Ok... Let's be honest. It cannot be the best movie but is quite enjoyable. The movie has the potential to develop a great plot for future movies

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film

A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

(note:this is not the 1950's George Reeves series)how this has not been given the MST3K treatment,i don't know.it's astoundingly bad.my roommate and i laughed our a#%es off.it definitely falls under the category of so bad,it's good.i don't want to give too much away,lest i spoil anyone's enjoyment.suffice to say,it is definitely worth watching if you have a chance.i bought the whole 15 chapter serial cheap and i don't regret it for a minute.i'm guessing budget constraints had something to do with how bad the show was,but that doesn't explain away every thing.all i know is,it's endlessly entertaining,and a great cure for depression.for me,Superman is a 10/10

I first saw this serial back in the 1990's when it was broadcast on the AMC cable network. As a fan of the 1950's George Reeves TV show, which was not known for being high tech or big budget, I figured the 2 versions would be similar. Well, even though this serial was filmed in 1948, only 3 years before the George Reeves series began, it might as well have been 25 years difference. Smiling, prancing, wooden, and just all around goofy, Kirk Alyn probably would have been well suited in the silent era of movies. As a Superman, I found him generally unsatisfactory.That was my opinion until 2006, when I saw the big budget mess called 'Superman Returns.' Since Brandon Routh, the Superman of that film, was such a big categorical dud, I have revised my opinion of Kirk Alyn. He is still prancing and goofy, and he looked just completely ridiculous during close ups when they tried to show his 'X-Ray Vision.' But he was earnest, more likable and more manly than Brandon Routh. It was pretty cool when Alyn would smile at crooks when they shot at him and the bullets bounced off his chest, a rare moment of toughness. Physically, Kirk Alyn probably resembled the original comic book Superman better than any Superman since. And there are some moments when he is convincing. The early sequence when he first gets clobbered by Kryptonite and befriends a scientist who saves him is very effective.One of the worst things about this serial, and the superior 1950 sequel, 'Atom Man Vs. Superman,' is the method the directors used to simulate flying: they simply overlaid an animated cartoon version over the film, switching a cartoon for poor Kirk Alyn. This is every bit as bad as you could imagine, only worse. Republic Pictures, 7 years earlier, had done very convincing flight sequences in 'Adventures of Captain Marvel,' also a low-budget serial, so there is no excuse for the cartoons. This should serve as a caution to CGI geeks: in 30 years, CGI will probably look just as stupid, since it is, in principle, the same thing as a cartoon.Of some interest to adults would be the main villain of this film: the Spider Lady. She does not seem, innately, to possess sufficient intellect, charisma, or raw power to be the head of a criminal enterprise. Yet she is, and countless male thugs kowtow to her. Physically, she is rather unimpressive, and the actress who played her, Carol Foreman, well let's just say she makes me appreciate Kirk Alyn as a thespian! But the Spider Lady is dressed a slinky black evening gown, and she wears a black domino mask, just like the actors in porn movies made in the 40's did. And there is a strong S/M overtone to her method of executing enemies.Besides curiosities such as the Spider Lady, this serial has other positives. The supporting cast at the Daily Planet is good to great. Pierre Watkin is probably as good a Perry White as the TV guy. Former Our Gang/Little Rascal kid Tommy 'Butch' Bond is good as Jimmy Olsen, especially since he was essentially blazing a trail in the role. Best of all is Noel Niell, who was much spunkier and animated in this serial than she would be when she reprised her role a few years later on TV. Also, she wore her hair longer and straighter, and she wore a really cute/silly suit, which also adds to her appeal. One of the secrets to making Superman work is that you have to get involved with the supporting characters for Superman to be interesting, since they are the ones who are vulnerable. And in this serial, the characters work.This serial has all the flaws of Columbia serials, and all the characteristic flaws of the whole serial genre. There are moments when the plot makes no sense, when characters break even the foam rubber logic of the serial. In case you didn't get the point, there's lots of bad acting. But the miracle is that despite having no money, almost no time, and no special effects, this serial is escapist fun, and it is never boring. There are many well-directed scenes scattered amidst the turkeys: one of the directors, Tommy Carr, went on to direct many of the very best episodes of the George Reeves series.Ultimately, I find engaging that the cast and crew, despite all their obstacles, despite being paid virtually nothing, they plugged away, gave it the old college try. They had heart, something sadly lacking in the most recent versions of this character.

I actually have the episodes, and, there are 16, not 15. There are actually TWO Episodes numbered 5. The first episode is Superman comes to earth . 2. depths of the earth 3. the reducer ray 4. man of steel 5. a job for superman 5. Atom man tricks superman etc (and then there are title errors from the previous listing)6. Atom Man's Challenge 7. At The Mercy of Atom Man 8. Into the Empty Doom 9. Superman Crashes Through 10. Atom Man's Heat Ray 11. Luthor's Strategy 12. Atom Man Strikes 13. Atom Man's Flying Saucer 14. Rocket of Vengeance 15. Superman Saves the Universe. I honestly don't know why there were so MANY errors listed in the previous posts, but I do have them copied from VHS now on DVD. So, I can say in all honesty I have the proof. The joke is I had them all written out as they appeared but the silliness of this page said no shouting ... well pardon me, but that is the way they were authored some 60 years ago. I guess back then people weren't so silly. I hadn't seen them since about 1974 or so, and I was actually impressed at the drawings of Superman flying since they didn't have the special effects of today. The acting could have been better, but, it was fun to watch again. I am giving a few copies to some people for nostalgia. They will bring a smile to your face if you get the chance to see them!Turner Classics just recently aired them, so watch for them, they may air them again!

This is one good serial! There is a lot of action and decent SFX and fairly good (if now stereotypical) characterization.Kirk Alyn is great as Superman and Clark Kent...a performance that really wasn't surpassed in any media until Christopher Reeve's triumph in 1978. Lois and Jimmy are suitably doltish...though even Lois was a bit more intelligent in the comics than in this serial.I've been told that the producers had some remorse at the cheapness of the effects (i.e., using animation for Superman flying), but I really don't think it comes off as shoddy...in fact I think it comes off fairly well, or at least better than using a derivative of Republic's effects for making Captain Marvel fly seven years earlier.Superman is supposedly the most popular chapterplay in history. I don't know about that, but it is very enjoyable and an excellent example of the genre of the movie serial.