Rating: - The COMPLETE Alexander Salkind Production's SUPERMAN Movies
Following in the footsteps of the great italian movie maker predecessor Cecile B. DeMille (and Dino DeLaurentiis as well) who are known for opting on big budgeted colossal motion picture productions- Alexander Salkind came up with these SUPERMAN Movies that held an influential landmark amongst high-explosive infested movies of the current era, cashing on greatly humongous situational storylines, mainly with the first 1978 blockbuster fresh from the frenzy of the fever that moviegoers encountered with George Lucas' STAR WARS, featuring a musical score as well by John Williams, who'd just about equaled the great cinema score he had from the said flick, that gave a great effect for heightening the tension energy for the movie with its lengthy opening sequence which became a trademark for these SUPERMAN films, with its even more leghthier closing credits. Upon the dawning of the first SUPERMAN flick (which pioneered the film tagline 'The Movie' (crutchead's rate: 10 out of 10 notches ~ superb)), I must admit that I have been a kid hooked with the movies that are produced by the ALEXANDER AND ILYA SALKIND Productions, so much like those for the DeLaurentiis movie prod. SUPERMAN The Movie which opened up preparatory for what would come about on its sequel- went well with carrying the theological angle of the SUPERMAN mythos, wherein Supes being the son of Jor-El of the dying planet Krypton, sent his only son into planet Earth to save him, and thus in a scenario of a Christ-like paradigm - became the Saviour of the planet (and don't you know that their surname `El' is actually the equivalent Hebrew for the word meaning God?), which are all carried out in a brilliant execution courtesy of the script written by GODFATHER Writer himself - Mario Puzo, along a screenplay by director Richard Donner, who did a fitting job for directing the flick and most of its sequel, `til merits of artistic differences had him sacked stating the distaste for having Supes as a "James Bond superhero for kids" as according to Donner, left and was succeeded by Richard Lester, who also directed the second sequel (my rating: 8 out of Ten), that although maligned by movie critics like its predecessor - still spawned some of the greatest battle scenes on film, and a number of classic moments that are memorable such as its different opening sequence, despite that it had quite a great deal of some tomfoolery with its script making the movie into a comedy format along with the presence of comedian Richard Pryor, who stars as a bumbling computer wiz, mainly that given with the plotline of involving computers when they're still on their early phase, the script made it all ridiculously dated. It did feature some prolifically diverse acting from the late-Superman himself, Mr. Christopher Reeve by the way.
The first sequel however (my rate: 8 out of Ten notches), although it seemed to have ambitiously stretched far beyond than what is allowable (such as coming up with Supes new weapon - the SUPER-Web ~?) in its script, still it pulled through, despite that it might've made many fans uncomfortable with the plotline that Lois found out about Supes true identity and that Supes would have to choose `normality' over his super-powers to pursue a career on Lois (sic) - still its unanimous that no one goes unaffected.
As for these movies' palpatating critics, they could go so far as to criticise the movie for Supes' costume appearing with a marine-blue coloured complexion when struck by yellow coloured lights from particular scenes. Much likely its only due to hollywood politics again that the ever all-american red-caped crusaders movies' series here are made by the italian company of Alexander And Ilya Salkind Production.

As for SUPERMAN IV: The Quest For Peace (3 notches out of 10), on the other hand made the transition to pass its production with the crew of the Golan/Globus team (distributed (then) by Cannon Films), wherein Reeve on part of the deal that's signed and agreed upon insisted to make the script himself for the film (kinda like what Stallone did for the first RAMBO sequel (which's not such a bad thing though for Mr. Stallone)) in order to save his butt from the flying-sequences for which he made complaints about, that in the result suffering not only the over-all content of the movie, but the effects as well in particular to the flying sequences, wherein they'd have to resort in using cheap-looking optical double shot camera tricks for most of the flying scenes. And the script being absolutely tedious- also went blandly with its poor attempt to be meaningful about the nuclear-disarmament schtick, that unlike Stallone who did well on his contribution for the first RAMBO sequel script with TITANIC director James Cameron - Reeve could've used taking some more time in doing a bit of research about certain elementary scientific aspects such as regarding space travel. And its quite peculiar that all of a sudden, the characters are frequently in the habit of slipping in French lines with their script, and Supes now happens to be a linguist.
Welp, its all far too silly nonetheless so to speak. One can't tell for sure if Reeve did the script a sabotage for the flick to become intentionally that stupid, so's to get himself off the hook (no pun intended) for playing the guy in the red cape; when its all too peculiar even that of all the harness-using actors, it's only Reeve who complained so much about... and furthermore, if ever there's any truth about certain celebrities who'd fake their death in order just to escape celebrity - Reeve might not be that far from being a candidate about such. Because being pigeon-holed for playing the part of Superman, (a similar case that the other former late Supes-actor George Reeves also dreaded) many children with leukemia started asking to see him on their deathbeds, which is overwhelming enough for the actor (as read from an interview of the late actor), that comes as the most probable idea about the concept - whence its even more of some peculiarity that its not the wire-harnesses that triggered Chris Reeve's paralytic condition (which is even rumoured about as falsified during his period of the further directorial career that he had) but a horse-jockying accident. But note that we're only saying "IF" in that regard, with all due respect for the late actor.

SALKIND production went further in 1984 to come up with the flick for Superman's cousin SUPERGIRL (not included; rate: 4 out of 10), wherein similar to the casting format purveyed with that of the first SUPERMAN flick casting a then-unknown to debut on the title role, casts the gorgeous Helen Slater, along with the great sexy veteran-actress Ms. Faye Dunaway as a pseudo-coven occultist, and one of the best actors in filmdom Sir Peter O'Toole - who's presence drew the critics to lambaste the already obviously sleeper movie, when in this matter the motive only had to deal with Hollywood politics again, being that O'Toole is one among that's being slighted in Hollywood due to a statement made back then by the actor about his `homophobic' indifference - when a lot of influential moguls involved therein are offended; thus if one would like to easily make well in Hollywood... (cite: Tom Hanks). The following year after this 'sister-sequel' cross-over to the SUPERMAN franchise flicks of the SALKIND Prod, they embarked to take on with the rendition of SANTA CLAUSE The Movie, starring Dudley Moore (quite incoherently in his appearance) that's only made notable by the presence of John Lithgow as the villain.

However, this package (with the first installment in its SPECIAL EDITION format) no doubt deserves a place for anyone's personal DVD library.