Superman II. Oh My Zod!

[@StamFine]

Correction: In the video we talk about Richard Lester as English. As has been stated by several commenters, he was born in the US and raised there before moving to the UK in 1955. I guess him being based in the UK for over 60 years doesn't count. Oops! My bad.

[@thatlittlevoice6354]

Just like you Brits to appropriate US icons. ;)

[@white-dragon4424]

@@thatlittlevoice6354 The irony here is that Stam Fine isn't a "Brit". He's either an Aussie or a Kiwi.

[@haljordan777]

There's a famous "Australian" pro wrestler known as Superstar Bill Dundee. I put Australian in quotes because he was born in Scotland and moved to Australia when he was 16. Then moved to the US when he was about 30 and he's been in the US for 48 years. Tennessean might be most accurate.

[@aaronleverton4221]

@@haljordan777 Mic Brumby was Australian, even if his actor only sounded it.

[@MattMcIrvin]

I remember it being popular back in the 80s to say that Superman II was the best of the series! I think that's down to Terence Stamp playing such a great villain.

[@matthewdunham1689]

The fight in NYC and the ending in the Fortress of Solitude highlight this movie.❤

[@BoyKagome]

Superman 2 has one of the best scenes in movie history... Superman crushing Zod's hand with epic music.

[@oobrocks]

1 of my all time favorite lines, "I win!....i always win," Zod 😆

[@richmanz447]

Terrance Stamp performed as one of the best villains ever.....EVER. He made me forget that we needed Lex Luther for anything. Terrance Stamp would have been an amazing Sith Lord in the Star Wars films.

[@StamFine]

If they didn't already have him as Velorum in episode I, he'd be a good Sith.

[@TheToonMonkey]

As much as I love the Richard Donner cut, the original films version of Superman coming back for the final fight, with the music building, the flickering newspapers and then "General would you care to step outside" is much better. It's practically the 1980 version of the portal scene in Endgame 😀

[@cantankerousdad2890]

Agreed. That bit gets the hair on the back of the neck going.

[@LostWarriorPoet]

Go for the Hybrid Cut fan edit- has the best of both worlds 👊

[@TheNameisPlissken1981]

The reason it's much better is because it's what Clark says to the truck driver (Pepper Martin) who kicks Clark's ass at the diner.

[@MountainDewComacho494]

Even when I was a kid, I could not figure out why Superman needed to give up his powers just to boink Lois.

[@dcsignal5241]

"Faster than a speeding bullet"

[@6581punk]

I think the film mentioned he couldn't devote himself to one person. He had to do his job which was to protect the people of earth. So he had to give up his super powers so he could marry her etc.. I don't think it was just so he could get it on.

[@TheDukeofMadness]

@@6581punk And yet the comics hand waved that away for close to 15 years.

[@paulohagan3309]

If he still had his super-strength while doing the act, his first ejaculation would have shredded her ...

[@billymustang3241]

@@paulohagan3309 yeah he could literally boink her brains out lol 😬🥒💦🧠💥

[@Dohsoda]

Richard Donner went in to have a great career in cinema. The producers went on to such flops as "Supergirl", "Santa Claus: The Movie", and "Christopher Columbus: The Discovery".

[@desperatemohammedantheworl5833]

"Christopher Columbus: The Discovery" aka "Several Minutes of Bare Boobies On Sunday Afternoon BBC1" I mean did anyone bother watching the film before scheduling it? Not that I was complaining...

[@matthewdunne8432]

Loved Santa Clause the movie!

[@thatlittlevoice6354]

Ah, the film with the fabled super cellophane. Does absolutely something to super villains and stores leftovers when necessary.

[@Jimbo700]

Thanks for an excellent review of a film that I've seen reviewed a zillion times. At least you corrected a few of the misconceptions out there and didn't crap on Alexander and Ilya like most reviewers of years past and today. You didn't mention that the Salkinds actually didn't fire Donner, Donner gave the Salkinds an ultimatum... If Spengler was on the project he would not return to complete filming. Knowing that Pierre Spengler was a lifelong friend of Ilya's and had been their producer on nearly every film they made (until they parted company in the mid 90's). There was no way they were going to let go of Spengler to pacify Donner, whom they blamed for intentionally slowing production to a crawl to bloat the budget, giving Warner Brothers more control of the film and more profits, which further empowered Donner. Otherwise your review was fair in nearly every other way. BTW: I'm not fond defending the Salkinds but I do believe (and the evidence proves) that Donner did slow the production at Warner's request so they would bail out the Salkinds who had run out of money. But Donner is a great director who made 1 1/2 terrific films that started the superhero franchise boom, not to mention his other great films.

