Rating:  -
'Superman IV - The Quest for Peace' released in '87 was an absolute bomb (yes, pun intended). Christopher Reeve still looked the part, but it was obvious that the fun of being a superhero had worn thin.
TO BUY OR NOT TO BUY? For completist only.
Rating:  -
Amazon should really seriously consider the ability to give half stars because this one needs it.
Nuclear man - created from Superman's DNA yet he has Lex Luthor's voice and all the intelligence of a crab? What was John Cryer doing in this film? Chris Reeve has writing credit here and considering he didn't want to be labeled the S-guy forever I think he tried to kill the franchise. Golan-Globus should be ashamed. Do what I do buy the first two films and pretend III and IV don't exist. That's what they're doing for Superman Returns!
Rating:  -
It's been 19 years since this film was originally released. Alot has been said about it, both good and bad. The bad reviews seem to focus mainly on inaccurate details, factual errors, etc. They don't seem to appreciate this film for what it is - a simple, but enjoyable entry in the Superman series. First of all, Christopher Reeve (along with most of the original cast), return to thier roles. That alone earns big points with me. Secondly, the length of this film is an average 90 minutes, as opposed to dragging on for 2 or more hours. Kudos for that as well. And finally, many thanks to Christopher Reeve and the filmakers for keeping Superman consistent in this one. He still battles the bad guys (Nuclear Man, Lex Luthor), takes part in a worthwhile cause (ridding the world of Nuclear weapons), and still finds time to help the average man (example: the conductor on the train, who has a heart attack....or the Russian astronaut who loses control). Instead of giving you tons of plot details and scene descriptions, I decided to focus my review on what I liked about Superman IV, and why. In an era where superheroes are being portrayed as angst-ridden and depressed, it's nice to come back to a film like this, with an extremely likable, real superhero.
Rating: -
SUPERMAN was excellent. SUPERMAN II was nearly as good, and perhaps even better. SUPERMAN III - nyeh. Not so good. So how about the notorious SUPERMAN IV? Well ... it's notorious for a reason.
Christopher Reeve returns as the Man of Steel. After he receives a letter from a child (Damien McLawhorn) asking Superman to destroy the world's nuclear weapons, Supes sets out to do just that. All seems to be going well - but little does Superman know that his old nemesis, Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman), has recently escapes from jail, and has concocted his latest and "greatest" scheme. Using power from the sun (I think so, anyway - the movie never really makes it clear), Luthor creates Nuclear Man (Mark Pillow), a badguy who happens to have most of Superman's powers and who really wants Krypton's last son dead.
Frankly, SUPERMAN IV: THE QUEST FOR PEACE is not simply a weak film. It's one of the worst movies I've ever seen. Granted, it's not as bad as, say, MANOS: THE HANDS OF FATE, but it's bad. One of the movie's big flaws is its attempt to imitate the original film's charm, which it fails to do. Another flaw: the script. Mario Puzo left after SUPERMAN II, while David & Leslie Newman hung around for SUPERMAN III before departing from the series. Lawrence Konner and Mark Rosenthal are responsible for the poor, cliched script for this film, based on a story by Christopher Reeve. The screenwriters made the mistake of ignoring the comics and creating a new villain, which of course leads to some errors sure to irritate Superman fans. There's even factual errors (since when can people breathe in space?).
Because the film's budget was slashed in half during filming, the effects are pretty weak. The new music, by Alexander Courage, is dull and repetetive; even John Williams' magnificent theme becomes hokey when used in this movie. The cast is looking older and the characters have lost all their shine, though Reeve is still trying his best and it shows. Mark Pillow, who never acted in another film before or after this, delivers the worst performance I've ever seen as the ridiculous Nuclear Man.
While SUPERMAN IV has its moments (particularly the Smallville scene), it makes it painfully clear why the series ended here. It's moviegoer's Kryptonite. Die-hard Superman fans may want to give it a try; anyone and everyone else, stay away!
Rating:  -
Despite what others say about this film I give it two thumbs up. What alot of people dont know is that Half of the plot was cut out of this film such as: who does Clark sell his Farm to, what becomes of young Jermey, and The fact that Superman defeats Nuclear Man Early on in the movie and Nuclear Man returns Only to get bitch slaped Again by Superman. This movie has heart and Captures the magic that the first Superman did when viewed in its Long Original Form. Who ever edited this movie should be shot twice,brought back to life and shot again.
Thank you. -Brandon.
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