Peter T. Chattaway on the Not-So-Christ-Like avior.

Chattaway:

But what people often don't point out is that Superman brings Lois back to life as a very specific act of disobedience against his father. At several points in the story, Jor-El tells his son that it is forbidden to interfere with the past, and when Superman prepares to do just that, Jor-El's face looms large in the clouds, sternly warning him not to disobey.

This theme -- Superman's almost adolescent rebellion against the demands of his father -- was going to be developed a little further in Superman II, parts of which were shot at the same time as the first movie. But the director was fired and replaced, and the remaining Brando footage was shelved, and the sequel had to be partly rewritten as a result.

Even so, when you look at the first two films together, an interesting pattern emerges -- one that does not necessarily lend itself to orthodox Christian interpretation.