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Superman II

Superman II

List Price: $19.96
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Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Good but the link is destroyed
Review: Superman 2 was going to be directed by Richard Donner but due to many problems he was fired. Lester took the job but took it in the wrong direction, the cheap feeling in the film is evident and the big battle isn't as good as what Donner planned. New powers were added which really was plain silly, it made Superman too good. The best bits of Superman 2 are all the Donner sequences, which include all the Lex Luthor sequences. We were also promised that we would see Brando reprise his role as Jor-El, his footage was cut out and replaced by Susannah York. One important scene where Jor-El commits suicide to save battered Clark would have been amazing, this was shot by Donner. Due to greed it was not used in Lester's version. Superman 2 is a disappointing sequel. The tv edition does help to improve it by a long way

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A SUPER-CLASSIC!
Review: This is the best Superman movie to date, better than the first of the four Reeves movies, and far better than the third and fourth. Pitting The Man of Steel vs. villians from Krypton, not to mention Lex Luthor, plus a solid love story with Lois Lane makes this picture great. The action doesn't let up from the opening credits, with dynamite scenes from Superman I, though the opening sequence in which Lois Lane, the Eiffel Tower and Paris are rescued all in one shot. The excitement continues all the way to the final battle with the three evil Superpeople. The comedic elements which slightly marred Superman I are minimized here. And although one could get nitpicky about certain aspects of the film, it is by far a super-classic for all time, and is highly recommended.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: THE BEST SUPERMAN MOVIE TO DATE BAR NONE!!!
Review: SUPERMAN 2 in my opinion is the best of all of the SUPERMAN movies for instance GENE HACKMAN has some great villianous cast to go with his role as LUTHOR. TERRANCE STAMP, SARAH DOUGLAS AND JACK O'HOLLORAN are some of the best baddies in film history who they play I won't say but I'm sure you'll agree as to why I feel this way. I felt that SUPERMAN 2 was a lot better written too the silliness that sometimes was in the first film is long gone as is some of the mushy diolouge between SUPERMAN and LOIS LANE. This movie is unbelivable even the special effects have been given a great upgrade which ones I won't say but watch and enjoy. My advice is get this SUPERMAN film and THE FIRST SUPERMAN movie for your collection you won't soon forget them.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Hollywood rewrites again.
Review: Although 'fantasy', the Superman mythos is pretty defined -- especially his powers. This movie felt entirely justified in altering the powers to fit the storyline, without any apparent need to do so. Superman teleports, Superman has magic forgetful breath, Superman has a big cellophane shield, Superman can be invisible, Superman can make multiple clones of himself. Please. Very disappointing sequel, and it only gets worse in III and IV. Did they ever even read the comic, or were they blinded by the pretty primary colors?

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The Man of Steel is back!
Review: It seems three evil people from Krypton were put in the prison like Phantom Zone. When Superman hurls a terrorist bomb into space, it releases the threesome. Superman and Lois fall in love as the the threesome take over the U.S. A slow beginning leads to a well developed fight... to the death between Superman and his foes!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A close call
Review: Superman v.s. Superpeople, a well constructed contest. Many people have said that the only Superman movie that was worth seeing was the first. Well, maybe, but this one is definately worth a look. While more violent than the first it does offer another look at the comic book Superman's old foes. General Zod was a respected opponent in the older Superman comics, though not in the same ways as the movie. The "Phantom Zone" villians are certainly more than a match for our super friend, but their skill levels are not up to snuff. Most people didn't like this movie because of the violence and because of the Lois and Clark secondary story...but check the T.V. for the updated version. Well, this movie is worth seeing and it beats the next two hands down. END

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Rarely do sequels surpass the original, this one does!
Review: I thought Superman I was a terrific movie. I hesitated to go to the sequel because rarely do sequels match up to the original. This is one where the sequel was better than the original.

From the terrific beginning where Superman rescues Lois Lane and the city of Paris from terrorists to the epic battle between Superman and the three villians in Metropolis which then continues to Supermans Fortress of Solitude, Superman II is nonstop action.

Superman giving up his powers to marry Lois Lane and the romantic scenes in the Fortress of Solitude were a nice touch. Lois Lane tempting Clark Kent to reveal his identity as Superman by jumping off Niagra Falls was hilarious as Kent acts so clumbsy, rescues Lane without revealing his identity (yet).

