Rating:  -
I've looked forward to this release of Superman II for a while. Although I think Richard Donner's cut tells a more compelling story of the Man of Steel, I can see why the changes that were made for Lester's theatrical version. Also, one particular scene where they decided to take footage from the screen test (since the scene was never originally shot), looks out of place and breaks the flow of the movie. I understand Richard's intent, and it was a valiant attempt to show the scene as he envisioned it, but I'm not sure it was necessary. Anyway, the DVD is worth adding to your collection, especially if you're a fan of the first two Superman movies.
Rating:  -
This is the best Superman film ever.I love Donners version of the film more than Lesters.Lesters version is still good but they're missing Jor-El and other things I like about this one.In this one Jor-El is back instead of being replaced by Lara.In this one Lex visits the Fortress(like in lesters)but in this one Marlon Brando actually talks to him.I love it when Lois finds out Clark is Superman because it is funny.Lesters version was not funny but this one is. I also love the deleted scenes and commentary.The deleted scenes tell you what happened to Zod,NON,and Ursla and the commentary is great because director Richard Donner and Tom Mankiewciz talk about the film.I think any true Superman fan should buy this Donner version of Superman 2.
Rating: -
Superman: The Movie was a great film, but to me, the sequel (most of which was shot concurrently with the first film), was great at some points and not so great at others. Then I later discovered that the reason was due to there being two directors and a lot of the scenes I had a beef with were shot by Richard Lester not Richard Donner, who was fired after the first film's premier. Most painful to watch was the Clark Kent tripping scene and the Lois Lane Niagra Falls jump scene.
And then there's the stunning lack of Marlon Brando as Jor-El. A decision that was made to save money. Thankfully, that has been rectified.
Amazingly, Dick Donner and Michael Thau were able to recut the film using footage that was thought to be lost and did a whale of a job.
And fittingly, Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut, is dedicated to Christopher Reeve.
Rating: -
WARNING: PLOT SPOILER!
With all due respect, Amazon customers are not reviewing this movie correctly. You need to understand what it is, how it was made, and the reason for what you're complaining about.
Let's start WAY back. Richard Donner was filming Superman: The Movie and Superman II at the same time. For example, if they had Gene Hackman, they'd film a Lex Luthor scene from I and then II. However, as the the release date for I drew near, the crew decided to temporaily stop production on II to finish I by Christmas. The movie, as many know, was a huge success.
When production on II was stopped, Donner had finished filming every Marlon Brando scene, every Hackman scene, the begining, and the ending. The Salkinds, the producers of the Christopher Reeve Superman series, decided to fire Donner for many reasons. First off is that Brando was demanding much more money for his footage than the first time. The Salkinds didn't want to pay it. Donner said that we do the movie right, or we don't do it all. And then Donner was fired, all because the Salkinds wanted to save a few thousand dollars, which they wouldn't even noticed they lost if they let Donner finish the film.
Richard Lester was hired to finish Superman II. He is the man who directed the version we've been viewing for years. Lester re-shot many of Donner scenes, not because he had to, but if he directed at least 51% of the film , then he could be credited as the "official" director. Scenes that were kept were only Luthor scenes and some "fillers" that didn't need to be re-shot since Lester had 51% of the footage that would be used with his name on it. When people watch Lester's version of II, and especially III since Donner had not part in creating it, that he doesn't have the "comic book" spirit.
When I watch Superman II, as with other people, I always have so many questions. (Not anymore.) I also notice so many inconsistentsies. Many people who watched II before they knew the Donner story think the following things: how does Superman get his power back in the end? What happened to Superman's father? (Why is his mother suddenly at the Fortress of Salitude?)They also notice how Clark Kent's glasses color change, and how there is sometimes a huge age diference that is noticable in Superman and Lois in a few scenes. It is obvious now that Superman's father is not there due to Brando was too expensive for the cheap Salkinds, Superman got his power back from a scene that was shot with Brando which the plot couldn't allow his mother to replace him, and that all the inconsistenites and age differences are from going to Lester footage to Donner footage.
Ok, now for the part you've been waiting for...
Superman II- The Richard Donner Cut was released in 2006. (You think it has anything to do with the release of Superman Returns? Oh yeah, by the way, GREAT MOVIE! See my review there!)Experts found all of his footage in England. As you recall from the begining, Donner never finished the movie. Therefore, in this cut, Lester footage was used occasionally to keep the story going. Since Lester footage was from a movie with a slightly different plot, it doesn't fit in perfectly, but there is no other option. When everyone says that they like Lester one-liners better than Donner one-liners, for examples, "General, would you care to step outside?" to "General? Haven't you heard of freedom of the press?", they must remember it's not about creating a movie that will be a box office hit. It's about creating a movie that shows Donner footage. And when a scene that Donner shot it also avaible in a slightly different Lester version, the Donner version will be shown. (Remember: in the rare case that Lester has better footage, he got to do it after Donner filmed his cut!)
And now, the ending. Yes, VERY dissapointing. Superman I had such a great ending that wasn't anticipated, and we waited for the same type of thing. And we got the same thing: the EXACT SAME ENDING shown on the EXACT SAME FOOTAGE! Let me ask you something, do you think Donner said " I'm going to make two dramatic movies and then end them the same way?" No! When Donner shot the ending of Superman turning the world back, he didn't know what movie to use it on. When the pressure for I came, he decided to use it and would film an ending for II later, which he NEVER GOT TO DO! So at that point, it's either Donner's ending, or Lester's magic kiss of memory loss. Since it is called Superman II- The Richard Donner Cut, I think you know which one was used.
So there you have it. I got a kick out of seeing this since all of the questions I had that were never answered were answered. If you are looking for entertainment, rent it because this movie wasn't designed for that. This isn't Superman: The Movie or Superman Returns; it's a work-in-progress that's not in progress anymore. If you are a Superman fan, not only will you love it, but you'll want to keep this and add it to your Superman DVD stash.
Rating: -
Film looks great in Blu-Ray (as does Superman, amazing how they can make films from the 70's and 80's look better than some of the stuff they're releasing on BR now). Anyway, superman II Richard Donner cut is very good most of the way through, but as SupermanFan rightly said, it literally loses the plot at the end. Suddenly none of the film makes sense and it's hard to believe that an entire production crew didn't see the fault. However, adopt your suspension of disbelief and ignore the last silly 5-10 mins and it is well worth adding to your library. Would love to see the other original Superman II brought to Blu-Ray too though.
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