[@Stansman63]

The extended TV version has always been my favourite..a great pity it's now pretty well impossible to find anywhere.

[@TheEdorizo]

I have it on DVD

[@desperatemohammedantheworl5833]

@@TheEdorizo There isn't a DVD of the TV cut. I think, like Star Trek the Motion Picture, the only way to see it is a fan edit with the additional scenes (on the region 1 Donner Cut DVD? Haven't my copy to hand to check) cut back in.

[@mikehunt4986]

The TV version that aired on ABC in the U.S. in the 1980s is my favorite version of Superman II. As far as I can tell it's mostly Lester with some Donner scenes thrown in. I think it works perfectly!

[@jasonenglish7230]

Maybe they can find a copy of the tv version in the vaults and release it like they did with the 3 hour cut of the first film.

[@mikehunt4986]

@@jasonenglish7230 I would love that! Shout Factory recently did that with the 3-hour TV version of 1976 King Kong!

[@tomsenior7405]

I never understood how Lois & Clark travelled back from the Fortress of Solitude without Superman's Powers. Yeah, I know it is a petty matter, what with the Movie being pure Fantasy. It is like asking "Why doesn't Donald Duck wear Trousers when dressed, but wears a Towel when naked?", or "Why is James Cameron bothering to make more Avatar Movies?". It just doesn't matter.

[@GrinderCB]

Lex: "Why didn't you go before we left?" Eve: "That was two days ago?" Eve Teschmacher is apparently very skilled in being able to "hold it" for two days. Such a rare woman...

[@tomsenior7405]

@@GrinderCB That made me chuckle.

[@tomsenior7405]

@@gkroll8467 I am with you there. Avatar was one of the worst Movies I have ever seen. Titanic was garbage and I thought that was his Nadir, but Avatar came along and... Absolute Bollocks.

[@kristinaF54]

This one's my favourite in the series. I've seen the 'Donnor Cut' but I prefer the common version.

[@biguy617]

I like both versions but I prefer the Donner Cut because the final fight is with in the limits of Superman abilities. It shows how Superman gets his powers back. You don’t have the extra abilities. I always counted the new abilities to the Fortress amplifying their powers. Then Lester made a terrible Superman 3 and a different director made Superman 4. That is why I hate Lester. There are two endings for Zod in the Donner cut. The second ending should have been kept where the Zod Trio and Lex getting arrested by the Arctic authorities. You can only find it on KZbin. I believe one cut of the movie has the ending and no World spinning. I just don’t know where that cut is.

[@agenttexx]

I saw Superman 2 when I was 4 and have been a fan ever since. I went to see 3 and 4 in the theaters and enjoyed Superman Returns. Man of Steel and the newer movies have been great as well.

[@keeleeng]

I love that you put both mentions of Australia in this..

[@jeffreyscottfishman]

Christopher Reeves will always be the best. That role was always perfect for him in every way. Henry Cavill is excellent and actually is the closest resemblance to Christopher reeves you are going to get. I love how they showed Christopher Reeves face for a few seconds in man of steel. Many say it wasn't including zac snyder himself but he did say the Gods made it look like him . All I know, is I know what I saw.

[@jimcirile]

Reeve, not Reeves. Common mistake.

[@SurlyInsomniac]

@@jimcirile I'd say a solid 25% of Christopher Reeve fans don't know how to spell his name.

[@mathewguglielmi8451]

Richard Donner and Tom Mankiewicz had ideas for further movies. It's a shame that Richard Donner got fired by the Salkinds.

[@edcampion3998]

my thoughts exactly

[@foxyshabazz]

Was about ten when this came out. I absolutely loved it then, and I think I still do. Terence Stamp completely owns it. He was so good.

[@beatrixwickson8477]

Still waiting for the Otis spin-off.

[@SurlyInsomniac]

Otisburg?

[@beatrixwickson8477]

@@SurlyInsomniac Yes! But "The OB" for short.

[@deans_halfbakedproductions]

Could have titled this as "Dick Fight, Battle of the Richards!". 🤷 Thank you for the background...I did not know about the behind the scenes drama. I watched this in theater as an 11 year old and much preferred it to 1, similar as Empire to Star Wars. Again, thanks much for the stellar review!

[@Briansgate]

Love this movie. No matter the version.

[@Hawkeye26]

Hesitantly looking forward to a review for Superman III.

[@raykloetstra8501]

My preference is the Donner Cut. The additional footage with Marlon Brando make the storyline more complete and coherent.

[@bladecastlevania3653]

Agreed!

