Why "The Worst Superhero Movie Ever" Is Actually Good (Superman IV: The Quest For Peace)

[@Seeker1187]

Great video. I mostly agree with your points. Btw… there is a fanedit of the good bits of 3 and 4 into one film with some decent themes. You should check it out. It’s called Superman Resurrection. It really highlights that nice theme from 3 while keeping the more interesting and fun parts of 4. It’s a nice close out from the Chris Reeve’s Superman.

[@BigGwenStrikesAgain]

with the exception of some SmallVille scenes and the amazing Supes vs Clarke moment, i found superman 3 a dull grey, monotone film and a farcical exercise in comedy, superman four made me laugh at its outlandish naivety and made me smile with its optimism i love superman four by miles over 3, im glad to see someone else has taken a liking to it

[@Jakethehitman73]

I've always preferred 4 to 3. I don't even think it's close. 4 has no budget and was edited to death but it was a lovely sendoff and as wacky as comics we're and still are.

[@slotmaster3092]

yesssssss.

[@chungkingexpress94]

The superman/clark/Smallville stuff in 3 is pretty good though

[@RappingNinja]

WAIT, 9:05 doesn’t sound right. Weren’t the countries *willingly* firing their missiles up to him to be thrown away? After he gave his speech at the U.N. that he was going to make this happen and they all cheered/agreed, this was his next step. Lex was profiting off the ones who knew this wasn’t a long-term solution bc you can just…. make more, and Superman might not always know about them??

[@justingatcomb8966]

I’m with you! This is some of my favorite Chris Reeve performance as Superman, and I like the messages and ideas. It’s kinda the set up for the first episode of Justice League

[@restlessbohemian26]

Any way you slice it, Superman 4 is better than Superman 3! Also, the scene you hate most (the double date) is my favorite scene in this weak attempt at a return to form sequel. I liked how Lacy was attracted to Clark and not to Superman. It's been done to death in the time since, but it was a new concept at the time.

[@matthewnicholas6365]

If you watched this in theatres in 87, when you were a kid, you probably liked, and still like it. If you watched it years later, as an adult, you probably don't.

[@sefy76]

Maybe it's cause it's the 2nd Superman movie I saw in the Cinema as a kid (1st being Superman III), but I actually loved it and enjoyed it very much. There's a lot of heart put into it (which none of the Snyder films have!) and while it has many plot holes due to the severe cut of the film, it has really good scenes in it which stand out from the entire series. If someone would re-do it with today's SFX/CGI, i think a lot of the points that people hate about it, would diminish drastically.

[@SteveAndrews-i6o]

Superman III is the only superman movie i’ve not seen on the cinema

[@poolboyinla]

It is underrated. In many ways, it is actually one of the most entertaining Superman movies ever made.

[@Jack-s5x9b]

I i finished watching superman 4 the quest for peace and it was great

[@slotmaster3092]

bravo!

[@slotmaster3092]

Totally underrated. The moon battle is pure pain!

[@chance-m-holton]

You're not alone. This was the first Superman movie I ever saw. I still enjoyed it very much and then saw the others after

[@geomfilms]

Im with you....i grew up with Superman 4. Superman 2 is my favorite, then 4, 1, and then 3.

[@Paul07791]

The effects are "bad" but they're not all bad. Every scene with Nuclear Man is so choc full of flame effects and little electric bolts, that some guy ...I don't know who, I don't wanna know, just went nuts with it, and it looks great.

[@Cycle.every.day.]

It had a better plot than 3.

[@HankScorpio1982]

I always loved this one as a kid, and I still love it!

[@emmacrawford11]

Me too

[@slotmaster3092]

👍

[@ivane5110]

