As much as I enjoy the first Richard Donner Superman, I did not then, I do not now and I never will accept that spinning-the-Earth-backwards bit. It's number one on my list of all time "you gotta be kidding me" moments.
And then, in the Richard Donner cut of Superman II,
I agree that Brandon Routh was a good Reeves-ish clark Kent. I wish he had a more charming movie within which to be so.