[@billsinkins361]

I know I saw this back in the day, but now the only thing I remember about it is Terence Stamp as General Zod. Fantastic lead villain.

[@LostWarriorPoet]

Your reviews are fantastic 👊

[@mikecronis]

The Donner Cut is far superior.

[@Idazmi7]

_Except_ the ending scene, which actually wasn't made by Donner. That was a mistake.

[@andrewmurray1550]

If Bruce Willis was superman and Alan Rickman as Zod this movie would be filled with a few more colourful metaphors.

[@danugo6742]

Always look forward to your posts and you never disappoint so glad I discovered your channel you deserve way more likes and subs

[@jimcirile]

Agreed! Stam is hilarious. The channel will grow, it just takes time. KZbin is enormous and getting traction nowadays is a very slow process.

[@markkeats6302]

Spectacular presentation .Rented the Donner cut. I enjoyed it immensely & prefer this cut.

[@ronrendon]

I had a HUGE crush on Superman when I was a lil boy. Still do. (ps: rest in Peace Christopher Reeves)

[@SurlyInsomniac]

I saw Superman II opening night. I liked it well enough but even back then I was disappointed by the cheap, cheesy vibe of the Lester scenes and the Thorne score. It was also strange to see Margot Kidder's appearance change so drastically from one scene/shot to the next. TBF though the Donner cut is flawed, too, where there's oddly something like four pee jokes in the space of 10 minutes during the Luthor scenes and they changed the "General, would you care to step outside?" moment for the worse. A moment that had been a highlight in the theatrical cut. Still, nice to see those scenes with Lois and Jor-El, though. I remember reading in the Making of Superman book about the scene where Lois jumps out of the window, but I never imagined I'd eventually get to see it. Whatever I may think about Richard Lester's failings vis a vis the Superman movies, I still think he is a more interesting & versatile director than Donner. What Donner got right though is the "verisimilitude" and taking the Superman concept seriously, while still having fun with it.

[@desperatemohammedantheworl5833]

Even Donner himself admits it's not a director's or final cut so it will be flawed, however he was swayed to have a go at doing his own version when the presumed lost Jor-El footage turned up.

[@TheNameisPlissken1981]

The scene where Ursa is bitten by the snake ALWAYS bothered me because she has the same powers as The Man of Steel!! How could she possibly FEEL a snake bite? Wouldn't the snake break it's teeth on her skin? I understand it's a fantasy, but come on, there are just some things I can not suspend my disbelief over. Another bothersome bit is in the Donner Cut where Superman turns back time. It doesn't make any sense at all for him to return then to the Diner to beat up a guy that he really didn't fight since he basically erased the past!!

[@bri55118]

Most say the 3 villions powers where still developing, and ursas reaction was just a reflexive action to being bit. Still silly as they can survive space and reentery to earth.

[@TheNameisPlissken1981]

@@bri55118 please don't try to justify terrible writing. You know, it isn't wrong to point out the blunders in entertaining films.

[@n.d.m.515]

I know I am late, but it doesn't appear she was actually hurt. She just reacted with surprise in the way a person with a missing limb can feel phantom pain. She flings it, shoots it, and completely forgets she was bitten.

[@TheNameisPlissken1981]

@@n.d.m.515 I don't know, man. She recoiled and rubbed her hand as if it hurt her. I think it was a mistake on Richard Lester's part because Richard Donner didn't film that scene and Lester was the one who gave Superman all those dumb powers like multiplying and the shrink wrap "S" he used to fight Zod and co.

[@Robovski]

Farewell Thunder Child!

[@SurlyInsomniac]

3:45 You're not wrong in referring to Lester as an "English Director", but he was born and raised in America.

[@MrPleers]

The first movie I watched in the cinema. As a 10 year old boy in 1981, I was very impressed.

[@raulzavala9061]

When ABC TV aired the extended cut of Superman II with additional scenes they used unfinished footage of when Superman at the end with his laser eyes blows up the Fortress of Solitude, as a kid I always wondered why Superman was staring so angrily at the FOS.

[@AsteroidMan76]

Zods the Man!

[@SuperG-bb8le]

not netflix in the fortress of solitude but they could watch the history of krypton for years upon years like kal el did

[@davidfrederick1971]

Ursa :"what an undemanding this superman must be" Lois "yeah you can a use a tuck here and there yourself sister!" WTF did that even mean?

[@KrazyKittyTailz]

I always thought Sarah Douglas' makeup/hair was better in Lester's version.....not to mention her boots appear much taller, and her voice was partially dubbed by the late Annie Ross (of Superman III fame) that lent a sexy huskiness to Lester's Ursa.

