Look, Up in the Sky: The Amazing Story of Superman
See also:
Superman: The Movie (Uncle Cliff)
Superman II (Uncle Cliff)
Superman Returns (Uncle Cliff)
Nicely timed to accompany the release of Superman Returns , and with Bryan Singer as executive producer, this doco may be little more than a fluff piece, a celebration of all things Super, but it is an enjoyable stroll through the history of the most well-known of all superhero creations nonetheless.
The TV show and movies obviously dominate the film, with the comics all but ignored, except for the more controversial storylines (Death of Superman, Superman and Lois getting married, etc.). The cartoons also aren't given much screen-time (except for the awesome Max Fleisher art deco early ones that I am definitely going to have to track down now), which is only a gripe for me because Saturday morning cartoons was how I was introduced to the world of Supes. There's plenty more to make up for it, including some hilarious Superman spin-off ideas that have to be seen to be believed: A Superman TV musical that re-defines the notion of cheesy TV, and best of all Superpup – a kid's show with all the characters played by animal puppets which sadly, that never progressed past its failed pilot.
With Look, Up In The Sky being little more than an advertisement for the new movie, I guess it wasn't surprising that the darker times of Superman lore weren't really delved into to, which was a pity since some of the behind-the-scenes stories are just as entertaining as anything that has ever graced the comic-book page. Sure, Christopher Reeve and George Reeves' unfortunate lives were treated with the due dignity and respect they deserved, but what I'm disappointed about is that there wasn't any real insight into the development mess that plagued every attempt to get a new Superman off the ground for years and years. Then again that's probably a story big enough to be its own documentary.