MovieChat Forums > Superboy (1988) Discussion > The Battle of the Lexes!

The Battle of the Lexes!

posted 18 years ago by Cyndi-El
22 replies | jump to latest

Hi everyone, I've been on a Superman kick this past year. I've always had Superman the movie but this year have started watching Smallville and bought the series Lois and Clark and Superboy. Of them all, which do you think has the best portrayal of Lex?

Here's my list, from best to worst:

Smallville--Michael Rosenbaum
Superman Returns--Kevin Spacey
Lois and Clark--John Shea
Superman The Movie--Gene Hackman
Superboy--Whatever his name is.

Notes. I really almost like Rosenbaum and Spacey equally. I might like Rosenbaum better because his character is more developed and I've been able to watch his evolution into evil Lex. But I can easily see Rosenbaum growing into Spacey's Lex.

I didn't like John Shea's look, but I thought he did a decent portrayal. Despite his being so far down in the list, I did like Hackman's Lex. But after seeing Rosenbaum and Spacey I feel they more accurately capture what how I've always envisioned Lex. The guy on Superboy is the worse Lex on the face of the earth.

What do you guys think?

[–] 18 years ago

[deleted]

[–] republican-superhero 18 years ago

the 2 lex luthor's from Superboy are

1. Scott Wells season 1

2. Sherman Howard season 2,3 & 4

[–] gothamite27 18 years ago

1. Shea
2. Spacey
3. Rosenbaum
4. Gene Hackman
5. Sherman Howard
6. John Wells

[–] jkcoco7 18 years ago

Gene Hackman and Sherman Howard are the best Lex Luthors, period.

[–] RikerDonegal 17 years ago

Sherman Howard was absolutely the best Lex. From what little I've seen of Smallvile, I think Rosenbaum is probably pretty good, too. But, Howard was perfect.

http://yetanothertvreviewpodcast.blogspot.com/2007/09/superboy.html

[–] Wolf1880 17 years ago

Lex Luthor from Best to Worst

Michael Rosenbaum (Smallville)
he has the sinister attitude and displays it by starting out to be friends with certain people and then stabbing them in the back to get what he wants/needs. this stays true to the pre-superman era when lex luthor was best friends with superboy, and since Lex lost his hair because of the meteor shower, it could be percieved that clark was indirectly responsible for Lex losing his hair, like Superboy was in the comics.he's the best in my opinion.

John Shea (Lois and Clark)
he pulled off the "rich bigshot businessman" thing combined with the "slimey underhanded deceitful do whatever it takes to win" thing. i enjoy the show and i feel that John Shea did a very accurate portrayal of Lex Luthor while moderizing the character and staying true to him.

Kevin Spacey (Superman Returns)
he wasn't that great in my opinion mainly because he was based off the Campy and cheesey Gene Hackman Lex Luthor but made to be a little more sinister and alot darker. i think Spacey COULD easily pull off a serious businessman like lex luthor, like Michael Rosenbaum's Lex Luthor as an adult, but the point is...he hasn't yet.

Gene Hackman (Superman movies)
Gene i never liked as Lex Luthor, i felt he was way too campy and much too cheesey and not sinister enough, also the whole "Wig" thing and his cheesey way of dressing killed the character as well, i felt Hackman's luthor was more of a thug trying to be a Wanna-be mastermind.

as for the superboy Luthors, i haven't seen them for along time, but offhand i would rank them...Above Spacey and under Shea, because from what little i do recall the Lex Luthor in the superboy serious was pretty evil and intelligent.

[–] cTitus924 17 years ago

theirs the guys from the serials too his name escapes me at the moment
Otis you got any cigarettes
NO Not since Superman died

Henry portrait of a serial killer

[–] cTitus924 17 years ago

kevin spacy and gene hackman have very simular facial expressions

Otis you got any cigarettes
NO Not since Superman died

Henry portrait of a serial killer

[–] ItsEddieHaskellBeyotch 17 years ago

Hey, um...Kevin Spacey's Lex was just an imitation of Gene Hackman's Lex. The only difference is that he didnt wear the 70's pimp suits...oh and Spacey's Lex was obviously gay. Rosenbaum would be third on my list right after Clancey Brown from the animated Superman and JLU series.

"A commitment to cinema means to lead a technically deviant lifestyle."

[–] cTitus924 17 years ago

why was he gay anotherdifference he wore less of the wig
Otis you got any cigarettes
NO Not since Superman died

Henry portrait of a serial killer

p.s. who was the lex in the kirk allyn serials

[–] cTitus924 17 years ago

his name is lyle tabbot or (Talbot) he also played com. gordon in the bat man serial
Otis you got any cigarettes
NO Not since Superman died

Henry portrait of a serial killer

[–] cTitus924 17 years ago

michael rosenbaum
john shea
lyle tabbot(from the serials)
kevin spacy
gene hackman

i dunno why it seems hackman was just in it for the money he didn't have enough spirit
spacy was just like hackman same movements same facial expressions
Otis you got any cigarettes
NO Not since Superman died

Henry portrait of a serial killer

[–] Viltrumite 15 years ago

John Shea was essentially comic Luthor with hair. I liked him, despite the cheesy tone of the show.

Kevin Spacey was great. Even though he was supposed to be the same Luthor as Gene Hackman, I could truly believe he despised Superman, as well as wanting to be him. Hackman and Christopher Reeve, by contrast reminded me of work collegues who disliked each other.

Michael Rosenbaum is good, and unlike the other Luthors, he is somewhat tragic. He started out as a good person who was warped by his father's influence. He could have chose his own path in life, but chose to be like his dad, ultimately becoming worse than him.

Geen Hackman is a good actor, but I didn't care for his portrayal at all, although this isn't his fault. He seemed all talk, and more avaricious than outright evil. In the three movies he featured in, I only got the impression that he was truly evil twice. And both instances were in the first movie.

Scott Wells as the yuppy, scheming Lex...Good grief. I thought he was cool when I was six years old because he was a young, rich cocky dude, but after rewatching some of those episodes 21 years later, he's bloody awful.

[–] atlantis122 15 years ago

re:scott wells- for those that care hes fallen on hard times( hes living in my parents neighborhood) so please dont diss him i met him the other day hes a nice guy

[–] Viltrumite 15 years ago

Sorry if he's a friend of yours. I guess the way Lex was written in that show is a product of the times, it's so 80s it's unbeleivable.

[–] cTitus924 14 years ago

that sux if he needs money i'll give him money for his autograph. i'd also like ask him if he knew why john haymes newton. is it true the first superboy was a druggy. i looked online all they say was he used to speed in the studio parking lot. which is a stupid reason. do u know

If you love Homer Simpson 100% and believe that he is your savior,copy & make this your signature!

[–] cTitus924 14 years ago

what about the lex from season 2. u like him

If you love Homer Simpson 100% and believe that he is your savior,copy & make this your signature!

[–] clh-1 14 years ago

Lyle Talbot. Luthor from the 1950 serial "Atom Man vs Superman".

Give Blood Today
God Bless!

[–] gingasnaps 14 years ago

My favorite Lex Luthors-
1. Sherman Howard-Superboy season 2-4
2. Clancy Brown's voiceover work as Lex Luthor on the Superman the Animated series. He made Lex HOT!
3. From the episodes of Smallville I've seen, I like Michael Rosenbaum's version.

Visit my Voyagers Guidebook!~
http://www.voyagersguidebook.net