[@duncancurtis1758]

Lucky for that shard left by Lois!

[@SigmundJaehn]

Miss Tessmacher!

[@jimcirile]

Plunk. Stop It! Plunk. Stop It! Plunk. Quit it, Kidder! LOL

[@CaminoAir]

I saw this in the cinema way back in 1981. I hadn't seen the first film by that time. I liked some of the film more than other parts. The Donner scenes were those I liked (as I found out later). Otherwise I still think the Lester scenes look and feel more generic. And the humor gets very loose towards the end. It was an indication of what the series would become once Donner and his writer and editor and composer left. You can also tell which footage is by which director by the presence or absence of Geoffrey Unsworth's trademark 'gauze' lighting.

[@DavyDredd14]

I have only ever watched SUPERMAN II (1980) Directed by Richard Lester and find it a quite entertaining sequel to the Original Classic 1978 Film. I would like to watch the Richard Donner Directed version sometime, just to compare each Director's own vision of the Film..

[@rickyred001]

Superb addition to the Superman movie series.

[@vassa1972]

Loved it

[@christopherengel7436]

2 things please 1. Terance Stamp is quite good B. I always knew that bastard Chachi killed Chuck 3. I wish I had amnesia kisses and a semi useless mostly annoying saran wrap emblem

[@GrinderCB]

I've never been a big Superman fan but I did see those movies back in the 80's and thought they were pretty good. Christopher Reeve was great as Superman but I was less than enthusiastic about Margot Kidder as Lois Lane, but I know they had the chemistry that Donner wanted. One of these days I'll have to break down and watch the Donner Cut, which I think is available for rent on some of the streaming services.

[@6581punk]

I think she was fine. A strong independent woman, a new yorker, except it was supposed to be Metropolis of course :) Sure, if you wanted a passive bimbo for eye candy then she wasn't that.

[@billymustang3241]

Margot Kidder was quite the babe in the early-mid 70s. By S2 she was definitely pushing the envelope for leading lady material

[@GradyBaby13]

7:55 Is that Bill Cosby (picture on the wall)? "Kneel To Cos!"

[@ShamrockParticle]

Superman II has a few more plot holes thqn I, and The Donner Cut only hints at what might have been (if fully developed the back-in-time sequence would be far different too), but I prefer it. Some deleted scenes, of which some shown in the TV release, establish the villainous trio a lot more violently. The dewth of the little boy by Non, followed by Ursa's comment, is a must-see. I'd swear there was an arm wrestling scene that was more violent as well. It's hard to balance violence and setting up villainy for a family movie, but Donner did seem to pull it off. Donner was ahead of his time with the back-to-back filming. That was new, as I recall, and would explain the nervousness of the Salkinds. The sad part is Superman I proved Donner right... Some people balked, saying Clark was a jerk. The older comics have him being a bigger jerk. Lester's comedy is more subdued in II, which works better for me than III, which surely used some used some of Lucy's leftover Sky Diamonds for its inspiration as animated "don't walk" symbols was so far out of taking it with the sincerity and grounding the movies needed... even Batman wouldn't have done that bit... But the wig scene is underrated...

[@suk6323]

Raises a fascinating point.. Superman without his powers needs to go to the toilet so does that mean Superman with his powers doesn't need to? And if he does, when and where does he go apart from the Fortress of Solitude? ie. does he have to get back to civilian clothes? Happy Christmas!

[@Raja1938]

According to his interview with Lois in the first movie, he does have otherwise normal bodily functions.

[@Charango123quena]

Wait wait Clarke and Superman are the same person ??? I couldn't tell by the glasses he's wearing.

[@mywonderfultoys]

It was an excellent film

[@TheNameisPlissken1981]

As a seven year old sitting in the movie theater with my father watching Superman II on the big screen, I wasn't aware nor did I care about rewrites, reshoots or directors replaced. I enjoyed the film. However, as I have gotten older, the cracks in the film have glaringly appeared before me. I now find replacing Donner with Lester to be the biggest travesty in film making history. The Donner cut shows how truly different the two versions were. Too bad it wasn't good enough to rectify the problem. That said, there are some Fan Edits of Superman 2 that come very close!

[@Technoid10]

I love both versions of the film but I do prefer the original version over the donner cut

[@ThisLifeisaParade]

The whole planet Houston?? - Gen. Zod

[@o0pinkdino0o]

There are one of him and three of you.. - (Non grunts) - ...four if you count him twice !

[@lebojay]

Why did Clark trip on the bear rug? Was that Superman tripping on the rug, or Superman pretending to trip on the rug?

[@andrewmurray1550]

Clark still has athing for women with initials "L.L". (Lois Lane, Lana Lang...).

