Can there really be any doubt that Chris Reeve was the best Superman? He was born for that suit. Incidentally, I hate Brandon Routh in that role. I don't think he's good looking at all, and that "new and improved" suit of his -DON'T get me started.
I have absolutely no idea what the hype is about Gene Hackman. He was the most comical Lex Luthor I've ever seen! Spacey did a better job, but still comical. Shea WAS Lex Luthor - suave and frightening. You could see how he was the complete anti-thesis of Superman - truly amoral and psychotic. The others (including Smallville's Rosenbaum) tend to play it more as type of skewed Prometheus - simply making misguided efforts to steal fire from the gods, with a lethal arrogance and over-confidence in their own abilities in dealing with the fallout of such a venture. Sort of accidental villains.
Having said that however, I have to confess that it's not really fair to compare Rosenbaum's Luthor to the others. Lois and Clark started the trend of humanizing the god-like protangonist that was Superman. It showed how divinity did not live separate from mundane humanity but rather was born through it. Similarly, Smallville humanizes the antagonist, by showing how evil is "not a light switch to be thrown, but a journey". Shea, despite his best efforts, was somewhat one-dimensional, as psychotic megalomaniacs necessarily are. Smallville's Lex Luthor catalogues the gradual amalgamation between man and devil. Therefore, the Lex of that series is a many faceted, deep and dynamic character - and Rosenbaum plays it to a tee. Plus, he looks fantastic bald! =D
So, it's a tie really. Shea and Rosenbaum, taken in two completely different contexts.
The first time I saw Teri Hatcher in LnC, I was ten years old and fell in love with her. (I didn't begin crushing on Dean till I turned thirteen and my hormones kicked in) She was the PERFECT Lois Lane - for two and half seasons, at least (She kept getting progressively sappier after that). Hard-as-nails, completely arrogant and driven and yet, completely compassionate and adorable. Why did she not win an award for this again?
I'd say my second choice is Phyllis Coates. I've never seen her in action of course, but from all I've read of her portrayal, I have to say I think she seems to have hit the nail right on the head. Plus, she had this Katherine-Hepburn-type beauty.
Third choice is, surprisingly, Erica Durance. I've said before that I don't like the Lois is Smallville - but then that's mainly the writers' fault. Erica simply doesn't present the softer, feminine side of Lois at all, but she certainly does capture the essential self-confidence and independence of Lois. Not to mention that she sure can kick butt! So I have to give her credit for that.
Margot Kidder and Noel Neil were sweet, but weak. I fail to see that "I'm-a-woman-hear-me-roar" quality in either of them. Kate Bosworth was quite possibly the loveliest Lois Lane, but the script of that movie was so weak that she seemed to do little other than look pretty.
Clark Kent - now here's another mine field. I think it's a close contest between Welling and Dean. Maybe "contest" isn't exactly the right word. Their portrayals are so essentially different contextually that it's hard to find a mutual criteria through which to compare them. Tom is supposed to be acting a teenager, with all the teen angst and immaturity implied therein, while Dean is a well-travelled and self-assured MAN. I think both of them carry their roles off very well (although Tom's lines really suck at times - if I hear the word "destiny" one more time...)
In all fairness though, Dean started out a lot greener than Tom. And before you come after me with pitchforks for that comment, kindly compare the first one and half seasons of SV and LnC. Or rather, just watch Dean. He had no idea what to do with his hands while talking! And he completely lacked subtlety. This is glaringly obvious esp next to Teri's immaculate performance. He only started blooming halfway into the second season, but to his credit, he was wonderful by the time the third season rolled around. He had struck just the right balance between the natural farmboy and worldly reporter.
In contrast, Tom's performance seems to be becoming regressive after the fourth season. Before that he was a delight to watch, with a myriad of moods and reactions. Now his acting seems to have degenerated into only four or five facial expressions. Why is that?
So what was my point with this? Just to make a point that you really can't compare SV and LnC off-hand. They operate in two completely different genres and contexts. In fact, I sometimes think that SV would stand a better stead if it were left out of Superman canon altogether, and compared against Superboy instead. Because isn't that what Smallville's about?
*Scurries off soap-box and runs for cover*
