 1977 film.
Superman strangely has very little to do with the iconic character from DC (almost as if he’s protected by copyright) so don’t expect to see the Kryptonite superhero as you’ve known him before. Instead, Superman gets his powers from a song and dance with the Gods, who grant him these powers after he witnesses armed bandits killing his parents and a priest.
He uses his powers for good and to try and save people, much like the real Superman does. The plot is a little all over the place and quickly becomes difficult to follow. This isn’t by the somewhat strange and poor translations for the subtitles, with them frequently coming up as “singing in a foreign language”. The plot is not really the strength of Superman, so don’t go into this film expecting world-class storytelling.
However, what you can expect from this film are some bad special effects. Well, I say bad, they’re more very cheap. They’re the kind of visual effects you’d expect to see from a low-budget film such as this. They’re mainly when the use of a green screen is implemented, and thankfully don’t last for much of the film.
However, this film does have some really great positives going for it as well. The film utilises a fair bit of on-location shooting, showcasing what a beautiful country India is. Alongside the on-location shooting are some rather impressive set designs as well. These all really add to making this a surprisingly somewhat enjoyable experience.
But what are you really watching Superman for? The songs and dance of course! And Superman does not disappoint. The choreography is well-executed as you might expect, and quickly becomes the strength of the film. I found myself quickly entertained, smiling and laughing at its brilliance.
This is coupled with some excellent song choices. The lyrics ranging from “don’t kill me with your gaze” to just “Super man”. But the music is fantastic, you may even find yourself having a boogie whilst your watching.
Is this a bad film? Maybe. But is this an entertaining film? Absolutely. It’s streaming on Amazon Prime right now, and if you’re looking for an evening of entertainment and something a bit different, Superman is a very fun time.
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