Superman II The Richard Donner Version

[jds1911a1]

Does the stupid *** chest emblem celophane trap still exist? That really ruined it for me as a kid, stupidest thing I've ever seen.

That's Lester

[MightyMegs]

Does the stupid *** chest emblem celophane trap still exist? That really ruined it for me as a kid, stupidest thing I've ever seen.

Yeah, even as a kid that made me cringe. And that stoopid super-kiss... until I realized that is an awesome power in itself: just one kiss the morning-after, and they totally forget they slept with you. Hmmmm....

[huedell]

Does the stupid *** chest emblem celophane trap still exist? That really ruined it for me as a kid, stupidest thing I've ever seen.

I never understood why all the "Supes fans" from you to other satirists and critics thought a device to confound the stupid Krypton criminal for a
few seconds was such an insult to the movie...

why?

There was far worse in there!

Stuff that would've been appropriate in a more slapstick movie like SIII.

Anyways..

The Tesmacher/missing crystal stuff is new to me...thanks LadyZod for
posting those plot points. I would have preferred that to Supes just getting
his power bacjk for seemingly no reason. I mean, it IS powerful when Reeve
screams out "FATHER!" and all---but really---the whole regaining of
power is pretty lame.

Hey LadyZod, I surmise that when Supes takes the ZONERS powers away
at the end, it's due in part to Tesmacher returning that stolen crystal?
That's d be cool for sure!

SUPERMAN II will go down in history for me as the movie I liked a lot as a kid
that was severely knocked down the list of favorites once I hit my mid 30s.

I finally figured out that I was uncomfortable by the multiple "tones" of that movie...something that WAS, I guess, corrected a bit with the DONNER CUT.

I realize now that 90% of the reason I loved SUPERMAN II so much
for all those years WASN'T because of the much celebrated Reeve...
but because of TERENCE STAMP's performance bolstered by DOUGLAS and O'HALLORAN's with HACKMAN's smarmy LUTHOR playing off of them.

Nowadays, the cracks in SUPERMAN II show through all too much,
and despite the great villain performances, I think SUPERMAN II is
less special than I used to think it was.

[thunderbolt]

^^ Because I expect trickery and weapons from Batman, not Superman. Well, at least a more manly Supes. Chris Reeve was a big wuss.

[huedell]

^^ Because I expect trickery and weapons from Batman, not Superman. Well, at least a more manly Supes. Chris Reeve was a big wuss.

Ouch! and ouch! again

[TrueDave]

ZOD.

Thats it. What scared me was in the Donner cut he steals a guards M16 at the White House and is amused as he starts machine gunning people down.

I have ALWAYS felt that the movie felt like two taped together, Basically the Donner cut removed all the "Fruity " stuff from the film. It tied the two together so much better in a cause and effect. Luthors extra missle released them from the Zone.

Using the fly around the world trick twice in a row to resolve everything was Eh, but at least Supes wasnt a killer that way.

I only own 5 DVDS thqat I paid full price for . But its because I have been waiting on them . The Donner cut,the Star Wars Theatrical widescreen, Creepshow, MysteryMen and uh Dumb and Dumber.

Have you seen the two GREAT scenes about "feeding the babies" in Supes 1? Luthors pet tigers.

Superman was never that interesting to me. It was the six bad guys . Theres two scenes cut out of The first about "feeding the babies" that are great! ( the baies are Luthors tigers. ) Ms Tessbocker is being lowered on a chian to her death for freeing Superman and that swhen we see Supes fly in and capture him.

WHen did a kid get killed in the Donner cut?

The only kids I remeber was the "Please Mister General " and the one who fell off the Falls.

[ODBJBG]

The Donner cut was excellent. Had he got to finish the movie his way I think things would have been different. I really liked this movie.

[Earth 2 Chris]

The TV version also has Superman destroying the Fortress with his heat vision (or some other handy new made-up vision trick)!

Imagine if they showed that scene WITHOUT the scene with the cops! Superman goes out of his way to kill 3 non-super people!

Again, it's a miracle Superman II is a good film in any form. It's so pieced together. Just look at the differences between Reeve and Kidder from scene to scene in the "Lester" version. Reeve is generally thinner in the Donner scenes, esp. those with Hackman and Brando as those were filmed at the beginning of the first movie filming. Kidder looks much thinner and rougher in all of Lester's scenes, and she looks to have a bad wig on.

Chris

[kryptosmaster]

ZOD.

Using the fly around the world trick twice in a row to resolve everything was Eh, but at least Supes wasnt a killer that way.

You need to remember that the "fly backwards around the world" ending was never intended for Part I. That was always supposed to be the ending for Part II.
I think someone needs to edit the two movies together into one long Superman Spectacular the way Donner intended them to turn out originally.
Hmmm...I think I just figured out the next release of this film series.

Rich

[knight errant00]

You need to remember that the "fly backwards around the world" ending was never intended for Part I. That was always supposed to be the ending for Part II.

Right. I read that they were having trouble figuring out an ending for Part I, and decided to rob Part II's ending and "figure something else out later." I've also read Part I was originally supposed to end on a comic-book cliffhanger, with Superman simply rescuing Lois befgore she's killed, but then Luthor's missile Supes directed into space freeing Zod & co, with them all shouting "Free at last!" and heading toward earth as the comic book (remember it from the framing sequence at the beginning of the movie?) closes. The lopsidedness of the incomplete frame has always bugged me, but made more sense whan I read about the early drafts of the screenplay.

I think someone needs to edit the two movies together into one long Superman Spectacular the way Donner intended them to turn out originally.
Hmmm...I think I just figured out the next release of this film series.
Rich

Hate to say it, but I'd probably buy that . . .

[Nostalgiabuff]

^^ I'd probably buy it too. All this talk about the donner version made me go watch it again. I still think it is superior to the original theatrical version but agree there are faults....mostly because by the time Donner got to release his version Chris Reeve had passed and he could not film the segments he had not done.

My fathers generation saw George reeves as Superman.....our kids will maybe see someone else in the suit...to me, having grown up with Chris Reeve as Supes he will always be Superman to me, and to most of our generation.

[Earth 2 Chris]

Yeah, that ending with the missile freeing the Zoners would have been cool, and set up a cool Empire Strikes Back vibe BEFORE Empire was ever released. Too bad they didn't do it. I think at that point, they were just hoping the first movie would make enough money to break even. They were over budget, and the Salkinds and Donner weren't speaking to each other!

Chris

[kennermike]

^^ I'd probably buy it too. All this talk about the donner version made me go watch it again. I still think it is superior to the original theatrical version but agree there are faults....mostly because by the time Donner got to release his version Chris Reeve had passed and he could not film the segments he had not done.

My fathers generation saw George reeves as Superman.....our kids will maybe see someone else in the suit...to me, having grown up with Chris Reeve as Supes he will always be Superman to me, and to most of our generation.

could have not said it better myself!

[Hector]

My mom is from the George Reeves generation...but she prefers Christopher Reeve's Superman....she says he's the second most handsomest man she's ever seen...after Elvis Presley...lol...

[TrueDave]

You need to remember that the "fly backwards around the world" ending was never intended for Part I. That was always supposed to be the ending for Part II.
I think someone needs to edit the two movies together into one long Superman Spectacular the way Donner intended them to turn out originally.
Hmmm...I think I just figured out the next release of this film series.

Rich

I didnt know that wasnt the intended original ending! I learn something new on here everytime I come in!

I've always wanted to paster Evil Dead together as a single long film.