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Summary: Why No ABC Special?
Review: This dvd would be even better with the addition of the scenes that the ABC special had. Why does Warner Brothers not release this version? If anyone has this version please let me know.
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Summary: Rare Jewel Among Super-Sequels
Review: Superman II Shot simultaneously with Superman: The Movie, this first of three sequels proved to be one of those Hollywood rarities - a sequel just as good as the original. Because Mario Puzo (author of both the Godfather novel and the screenplays) had written such a huge script for the Superman movie, producers Alexander and Ilya Salkind broke it up into two installments. When they hired director Richard (The Omen) Donner, the deal was "$1,000,000 for two pictures), and that Superman II be released a year after Superman: The Movie's release. Thus production began on both pictures back-to-back, with actors shooting scenes from I, resting, shooting a few scenes for II, then back to I again. However, even though Superman II was halfway done, the Salkinds decided to replace Donner with British director Richard Lester, who had done The Beatles' "Help!" in the mid-1960s and also directed the swashbuckling The Three Musketeers and its sequel. The change in directors and the death of director of photography Geoffrey Unsworth caused a delay in Superman II's release date from 1979 (if you have the VHS version of Superman I you can see a credit that says "Next Year: Superman II) to 1981. The link between the two movies is the opening of Superman I: the trial of Krypton's three arch-criminals Gen. Zod (Terence Stamp), Ursa (Sarah Douglas), and Non (Jack O'Halloran) for acts of treason and sedition. They are sentenced by the Kryptonian High Council and Jor-El, Superman's dad, to spend eternity in a flat glasslike thing out in space's The Phantom Zone. This scene (depicted in Superman II in a different fashion) is reprised, not only to set up a flashback laden title sequence but the movie itself, which is part love story, and part full blown conflict between Superman (Christopher Reeve) and the three Kryptonian baddies. Because Superman I's role was to provide the "origins of" Kal-el/Superman and introduce us to the characters, Superman II's pace is brisker and focused. At last we get to see the romance between Lois Lane (Margot Kidder) and Superman go from simmer to heat (in a very touching scene, Superman gives up his powers to be able to love Lois). It is, in fact, Superman's first rescue of Lois in this movie that allows the three hometown villains to escape from their imprisonment in the Phantom Zone. Superman II reunites most of the first movie's major cast. Gene Hackman (one of my favorite character actors) returns as Lex Luthor, joined by the ever funny Ned Beatty as his hapless and clueless henchman, Otis. Rounding out this trio is Valerie Perrine's loyal-to-her-Lex moll, Miss Tessmacher. Also in the movie are Clark Kent's boss Perry White (Jackie Cooper) and photographer Jimmy Olsen (Mark McClure). The DVD - released both singly and in a Superman boxed set - in 2001 is adequate but lacks the extra features of the first movie's DVD. There are no making-of documentaries or director's commentary, just a theatrical trailer and a cast and crew list with a filmography for only a few major cast members. One film flub mentioned in the funny and revealing book Roman Soldiers Don't Wear Watches: In the first movie, Jor-el is the parent who places the baby Kal-el into his tiny starship. Watch carefully at the flashback title sequence...now it's Lara (Susannah York) who places the baby in the ship!
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Summary: Superman is flying high and Zod, Ursa and Non are back.
Review: Christopher Reeve is back as Clark Kent and "Superman" to save the world from destruction. Terence Stamp, Sarah Douglas and Jack O'Halloran who you saw briefly as villians cast away into outer space (in the square mirror thing) by the Counsel in the first film, SUPERMAN (1978), break from their imprisonment and eventually head back to Earth with a vengeance. Mostly, everyone from the first film is back too, Margot Kidder, Jackie Cooper, Marc McClure, Gene Hackman, Ned Beatty, Valerie Perrine and Susannah York. Everyone enjoyed the sequel. The grand finale of Superman vs the Villians (General Zod, Ursa, Non) in the streets of Metropolis, with all the big name companies advertising (JVC, Timex, Marlboro, Coca-Cola) made this sequel a Mega-hit! Some scenes filmed at Niagra Falls, New York. This DVD does not contain any commentaries nor deleted scenes, but do sit back and enjoy the flight. Followed by SUPERMAN III (1983) and SUPERMAN IV: THE QUEST FOR PEACE.
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Summary: Superman II THE ADVENTURE CONTINUES!
Review: superman is now the protecter of earth. but the three villans just discover earth tring to destroy superman. not even their powers is better but it is same as our man of steel! how can superman destroy the three villans? how could he save earth from three bad heros? watch the movie to find out!
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Summary: Great movie! Ursa rules!
