DVD : Superman II - The Richard Donner Cut [Blu-ray]

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Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Binding: Blu-ray
Brand: Warner Brothers
EAN: 0085391131045
Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Director's Cut, Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen
Label: Warner Home Video
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: Warner Home Video
Region Code: 1
Release Date: November 28, 2006
Running Time: 116 minutes
Sales Rank: 9254
Studio: Warner Home Video
Theatrical Release Date: November 28, 2006

Editorial Review:

Product Description:
Warner Brothers Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut (Blu-ray)
The Version You Have Never Seen!
Unwittingly released from "Phantom Zone" imprisonment, three super-powered Planet Krypton criminals (Terence Stamp, Sarah Douglas and Jack O'Halloran) plan to enslaveEarth - just when "Superman" (Christopher Reeve) decides to show a more romantic side to Lois Lane (Margot Kidder). Gene Hackman (as Lex Luthor) alsoreturns from the first film and with a top supporting cast, witty Richard Lester direction and visuals that astound and delight. "Superman II" saves the day any day you watch it.

Amazon.com essential video:
The Richard Donner cut of Superman II is an infamous legend come to life. Director Donner shot most of the sequel at the same time as his first blockbuster film, but somewhere along the line, the producers and studio lost confidence and brought in Richard Lester (The Three Musketeers) to rework the film, and receive sole credit. For years fans speculated on how different the final film was from Donner's original until an underground copy appeared showing a fully formed feature. In an unprecedented move, Warner Brothers officially embraces this alternate version. For those who have not been part of the rumor mill, know that Donner shot all the footage with Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman). You can find blow-by-blow descriptions of what is new/changed elsewhere, but most of the changes deal with Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder as the comic-book couple. Donner's cut provides alternate scenes for how Lois tests her hunch that Clark is Superman, the moment he reveals his identity, and how Lois unlearns that truth. Thing is, Lester's reshots are stronger, adding weight to the romance between the two, lifting the picture's stature. Lester also added the dandy Eiffel Tower opening. Donner's chief additions are in the Fortress of Solitude, where Marlon Brando returns to teach (Susannah York, as Superman's mom, appears in the Lester cut). The producers cut Brando's footage so they wouldn't have to pay him millions. The Brando/Reeve scenes continue the father/son dynamic of the first film. There is a great lesson in editing--Lester's less is better than Donner's more--when you compare how Kent turns back into Superman after losing his powers. The Donner cut is completely formed but does use some rehearsal footage, new effects, and some pieces shot by Lester. The history of cinema has many of these stories of movies reshot, hijacked, and changed from the original version, but here the underdog wins and Donner gets his chance to change history, even adding a note in the end credits about the use of fur and smoking as regrettable choices of the time.

Director Donner and creative consultant Tom Mankiewicz have a jolly good time revisiting their past on the commentary track. You get a clearer picture of who shot what, but the two have nothing good to say about Lester's edition. Donner doesn't go much into why he was dropped, just a difference of opinion and the need not to pay Brando. He also explains why the déjà vu ending of this edition was used in the first movie and a new ending would have been thought up for part 2. A quick featurette looks at how Michael Thau and a small crew reconstructed the film and compares several scenes from both versions. Also added are additional scenes shot by Donner but not used, most with Hackman. --Doug Thomas

Average Rating:

Rating: - At Least It's Different
Having seen the Richard Donner cut of Superman II, I seem to like the original Richard Lester cut better because it's more fun to watch, even with the silliness such as the Phantom Zone villains being able to project force beams from their fingers and Superman throwing a Saran Wrap "S" shield at one of the villains during his fight in the Fortress of Solitude. Some fans of both movies have made their own fan cuts using both versions of Superman II to show what should have appeared in the actual theatrical ... Read More

Rating: - Superman II The Richard Donner Cut
GREAT!!! Much Much better then the original. Would recommend this to any Superman fan. Story was awsome. I'd say that this is the best superman movie ever made!!!!!!!

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Rating: - The Version You've Never Seen!
Superman II - The Richerd Donner Cut is the long awated version of Superman II, Richard Donner was unable to bring to lite. This is a very interesting and entertaining film that has been a hot subject for many Superman fans. Now we have the chance to see what Superman II would have been if Richard Donner had not been replaced by Richard Lester.

Although I am more partial to Richard Lester's Superman II this version of the film is entertaining. However there are times when the film seems to ... Read More

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Rating: - Completely overHYPED!!!!!!!!
The version of the second movie was NOT worth it. Sure there were extra scenes with Jor-El, but there was definitive errors in editing. For example, in the end, Superman leaves Lex Luthor in the Fortress of solitude. WTF?!?!?!? Plus, at the end, Superman reverses time like in the first film, but then goes into the diner where he got is butt kicked to fight that guy Rocky; since he turned back time, it actually never happened. Plus, there were plenty of deleted scenes altogether.

Don't waste ... Read More

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Rating: - A worthy follow up to a classic!!!
Bear in mind, given the fact that Donner only shot 75 to 80 percent of the sequel, it is rough in places. That said, though, this is a superior film to Lester's follow up. The tone is right with the first film. It takes the subject matter seriously, but with a tongue firmly planted in it's cheek at times.

Let's face it. As good as Spider-Man and The Dark Knight were, the original 1978 Superman is the penultimate superhero movie. It's the standard by which so few can even come close. That is why ... Read More