DVD : Superman II - The Richard Donner Cut

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Rating:

- Just A Great Movie, Simple As That
I have to use the old saying but the best word to describes this movie is Amazing (with a capital "A" get it). Superman II is just an overall amazing movie and still hasn't aged after all of these years. The script is so well written, that it is hard to describe in words. It is just a fan boys dream come true and a movie that fans can watch over and over and never get tired of seeing it.

There is just so much emotion that is put into this film, especially between Jor-El and Kal-El. The acting and choice of cast is once again perfect, and Gene Hackman still hasn't lost his touch as Lex (Not so bald in the early films) Luthor. This movie also has the second coolest villain in all super hero movies, Zod. There just so many catchy quotes that come from and are about him. Superman II is a must have movie, you will love it and what Richard Donner has added makes it all the sweeter

Rating:

- "With All This Accumulated Knowledge..."
Okay, I waited for a long while before writing this because I just didn't want to admit just how disappointed I was with the results. I was "one of those people" who wrote in to Warner asking for the Donner Cut to be finally released. They listened, but not carefully enough I guess. Michael Thau said that he knew what fans wanted and were looking for in a Donner Cut. If only this was the truth, but I guess perception is reality. The final film result should be considered a bonus disc to a film that never existed and probably will never exist. After careful consideration, I personally would have preferred more of a hybrid of Lester's and Donner's version. The title of this review refers to Gene Hackman's line when he walks into the Daily Planet. This was a Donner scene, and one of Luther's funniest quips when he said "With all of this accumulated knowledge,when will these dummies learn to use the door knob." For some reason, Mr. Thau felt the need to cut this memorable line out of the Donner cut altogether. What was he thinking? Also my favorite, very, emotional scene with Margot Kidder, when Superman breaks up with her before he destroys the Fortress of Solitude, was cut practically in half. The best lines, which in my VHS version are spoken very,very clearly by Margot Kidder about the their relationship being like "the Eternal Triangle," and how she has "All of humanity waiting in the next room," were cut out. The same happened with the follow-up scene on her balcony. Very little of those scenes were left in by Mr. Thau. What was left in, was voiced over by some other woman-very poorly.

The editing is extremely choppy, even amateurish looking, which many other reviewers also complained about. The optical effects were also so-so, not even in par with the original 1980 effects in Lester's version. A very sad indication that this project was not given the budget it deserved. This is obvious in the turning back the world sequence and a very bad shot of Ursula flying through the night sky with her head so out of scale with the rest of her body that she looked like a flying "bobble head" doll.

I guess that's it. I just wish that with all the information that Warner and Mr. Thau had, knowing what the fans wanted, that they could have delivered something much, much better than this.

Rating:

- superan 2 in the original version!!!!
i an avid fan of superman's godlike power i highly recommend this DVD edition of superman. excellent quality on sound and picture although donner's added motion picture bits are a little bit badder regarding the quality!!!!

Rating:

- Super Twist
If you love the Superman movies, you will discover a new twist to the storyline in this Director's cut edition. Richard Donner had a much different idea of the train of events that were to occur in the second movie, prior to his falling out with the producers. It is a "must see". Great extras, as well. I was impressed.

Rating:

- Pleased with gift
This was a gift to my son on his birthday, and he is very happy with it.
Thank you.

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