Review of Superman II (1980) by Jennifer T — 06 Apr 2016

Super times two, this sun-kissed sequel takes everything that worked so superbly in the first film and manages to trim down some - but not all - of the hokiness. Bride of Frankenstein, The Godfather Part II, and The Empire Strikes Back all share the same distinction: According to many, these sequels best their predecessors. Superman II, however, truly one-ups the original. With a story threaded from the superb first chapter through to this slightly more serious adventure, a powerless not-so-Superman battling god-like convicts seeking revenge for the sins of his father makes for one of the most exciting and heartfelt hero tales ever.

In this PG-rated sequel to Superman, Superman (Reeve) agrees to sacrifice his powers to start a relationship with Lois Lane (Margot Kidder), unaware that three Kryptonian criminals (Terrence Stamp, et al) he inadvertently released are conquering Earth.

Though Richard Donner's fingerprints are all over this ridiculously rousing adventure (the plot of part II gets foretold in the excellent opening of part I), it's Richard Lester (A Hard Day's Night) who gets credited as director. Still, stick with the initial cut (and not the Richard Donner Cut, which was released on DVD in 2006) to get the full impact of General Zod and his cronies laying waste to an America without Superman. Like its forebear, the film is not without its Kryptonite. Some of the humor verges on madcap and the SFX dates poorly.

Bottom line: Man of Real Steel.