Rating:  -
This movie was to be Dick Lester's own movie, and the Salkinds(Ilya and Alexander)were pleased by hearing that Richard Pryor by any price wanted to play in a Superman movie.They thought that he could play some kind of a comic villain in Superman 3, but that sadly turned this movie, that could have been an all time classic, into a Richard Pryor comedy. Anyway there are also a few scenes that that will be rememberd for a long time. Buy this movie to see the Superman vs Evil Superman scene!
Rating: -
How do you take a growing franchise and suffocate it? You fire the director who did a great job and hire another director to muck it all up! That being said, I don't hate Superman III, it just pales in comparison to the first two Superman movies. Why the heck would you write up a sceenplay about a computer nerd who invents a killer computer bent on controlling the world, when there are so many great super villains available for Superman to take on?! It just doesn't make sense to me. I think the evil "Darkside" character from the comic books would've been a perfect choice instead. What were these guys smoking when they wrote this?
Yes, Richard Pryor has some funny moments, particularly the scene when he gets Brad, the security guard, drunk so he can access the Smallville computer to destroy the Columbian Coffee Crops. But in order to use the computer, two cards must be inserted simultaneously and no one person can reach both by themselves, so Pryor grabs Brad, drags him to the computer room, rigs his hand with yo-yo string so that he can put both cards in at the same time. It's insane but I still laugh at it each time I see it. Unfortunately, other scenes with Pryor are ludicrous. The worst is when he falls off the top of a tall building on skis, yet is able to make it to the ground unscathed. Every time I look at this scene I say, "He would've been killed!". Richard Pryor is a very funny comedian, but a lot of this material is beneath him.
The best scene of the whole movie isn't the climax with Superman versus the Super Computer. No, it's the great scene involving Superman vs Clark Kent! After being exposed to a substance similar to, but not exactly like Kryptonite, Superman begins to change into an uncaring slob. But the guilt inside him begins to brew and soon Clark Kent imerges from inside him, ready to take on and overcome the evil. Honestly, you really don't think Clark has a chance and that's easy to believe since his alterego lays into him heavily time and time again. But Clark never gives up. It's a really good scene and definately worth seeing.
Lois Lane is replaced by Smallville alum, Lana Lang (played nicely by Annette O'Toole). This love story works because she's in love with Clark Kent, not Superman. She always liked Clark. If you recall from the 1st film, she asked him to join her with the gang but old Brad wrecked all the work Clark had done so he couldn't go. If she had been a little more strongwilled, they may have been together back then, but then of course, it wouldn't have worked out because he would eventually leave to search for his identity. At times I think Lana rivals Lois, because Lois loves Superman almost for his Godlike qualities and is fascinated by all his powers, where Lana just likes plain old Clark Kent. There's something to be said about that.
No real bonus features to speak of on this DVD, except a trailer and cast & crew information. I was also disappointed that there were no extra scenes added back into the film like Warner Brothers had done with the first Superman Movie. You may have seen some of these scenes when Part III was shown on network television.
So, even though it's not as good as the first two chapters, Superman III still deserves a place in my DVD collection, and yours. And don't forget about Christopher Reeve, who makes any Superman movie worthwhile.
Rating:  -
This is really a silly comedy with Richard Pryor as the lead and Superman as a secondary plot device. Vaughn (of "the Man from Uncle" fame) plays his usual suave, diabolical role as the film's true villain, using Pryor's idiot savant character to construct a super computer capable of destroying the Man of Steel. A bizarre plot device involving a manufactured form of Kryptonite, which although green, seems to have similar effects to the "red" version ensues. It seems to me that this film makes a childish adulteration of the Superman villain Brainiac. One could say that "Superman IV" attempts the same technique with villain Bizzaro (cloned anti-Superman). Nonetheless, although this movie is a TERRIBLE Superman film, and taints his lead image with cartoonish camp, it is still a fun movie in itself. Just expect to be watching a Richard Pryor film with Superman included for the ride...rather than vice-versa. You won't necessarily like this movie if you liked "Superman I and II", but if you liked "the Toy", "Brewster's Millions", and "Stir Crazy" you will. Unless, of course, you are happy to have any live action film with Superman (or superheroes), irregardless of plot and seriousness. I guess some could argue that the whole genre is childish anyway, but movies like this do tend to kill the hopes of true fans and the wide-spread audience appeal alike. Still, I like Richard Pryor! :)
Rating:  -
The first two superman movies tied togeather, this one and the later Superman IV were made to cash in.
The comic relief approach is just a little too much, there are so many inconsistancies in time that you have to wonder what the editors were thinking. Looking back on computer technology in 83 and comparing it to now, really makes this movie feel older than even the first two.
Rating: -
Although this was really the first film where the Salkinds started to muck around with the legend, I regard it as a fun movie to watch just the same! Of coarse when I was a little kid, I was a bit freaked out by Superman turning into a villain! However, the scene between the bad and good Superman does make the film stand out in my opinion! Christopher Reeve pulled that scene off excellently in this film! The other actors, including Richard Pryor, although not getting the best out of the whole story, were still fun to watch! Not too bad of an attempt to be light-hearted!
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