Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut

[The Toyroom]

Returns was painful to watch once for me. I'll never watch it again.

I sorta feel the same way...this has been a "bargain bin" $5 DVD for quite a while now and I still won't pull the trigger to add it to the collection....

[BlackKnight]

Well ... , Returns was far Greater than Superman 3 .

[The Toyroom]

^ Gotta agree with you there....They also sell all four of the Reeve movies on one DVD set...again, cheap price (like $10) but I'll never buy it.

[Mikey]

I disagree.

I think 3 was way better than Superman Returns because Christopher Reeve starred

That fact alone puts it higher than Returns.

[SlipperyLilSuckers]

I keep forgetting to pick up the Donner version, I really want to see it.

[thunderbolt]

I disagree.

I think 3 was way better than Superman Returns because Christopher Reeve starred

That fact alone puts it higher than Returns.

I'm sure if Singer could have, he would have used Chris. If he did, tho it would have looked like Weekend at Bernie's 3.

[MIB41]

I think the Donner edition is pretty good, but not necessarily better, just different. I liked some of the humor injected into the original sequel. I think some of that humor made for a more balanced interpretation without it getting too heavy handed which, for comic films, translates into hokiness. So while I enjoyed watching the Donner version, I don't think he made much of an argument for saying his version was better.

[Mikey]

I have one question ....

When Superman 1 and 2 were both being filmed at the same time did both movies suppose to end with the world spinning backwards in time ?

If so, that is about the worst writing EVER - ending 2 movies the exact same way.

[huedell]

^^^^if 2 ended the way it was originally was supposed to end, the
SUPERMAN RETURNS we saw would have never been possible...all
the plot points they addressed in SR that had to do with events in
S2 wouldn't've been canon/wouldn't've happened. No superkid, no
"marriage/divorce" from Lois...I don't know how far back the spinning
was supposed to erase....but at least everything in SUPERMAN 2 would've
been gone.

BTW....the only movie out of the 5 that I think is junk is 4...its like
not even a completed movie.

The others are all good fun, altho' I think 1 is a bit dry in the villain dept...
and the SMALLVILLE stuff seems to drag a bit.

Overall, they've never made a great SUPERMAN movie AFAIC...and
the only thing that comes close is this fan-edit I have of SUPERMAN 2
which was never officially released....
other than that 2 isn't much better than 3 IMHO.

[PNGwynne]

I certainly did not hate Superman Returns, but maybe it is because it was an homage to the earlier films. (I'm not reallly a Supes fan, but Reeve's first Superman film is my favorite comics movie even now...)

But the damn superkid angle annoyed & ruined Returns for me. And let's not discuss costuming...

[ScottA]

While I didn't hate Superman Returns I think I would have enjoyed it more if it had been any other villain besides Luthor.

[Brue]

So -- the favorite superhero movies thread from the dead made me want to bring this one back...

I thought he Superman 2 donner film made NO SENSE when watched after superman one

BUT even though i had it in my possession I did not even realize the box set included the donner version of Superman one.

Watching them back to back is great. so get out your set and spend the next 4 hours doing so.

Though I still think the best of superman is Superman 2 theatrical. You get the origin story in the opening credits and then move on to action against a worthy opponent. Yeas, the whole losing powers for Lois irks me but other than that I love the film.

Let's hope the new superman is a good film and doesn't try to be Superman 1978-80 again

[huedell]

Let's hope the new superman is a good film and doesn't try to be Superman 1978-80 again

I don't see how it could be.

Just like the new Spidey movie... it's a deliberate franchise reboot attempt
and made to deliberately distance itself from other versions.

And that's USUALLY how it goes.

SUPERMAN RETURNS was a huge anomaly that was made the way it was
because you had so many people fawning over Reeve's performance
in 1 and 2 and then augmented by his newfound "real life hero" status
given to him after his paralyzation.

^^^THAT said.... I AM kinda surprised that Luthor and/or Zod are being
included in the movie at all. It doesn't really support my theory above

[boynightwing]

I've often thought of making a hybrid Superman 2 using elements of both versions. For the most part, I really dislike the Donner Cut but there are some scenes I do like. Especially the Jor'El scenes and also seeing Lois wearing Superman's shirt. As a whole, the original is better I think.

[huedell]

I've often thought of making a hybrid Superman 2 using elements of both versions. For the most part, I really dislike the Donner Cut but there are some scenes I do like. Especially the Jor'El scenes and also seeing Lois wearing Superman's shirt. As a whole, the original is better I think.

The hybrid I found on the Net is indeed awesome and indeed legitimizes
even WATCHING SII for me these days.... otherwise I find SII to be
quite the unsatisfying watch compared to my thoughts on it when I
was teen, when I was more forgiving.