Richard Donner’s Superman is the first modern superhero film in history of Hollywood and its success, both among the critics and the public, made it into a template for everything good about the genre. Its inevitable 1980 sequel Superman II, directed by Richard Lester, while being more than solid film by itself, began to show some of the problems that would later plague superhero films and its franchises.
The sequel was inevitable, because Superman was originally devised as the two-part film and was supposed to be shot back-to-back. This explains an unresolved subplot related to the beginning of the first film. Shortly before the destruction of planet Krypton, three Kryptonian criminals – General Zed (played by Terence Stamp), Ursa (Sarah Douglas) and Non (played by Jack O’Halloran) – are sentenced to spend the rest of their lives imprisoned in Phantom Zone. Decades later, Kal-El a.k.a. Superman (played by Christopher Reeve), son of their mortal enemy Jor-El, lives on Earth under assumed identity of clumsy journalist Clark Kent and uses his superior powers to protect the people of his adopted home from various villains and similar calamities. One of such interventions – stopping the terrorists from detonating nuclear bomb at Eiffel Tower - has unindented consequences. He snatches the bomb and cast it into deep space, not knowing that its explosion would shatter the Phantom Zone and allow Zed and his confederates to gain freedom and use their Kryptonian powers to conquer Earth. Before that happens, Superman has a personal issue to settle – his journalistic colleague Lois Lane (played by Margot Kidder) concludes that clumsy Kent is actually Superman and confronts him. Superman admits the truth, as well as his feelings towards Lois and desire to have normal life with her. In order to achieve it, he must relinquish his Kryptonian powers, and just as this happens, Zed comes and begins his reign of terror. Superman is forced to seek his powers back in order to fight them.
Superman II was initially greeted well both at the box-office and by the critics and many, including Christopher Reeeve, were even claiming that it was superior to the first film. There are some solid arguments to be made for such claim, most notably in special effects being improved and the plot being somewhat tighter. The cast, led by Reeve, is very good, especially Margot Kidder whose character has bigger importance and more screen time than in previous film. Terrence Stamp is impressive in the role of charismatic and imposing villain, and he outshines Michael Shannon playing the same role in 2013 Man of Steel. Special effects, although looking somewhat dated from our perspective, are also improved in comparison with previous film.
There are, however, certain areas where this film is clearly inferior. John Williams, composer whose soundtrack for 1978 film was one of the best in the history of cinema, is replaced by less talented Ken Thorne. But the greatest and most noticeable absence is those of Marlon Brando, who was too expensive for producers to appear even in cameos. They simply decided to erase him from the film, with Kal-El’s mother Lara (played by Susannah York) appearing in the scenes when soul-searching Superman must seek parental advice in Fortress of Solitude. Another problem for the film is the inconsistent tone created by producers’ decision to fire Richard Donner, director who clashed with them during the production, and replace him with Richard Lester. While Lester proved to be more than competent, his style was different from Donner’s and, more importantly, he insisted in turning adding as much humour and campiness to the film, unlike Donner, who preferred more seriousness and gravitas in treatment of America’s 20th Century icon. These minor details are hardly noticeable by themselves, but they accumulate through film and inevitably make it inferior to the first one. Some of those issues were addressed many years later in re-constructed and re-edited version known as Superman II: The Richard Donner’s Cut, which used unused footage and various tricks in order to make this film as close to Donner’s original vision as possible. There are, however, still critics and fans that prefer original theatrical version and many Superman fans have created their own fan edits. While inevitably disappointing, this inevitable sequel of the classic superhero film is good enough to inspire creativity among fans and cinephiles decades after its premiere.
RATING: 7/10 (++)
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