[@NH1973]

RIP Sir Antony Sher, the hotel bellboy

[@sirjaya2534]

I don't agree with this. The original version of Superman II is the best of the whole saga. I thought the first movie was boring. The third was a bit cheap. The last was embarrassing. The trio of Zod, Ursa and Non will always prove to be the best example of unapologetic baddies in all 4 movies, regardless of directors.

[@gakabler]

Very good review as always. Criticism - please record at a louder volume.

[@RamblesBrambles]

Solution..turn your volume up. Your welcome.

[@retrodealer6495]

As a kid at that that time?. Like most kids I enjoyed the Superman seens. The most like the other kids LOL later. PS the drama scenes were too long😴. And I fell asleep, and mom woke me up for the parts LOL.

[@TheBeird]

Sooper-mane!

[@kalsolarUK]

There's still (in my view) an "optimal" version of Superman 2 that could be made which uses a better balance of shots from each version of the film. For one thing, that test footage is nice to see but for a number of reasons (not least that it takes you out of the movies as you watch it) is nowhere near good enough to be slotted into a professional product.

[@kennybacchus6400]

Like. Superman. 1978. Okay 👍

[@fazole]

Lois didn't do it for me. I kept seeing 1970s David Bowie with a wig.

[@suk6323]

5:23 Anthony Sher RIP

[@TheDukeofMadness]

Always remember, in Superman III Clark macks on his mother, as Lana Lang was played by Annette O'Toole. Who played Supes' mother in Smallville.

[@probablynotmyname8521]

Too much fuzzy lens on lois.

[@Homeschoolsw6]

2:48

[@colinp2238]

Oddly, my dog didn't show any emtion towards these films, or any other, for that matter. I thought the first was good but the sequels, like so many of the ilk, were just pale shadows joining the gravy train.

[@YnotNomis]

Richard Donner made a masperpiece with 'Superman the movie', but Richard Lester's cerison of 'Superman II' is better than his cut.

[@richarddennise7317]

omg get superman 2 the richard donner cut makes a lot more sence starts where zod is on trial phnatom zone picks them up they see krypton go bang they see the ship that took kalel to earth go by cut to superman1 the 2 rockets one he puts in to space that blows the phantom zone shatters there phantom zone ZOD SCREAMSSSS FREEE

[@MrOctober44]

Even as a kid I thought the "comedy" didn't work.

[@Tolstoy111]

The first film had comedy as well - lex and Otis etc

[@Homeschoolsw6]

rad.

[@Metrosplash]

Am I really hearing talk trash about Superman 2. This was the closest I’d ever seen of Superheroes and Supervillains Have A Realistic Fight. This movie was awesome, and is part of the MCU Universe inspiration. No Superman 2, No Endgame.

[@mlk27743]

I grew up on the Lester version & after seeing the Donner version - I prefer the Donner version - the story makes more sense than the Lester cut which was too 'cartoony' for me - too much cheesy humor. At least with the Donner version the cast look more alive and not so downtrodden/tired in the Lester version.

[@c150gpilot]

Richard Lester is the director i love to hate.

[@crownprincesebastianjohano7069]

I am not a fan of Lester. His schtick has no place in films like Superman. And axing Brando completely gutted the cohesive narrative of the films. The whole point of the first film was the mythic heroes journey of the son becoming the father. The counterpart to that journey is the sins of the father coming to haunt the son. Taking Jor-El out of the film removes the heart of the film, and diminishes the first one too. The Salkinds struck gold with Superman but clearly, their crooked and shady ways came back to bite them hard when it came to developing stuff on their own and not just working off of Donner's labor. They got their comeuppance when Supergirl and Santa Claus: The Movie, flopped so hard they nearly went broke. To this day, Ilya Salkind is worth less than he had been prior to the release of Superman II.

[@Tolstoy111]

Lester is a great filmmaker and much more “serious” than Donner.

[@neiltaylor6645]

Richard Lester is American

[@jjrbarnett]

At the time, people liked it better. But now it's pretty patchy compared to the first one

[@jjrbarnett]

@G Kroll it happened a long time ago in a DCU far far away.

[@PShawtx]

Superman 2 handled the Clark-superman/Lois Lane relationship poorly. The movie had a good storyline poor storyline. The Zod storyline could have been better.

[@white-dragon4424]

Lester's American, not English.

[@Tolstoy111]

I adore S2 and don’t care for the first film much at all. It’s bland and hokey. This film is not.

[@thetiktokman]

FFS hire a real voice yours makes my ears bleed.

[@stevecool7096]

Man of Steel is awesome.