Superman (1978)
NZ release: 14 December 1978
Violence Rated on: 12 October 1989
What’s it about?
An alien orphan is sent from his dying planet to Earth, where he grows up and becomes both a journalist and Earth's first superhero.
The facts
- Directed by Richard Donner
- Starring Christopher Reeve (Somewhere in Time), Marlon Brando (The Godfather), Gene Hackman (The French Connection), and Margot Kidder (The Amityville Horror)
- English language
- Runtime: 144 minutes
Why did it get this rating?
This film was cross-rated by the Film and Video Labelling Body. You can find out more about cross-rating here.
Violence
The film has some mild violence, but many of the scenes are made light-hearted with humour, which makes the violence feel less serious.
Some of the strongest moments of violence include:
- There is a brief moment where a planet explodes in space, wiping out its entire population.
- Whilst stuck in her car, one woman slowly suffocates to death underground in a very intense and suspenseful scene. We see her reaching and clawing for air before she turns pale and dies.
- A man is run over by a train, however all that is shown is his shredded hat and no body.
- In one scene, a wire wraps around a helicopter causing it to malfunction and hang on the edge of a tall building.
- A villain lures a man into a trap containing machine guns and flamethrowers.
When content stays with you:
We all have our boundaries, and it’s completely okay if something you’ve watched is weighing on your mind. If certain content lingers with you, consider having a chat with friends or whānau to debrief about what you’ve just seen. But if you’re still feeling affected, please reach out to any of the following helplines for support.