The prisoners whistling Mozart's tune as Superman returns his nemisis Lex Luther back to prison was equally funny. To appreciate this, you have to see the movie.

Superman I was a fantastic movie but Superman II was even better. If you are a suyperhero fan, then I highly recommend both.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: A Richard Donner Cut is what I'm after
Review: Not nearly as good as the first movie, this suffers from production problems as a result of Donner's sacking by the Salkinds.
It's plainly obvious which scenes were shot by Donner and which weren't. And sadly, they left out a hefty chunk of what Donner had filmed, giving Lester the top billing as director.
Another sad omission is John Williams rousing score, which has been poorly duplicated. Not nearly as uplifting and powerful as John William's efforts in one.
Although the primary focus is on Lois and Superman's relationship, it doesn't save this picture from stinking. Even Gene Hackman's wonderful performance(which was all directed by Donner, with the exception of scenes where Lester used a body double and an impersonator for Hackman's voice) can't salvage this.
So why do I give this three stars? Because it does have it's moments, though scattered, and I live in the hope that a Richard Donner cut, using primarily all his footage, which would bring back all the scenes with Marlon Brando, will eventually pop up and finally put to bed the question of what could have been.

Rating: 4 stars
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.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: A Super Sequel, But Not Invincible
Review: This sequel to 1978's "Superman" was planned from the beginning, tying into the fate of the three Kryptonian criminals banished by Superman's father Jor-El in the original. Most people know how "Superman II" had a troubled production, with original director Richard Donner fired by the producers, Richard Lester brought in as his replacement, John Williams bowing out as composer, and Marlon Brando's scenes cut because of a contract dispute. Mario Puzo's story, which logically continues the plot that began in the first "Superman", keeps the film together and makes it far superior to the subsequent sequels, but the viewer gets the feeling that the film could have been better.

The original "Superman" was over two and a half hours long as it recounted Superman's origin and introduced all the characters. By comparison, "Superman II" runs at a lean two hours and gets straight to the action. Superman (Christopher Reeve) saves reporter Lois Lane (Margot Kidder) and Paris from nuclear terrorists. He tosses a detonating H-bomb into outer space, unwittingly freeing three renegade Kryptonians, the megalomaniac General Zod (Terence Stamp), the sadistic female Ursa (Sarah Douglas), and the brutish mute Non (Jack O'Hallorhan), from their imprisonment in the Phantom Zone. The evil Kryptonians, possessing all of Superman's powers under Earth's yellow sun, set out to conquer Earth and seek revenge on the son of their jailer, Jor-El.

Meanwhile, criminal genius Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman) escapes from prison, determined to seek revenge against Superman. He tracks down Superman's Fortress of Solitude and learns of the Kryptonian outcasts. At the same time, Lois learns that Clark Kent is really Superman. The two profess their love for each other and Superman volunteers to give up his powers using a Kryptonian device so that he and Lois can be together. All of the various sub-plots combine in an entertaining climax that is the kind of over the top action taken straight out of a comic book. As for the denouement, it is surprisingly sad and moving.

It's nice to see a comic book movie that combines special effects, action sequences, AND a story about human relationships. The actors are well cast and play their parts well. The script can be funny, touching, and thrilling. Most "Superman" stories suffer from the realization that Superman is more powerful than any of his enemies. Here, the Man of Steel is pitted against three villains with all of his powers, and so he must use his wits and courage to defeat them.

However "Superman II" has many weaknesses that keep it from reaching its full potential. There are some moments of corny slapstick injected into the film that just don't work. Some scenes seem to have been cut out, leaving many plot holes. It is never fully explained how Superman gets his powers back. Valerie Perrine's Eve Tessmaucher and Ned Beatty's Otis are brought back only to disappear again. Superman and the evil Kryptonians display powers never shown in the comic book or previous film. And how did the Kryptonian villains learn to speak English? The jumpy plot raises several questions, which are never answered.

Little problems abound. John Williams's soaring music is muted by Ken Thorne's lacklustre work, the title sequence is simply a rehashing of clips from the first film, and Marlon Brando's Jor-El is absent, unfortunate considering the Kryptonian criminals are motivated by revenge against him.

All in all, "Superman II" is a fun film and better than most sequels (certainly better than "Superman III" and "IV"), but it could have, and should have, been better. The epic grandeur and awe from the first "Superman" is missing. Unfortunately, the ultimate legacy of the "Superman" series is the law of diminishing returns.


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