Review of Superman III (1983) by Robert S — 27 Jul 2012

After two extremely successful films and a combined gross of $400+ Million, 'Superman III' was inevitable.

Changes came though as part III moved forward. Most noteably, Gene Hackman refusing to reprise his role as Lex Luthor.....which hurt this film tremendously.

The story this time around finds Clark Kent/Superman asking for time off to return to Smallville for his highschool reunion. His request is granted and upon arrival, he runs into childhood friend Lana Lang (Annette O'Toole). Immediately, Kent's feelings for Lang are rekindled as the two spend alot of time together. Meanwhile, unemployed bum August "Gus" Gorman (Richard Pryor) stumbles into a computer programming job and after embezlling money, is asked to meet with the company's CEO Ross Webster (Robert Vaughn).

Through conversations, Webster recruits Gorman to create a computer that will monopolize the world's coffee supply. However, Superman thwarts the plan. Webster and Gorman then intend to take down Superman for good.

From the opening scene, you're hit in the face with a campy, lighthearted tone. This pretty much remained throughout the film. I don't mind a little bit of subtle comedy thrown in here and there. For a film like this, though, there was way too much for my liking. None of it was funny, it was stupid & got mind-numbingly annoying. To make matters worse, Richard Pryor's character adds absolutely nothing to the film .... he's really goofy, actually. Robert Vaughn as Ross Webster is just ho-hum, he comes off as a poorman's Lex Luthor. It is evident that they thought Gene Hackman's portrayal of Lex Luthor was replaceable, expendable to some extent.

The story is rather weak as well, but so is the dialogue. I also didn't care for the whole scene where Superman turns evil and fights himself. Who knew that tar would do that to Superman?? It should be noted that Margott Kidder has one short scene at the beginning, which is her only scene of the entire film. She has basically, a cameo.

The only positive in the movie is Christopher Reeve's performance. He took Superman to a darker place that we had yet to see, and pulled it off well. It's certainly a side we are not accustomed to. Also, I need to mention Annette O'Toole's performance which was good, she and Reeve really had a chemistry together and seemed to naturally connect.

To sum it up, this is a very forgettable movie. It oozes with so much cheese that you can't help but turn it off. Aside from Reeve and O'Toole, the acting is bad. The story needed more touching up and the musical score was disappointing. It just lacks to capture the grand feel and scale that the previous two installments had. 'Superman III' will leave you frustrated and ultimately, disappointed.