Review of Superman III (1983) by Matthew C — 18 Jun 2010

This is sort of like two movies mashed into one. On the one hand, you've got an OK Superman story about going back to his roots and reconnecting with a former crush. On the other hand, you've got a dreadfully unfunny and drawn out comedy bit by Richard Pryor, where he's an unemployed man (for some reason) who turns out to be a computer genius.

Throw in Robert Vaughn in the thankless role of Lex...I mean, Ross Webster and you've got a mix for trouble. Eventually, the two stories are shoehorned together and build to an OK climax and a silly resolution.

99% of this film's problem rests with the casting of Richard Pryor. No doubt, had the character been played by someone else, he'd have been reigned in to some degree, and would likely not have been given so much screen time.

Both would have improved this movie considerably. Annette O'Toole makes a charming Lana Lang, though.