Review of Superman III (1983) by Max O — 02 Nov 2009

Remember how I said Richard Lester put a few unfunny slapstick routines in Superman II? Well he does it for a full movie with this, and it's awful. Superman III has no integrity and almost no bright spots.

Richard Pryor may have been one of the funniest men who ever lived, but if you only saw him in this, you'd never guess it. It's the least funny performance he's ever given. And what's he doing in here in the first place? Margot Kidder's role as Lois Lane, central to the Superman story, is reduced to a mere cameo.

Gene Hackman's Lex Luthor is replaced by a weak rip-off. The story is lousy, the gags stupid, and the whole experience embarrassing. Only Christopher Reeve as Superman makes this movie bearable. He does his best with this shoddy script.

But it's not worth it. Just see Superman and the Richard Donner Cut of Superman II. Avoid this junk. The only good thing to come out of this was a joke in Office Space.