Review: I agree with the reviewer below. The scene in space with the astronauts is the best. Ursa is so evil, Zod simply lifts the spaceman and pulls his cord and Non crushes the spaceship to show his strength, but Ursa is even much more wicked and cruel. She teases the astronauts as she is "mighty pretty" and rips off the astronaut's patch to let him die of pressure change and won't even stop there. She gives him what is certainly the most painful kick in the balls a man has ever had to endure in movies or reality. She kicks him so hard, sending him to an excruciating death in far outerspace. That always freaked me out, being kicked by a superwoman with full force in the balls. Ursa seems to get off on using her boots. In the white house she crushes a security guard's face with one swift, effortless kick. And they toned down the character! In the original script (possibly shot by Donner) she knees one guy in the groin to his death in the small town and does the ranger in in a similar manner. Ouch!!! The film was totally entertaining and the villains really made this one more 'fun' than the first. Sarah Douglas's performance is really a great one. Why this didn't lead to more great villainous roles in good films is a mystery. Ursa is the sexiest character ever in a superhero movie. She is so confident, bold and hating of men, but curious and strangely pure. If only Zod listened to her and killed Luthor, then they never would have been tricked in the end. And that Kryptonian outfit is just amazing and stylish on her. The 70s had style and hers' were probably the best boots in movie history - wicked, sexy and worn with attitude - Julia Roberts eat your heart out pretty woman.
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Summary: Disappointed
Review: I thought buying the DVD would give me some hidden suprises a better picture- something. It really doesn't and I was very unahppy with the DVD itself. Of course I am a superman fan, I kept the movie for my collections because Superman I & II is about the best work from the 1970's. Maybe my expectations were to high but sound wasn't too great and the picture not good quality. You may be better off buying the VHS and saving some money. I was so unhappy that I didn't even see if there were special features. I don't mean to sound totally negtaive, b/c I love superman. But that's about it.
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Summary: I like it
Review: The movie is perfect its fun to watch; and fun to see anything with the phamton zone villans
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Summary: WE MUST HAVE RICHARD DONNER CUT!
Review: I agree with the Spotlight Review. There needs to be a Special Edition released with all Richard Donner's original footage and storyline restored...Briefly speaking, the producers fired the director Richard Donner while in production on Superman II, and hired Richard Lester. Lester changed major storylines and added humor that was too campy for the picture. The Superman II we all have seen is nothing like what Richard Donner and Tom Mankiewicz envisioned, wrote, and shot. Donner shot 70% of the sequel, but most of that footage has never been seen. I'd like to see all the Marlon Brando footage that was supposed to have been shot for Superman II, even if it means Warner Bros. has to go and pay Brando whatever he asks for. The DVD profits would probably more than cover his fee. John Williams should be hired to rescore, or at least re-orchestrate, the music for Superman II. Ken Thorne was brought in to take Williams' music and orchestrate and conduct it. His version sounds like a high school marching band, not a world class orchestra's work. Still, despite these flaws, Superman II is a good, exciting film. The Richard Lester version we all saw in the theaters could also be included on the DVD, if people want to make a comparison (like the way E.T. was released on DVD).
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Summary: EVIL ZOD RULES.........!!!
Review: THIS HAS TO BE "THE" BEST INSTALMENT OF THE SUPERMAN SERIES. ALTHOUGH THE FIRST FILM WAS GOOD, IT DOES NOT HAVE THE FUN CHARACTERS OF GENERAL ZOD, URSA AND NON AS THE KRYPTONIAN BADDIES. I FEEL IT IS THESE CHARACTERS THAT MAKE THE MOVIE ALONG WITH THE PERFECTLY CAST MARGOT KIDDER AS LOIS LANE. STARTING WITH LOIS BEING STUCK UP THE EIFFEL TOWER AND PLUMMETING DOWNWARDS ON A LIFT, ONLY TO BE SAVED BY THE MAN HIMSELF.........SUPERMAN IN HIS TIGHTS!!! BUT POOR SUPERMAN AT THE SAME TIME RELEASES HIS ARCH ENEMY GENERAL ZOD FROM THE PHANTOM ZONE ONLY FOR ALL HELL TO BREAK LOOSE. ONE OF THE SCENES THAT MAKES THE FILM IS WHEN OUR BADDIES ARE IN SPACE AND CONFRONT NASA SPACEMEN. THE FILMSET LOOKS FALSE AND CHEESY AND THEN THE OH SO POWERFUL ZOD APPEARS WITH HIS MOTLEY CREW ONLY TO CAUSE MORE PROBLEMS. THEY RIP A SPACMEN TO SHREDS AND WATCH HIM CRUMPLE UP, SNAP THE AIR SUPPLY OF ANOTHER AS HE FLOATS INTO OUTERSPACE AND CRUSH THE SPACECRAFT OF THEIR FINAL VICTIM ALONG WITH THE SPACEMAN. MUCH ACTION FOLLOWS, BUT IF YOU WANT TO SEE IT, YOU'LL NEED TO BUY IT!!!
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Summary: "Son of Jor-El, kneel before Zod!"
Review: After the monumental success of the first Superman film, there naturally had to be a sequel. Richard Lester was tapped to direct Superman's second big screen outting (although original Superman director Richard Donner did film some segments), which we see more thought put into the love triangle between Lois Lane, CLark Kent, and his alter ego Superman. Although this sequel didn't live up to the epic original (and was ultimately the downfall of the franchise), Superman 2 still has a lot going for it. Christopher Reeve is still fantastic, and he is so believeabley different as both Clark Kent and Superman that you will buy the glasses and suit as a disguise. Terrance Stamp is just plain terrific as Zod, one of the three Kryptonian criminals that Supes must contend with. Gene Hackman is great (again) as the sardonic Lex Luthor, and really was the perfect choice as the balding villian. All in all, Superman 2 might not be anywhere near as great as the first Superman film, but you'll most likely walk away satisfied.
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