"Father? If you can hear me, I failed. I failed you, I failed myself, and... and all humanity. I traded my birthright for a life submission in a world that's ruled by your enemies. There's nobody left to help them now... the people of the world... not since I... FATHER!!"

"[Watching Superman fight Zod, Ursa, and Non in Metropolis] Never thought this thing would go the distance."

""Funny" is a person trying to smile without any teeth."

"Wrong Lex? Miss Teschmacher, those are two words we don't use in the same sentence."

"You were great in your day, Superman. But it just stands to reason! When it came time to cash in your chips, this old...diseased maniac would be your banker. Mind over muscle?"

"That's Kryptonite, Superman. A little souvenir from the old home town?"

"Keep it on the flame Rock, this is just minute steak. - Trucker at diner"

"I'll bet you 10 dollars they're from Los Ange-leez. ~ Sheriff as he spots Zod and company in the road"

"Terence Stamp — General Zod"

"Jackie Cooper - Perry White"

"Ned Beatty - Otis"

"Margot Kidder - Lois Lane"

"Christopher Reeve - Superman/Clark Kent/Kal-El"

"Gene Hackman - Lex Luthor"

"Marlon Brando - Jor-El"

"[from trailer] Once there was a civilisation much like ours, but with greater intelligence, greater powers, and a greater capacity for good. In one tragic moment, that world was destroyed. But there was one survivor. Because of the wisdom and compassion of Jor-El, because he knew the human race had the capacity for goodness, he sent us his only son. His name is Kal-El. He will call himself Clark Kent. But the world will know him... as Superman."

"Look, up on the screen! It's Superman!"

"The movie that makes a legend come to life."

"[A cat burglar is climbing up the side of a building. He looks up and sees Superman standing there] Hi there. Something wrong with the elevator?"

"You'll Believe a Man Can Fly!"

"It was Tom Mankiewicz. I had known him since he graduated Yale as an "intellectual writer" who found himself writing James Bond [with his scripts for the 1970s films "Diamonds Are Forever", "Live and Let Die" and "The Man with the Golden Gun"] but always wanted to write something that was going to change the world. When we read what we had and we got permission for rewrite, I approached Tom and told him I was looking for two things: One, we have to convince the audience that a guy can really fly; the other is that this has to be a love story. The minute he heard that, he cottoned to it and decided to make the movie. I have a little cutout of Superman, it shows him flying in the cloud, and he was dragging a word on his cape: Verisimilitude. It came from Tom. We wanted to do this — and it's a comic book, but it had to have its own sense of reality. You don't parody it. That was the most important decision."

"Desk Sergeant: [on seeing a boat in the middle of the street and Superman flying off] Mooney, first bottle's on me, let me get my hat."

"Miss Teschmacher: Why is it I can't get it on with the good guys?"

"Boy: [opening narration] In the decade of the 1930s, even the great city of Metropolis was not spared the ravages of the worldwide depression. In the times of fear and confusion the job of informing the public was the responsibility of the Daily Planet. A great metropolitan newspaper, whose reputation for clarity and truth had become a symbol of hope for the city of Metropolis."

"[to Clark] Hey, dork. Jimmy Olsen."

"Lois, Clark Kent may seem like just a mild-mannered reporter, but listen, not only does he know how to treat his editor-in-chief with the proper respect, not only does he have a snappy, punchy prose style, but he is, in my forty years in this business, the fastest typist I've ever seen."

"There's a strong streak of good in you, Superman. But then nobody's perfect...almost nobody."

"You were great in your day, Superman. But it just stands to reason, when it came time to cash in your chips, this old "diseased maniac" would be your banker. Mind over muscle?"

"Some can read War and Peace and come away thinking it's an adventure story. Others can open the wrappers of chewing gum and unlock the secrets of the universe."

"[to Otis] Do you know why the number 200 is so vitally descriptive to both you and me? It's your weight and my I.Q."

"I have to leave you now. No hard feelings. We all have our little faults. Mine's in California."

"[repeated line; screams bloody murder] MISS TESCHMACHER-R-R-R-R-R!!!!"

"[after he's explained how a meteor from Krypton can kill Superman] Doesn't it give you kind of a, a, a...shudder...of electricity through you to be in the same room with me?"

"I told you. That's Kryptonite, Superman. Little souvenir from the old home town. I spared no expense to make you feel right at home."

"This is Lex Luthor. Only one thing alive with less than four legs can hear this frequency, Superman, and that's you. In approximately five minutes, a poison gas pellet containing propane lithium compound will be released through thousands of air ducts in the city, effectively annihilating half the population of Metropolis."