Donner cut superman 2

[fallensaviour]

Okay the other thread (Superman 3/4)got me thinking about this .I was wondering if anybody can shed some light on this topic for me.I want to know if the Donner cut of Superman 2 is worth buying and watching?I have never seen it and do not want to buy more copies of movies I already have,so is it that much different than the original version???
Does it truly make the story flow that much smoother???
Supes 2 is one of my favs.I'm sure this was covered along time ago but I don't remember...

[Mikey]

Still never seen it to this day ........

Even though i'm a huge Supes fan, I just can't bring myself to dishing out $20.00+ to see a few extra or less scenes then the regular classic release.

[Earth 2 Chris]

If you are a fan of Superman: The Movie, you should see it. I think the real difference is in the tone of the film. It is much less campy than Lesters' II. It actually has lots of payoffs on the relationships started in the first movie, specifically the Superman/Jor-El angle. That aspect alone makes it worth it to me.

My only gripe is the ending. I don't think I'm really spoiling the movie by saying they reuse Superman's solution from the first film. I know that this was originally intended to end II, and Donner just used it at the last minute to wrap things up nicely in case the first movie tanked. But I think they'd been better off using Lester's solution. I know Donner (and Micahel Thau, who edited the movie) wanted to use as little Lester as possible, but when viewed with the first movie as it was released, it kind of makes it look like this will be Supes' solution to every problem.

But if you go in knowing this is the way it was originally supposed to be done before I was finished, i think you'll find it's far surperior to Lester's II, screen test footage, recycled ending and all.

Chris

[BlackKnight]

I think it's worth Watching If your a Chris Reeve's Superman fan. Not sure if I'd buy it,.. but I did & was rather disapointed to some degree.

[The Toyroom]

Still haven't seen it yet...

[fallensaviour]

Still never seen it to this day ........

Even though i'm a huge Supes fan, I just can't bring myself to dishing out $20.00+ to see a few extra or less scenes then the regular classic release.

Yes this is the same feelings I have.
Earth 2 Chris does make some pretty intriguing points though.I am for sure interested now.

BlackKnight -I think it's worth Watching If your a Chris Reeve's Superman fan. Not sure if I'd buy it,.. but I did & was rather disappointed to some degree.

That is what I don't want a $20 disappointment.Then again I am a Reeves supes fan so this is quite the conundrum???

[kingdom warrior]

We talked about this on the old boards and my feelings are the same ...when i first saw superman 2 I liked it...but thought there were some really stupid things about it...The Memory wipe Kiss sucks then and now....When i found how Donner got screwed and when I payed attention to the editing...It's laughablly bad....Lois Lane Flat hair cut too lois lane blown out hair....lol!

This Dvd for the Superman and Chris Reeve fan is a must have....It's a what if...and IMO would have been superior to Lesters fill the gaps version....

[Brue]

I got eh box set last year but didn't watch it until just this week.
i have a copy of the international extended scenes cut and thought they were the same thing

Superman 2 the donner cut is darker and takes some different angles on some things - most notably the beginning.

as a stand alone film it seems incomplete - at least on an editing stand point but it is the most impressive longest running alternate take you will ever see on a DVD extra "deleted scenes"

as a stand alone film i would say it is not as good as the polished released version that made sense after the modifications that were made to the original script of Superman The Movie.

as documentary/behind the scenes it is a MUST SEE.

[Mikey]

To be honest,
As a Supes fan........
I'd love to see it....
But realistically ..
I'm not gunna buy something I already have.

[The Bat]

To be honest,
As a Supes fan........
I'd love to see it....
But realistically ..
I'm not gunna buy something I already have.

My feelings are pretty much the same...I want to see it...but just haven't been able to bring Myself to cough up the Dough.

[samurainoir]

I was a big enough fan of the movies to buy the big box set.

Loved all of it (particularly the commentary and extras) except for #4 I use as a coaster.

The Donner is a great opportunity to see What Could Have Been, but it is not entirely the film that he would have made as some others have mentioned that he didn't completely film what he wanted to and had to make do with what he had, including the audition scene and the ending for the first film that was originally intended for the second one.

It does come off as Superman's solution for everything... Hey! I forgot to pick up my dry cleaning... I'll go turn back time.

[Bo8a_Fett]

Would've been nice for a full cut of Donner's supes 1 and 2 together so that it made more sense with the ending...watching Donners cut relies somewhat on you having prior knowledge of the original intentions for his film and being able to fill in the blanks....still well worth watching ...even on rental maybe.

[Mego Milk]

I think it rocked Krypton!

Luthor has much more dialogue and screen presence. He's not the comic relief buffoon character as he's portrayed in the Lester version. Donnor's version shows Lex as a manipulative evil brilliant villain. He controls the Kryptonians throughout the film, as he does in the original, but you don't get the feeling that he is afraid of the Phantom Zone Menaces.

Also, Non is very threatening and is also NOT the comic relief Goon we saw in the Lester film. He doesn't try to fry the stick. He doesn't have to practice. His heat vision seems to be working just fine. He's just as evil as the others.

recommended.

Works great as a sequel, except if you consider Superman Returns as part 3....then you gotta go back to Lester for the complete trilogy.

artie out.

[jds1911a1]

I understand your desire not to cough up 20.00 for something you may not want to wathc again but I am with e2 Chris I much prefer it to the lester version. I got the all 5 movie collectore tin set last year. While the donner cut for S1 is a little long (it is pretty much the version used on cable in the 80's) the donner cut for S2 is superior to the theatrical version. wihtout spoilign anything Lois figuring out clark us superman is much cleaner in Donner's vision and shows she has a brain. It is worth your effort to rent on netflix or blockbuster or look for a copy used on amazon or ebay.

[Captain]

As Samurainoir mentioned, Donner had to fashion this from what was available. the film wasnt done when he was run off, so I believe most of the ending is Lesters. Still...I prefer Donners take (as much as we can see anyways). It's more in the style of the first film....Lesters version reminds me of one of the bad Roger Moore Bond films...they tried to be too tonque in cheek, and it really makes it hard to..I dunno, lose oneself, in the film.