This is one of those movies that got more hate than it should've back in the day (and should be even more appreciated now). Its not great, probably not rightly called that good even (notto damn it with faint praise) but it does have a lot going for it. Its a chance to see Chris as Superman which right off the bat cuts it a lot of slack for me, especially since we lost him. And its a chance to see an optimistic superhero movie (which I'll take any day after so many grim and bleak ones). Sure the execution of its poor in many areas, but I liken it more to those fun Silver Age Action Comics I use to read every chance I could get. And as a major childhood fan of George Reeve's Superman, viewed through that rose colored lense it holds up well. I do tjink its a great idea that just had poor carry-through. A year or two earlier Marvel had done a similar idea with Squadron Supreme; the analog Superman and team pretty much taking over the world to force it to be kinder and safer. But unlike here, Gruenwald and staff actually showed real depth to the idea and the double-edge sword nature of it all. Of course they had 12 issues to do it in, but the broader strokes coukd've been imitated. Analog Batman even opposes analog Superman and is seriously considering assinating him (analog-kryptonite bullet even locked and loaded). Now I dont know about going that far, but certainly some subplot of a beloved character opposing him. Maybe even having had Supergirl return to be the one to say her cousin had crossed the line? No Keaton yet, so no idea what a 80s live action Batman would've looked like, but somone iconic to face him. But they did at least show it overall failed (way too simplistic of a solution, which is perfect for a big semi-naive boyscout) and Supes realizing it. Status quo back to normal, just like any good Julie Schwartz story would've ended with. And atthe end of the day I'm glad we have at least 4 Chris/Superman appearances instead of only 2 or 3.

[@southindianv1nce662]

Nuclear man is such a cool concept. A Clone of Superman made from the powers of the sun and a thousand nukes. I wluld love to see James Gunn reboot him as a superman clone, after Bizarro of course.

[@lilij1915]

Great job on this

[@pamfisher5976]

I always liked it.

[@tomthomas5793]

“And over the last few years we have heard a lot about something called ‘family values’. And like many of you, I have struggled to figure out what that means. And since my accident, I've found a definition that seems to make sense. I think it means that we're all family. And that we all have value.” Christopher Reeve, speaking at the Democratic National Convention in 1996. What a Super Man.

[@Mr.Lemmington]

Honestly, I'm right there with you. Of the first 4 superman movies, i watched this one the most as a kid

[@MattPurvis-gt3ww]

Did your parents use it as a punishment or something?

[@FilmThePoliceFTP]

I love 4... and 3. Four was the first superman movie I ever saw (I was 3 when it came out and I've been bugging my mom to try and remember whether they took me to see it in theaters but she can't remember... until she does I think the rocketeer was my first theater movie.). I can still watch and enjoy it to this day.

[@gemlover7523]

In my opinion I like it and don’t like some parts but I respect your opinion

[@MartinJones-f5o]

This film was probably better than Superman 3 in terms of story and being faithful to the Superman character.The shoddyness of the film lets it down and it really needs to be restored.All the missing scenes should be inserted back into the film to make it more coherent.The special effects coukd be improved greatly with just a few million spent on the film .Superman 3 does have it's moments with a great romance between Lana Lang and Clark Kent .The evil Superman and the transformation of Russ Webster's sister could be seen as unofficial attempts at Bizarro and Metallo .

[@dbreiden83080]

Movie will always be firmly in the so bad it's good category.. Movie was made on the cheap but with charm and complete cheesy fun.. I saw the movie in theaters as a kid back in 87 and watched this on home video countless times..

[@TheRubberStudiosASMR]

I watched it last night and was really surprised. No way does it deserve such a low score. I loved it as a kid- and that's who the target audience is.

[@SJHFoto]

5:10-You called Lenny a Peter Davison knockoff? He looks NOTHING like him! And I haven't seen all his shows (I really know him from Dr Who and Campion), but in what role does Peter Davison play where he acts ANYTHING like that???

[@FilmThePoliceFTP]

"Clark? Clark? Things aren't that bad!"😂

[@christophercleary6780]

How is the guy who predates Pete Davison the knock-off? Lol. You know he did a bunch of big films during the 80s and went on to star in Two And A Half Men right? (Charlie's brother).

[@christophercleary6780]

(Aside from that, great video! 🙂)

[@Only1Originals]

I’d agree that this was a good ending, and an appropriate send off to this cast of characters

[@Mazvec]

Always thought the core story was spot on, but the slashed budgets and such killed it. But it’s still the OG Superman

[@nathannferreira6356]

I always liked Superman IV better than III. It's not good in a lot of aspects, but there's a charm to the movie being so silly and kinda camp, even though that's a product of a rushed production and not necessarilly an effort to it being that way. I always thought the discourse about this movie was pretty much superficial. Yes the effects are bad, yes Nuclear Man sucks, yes the action is lazy, but I was looking forward for an essay that could think more critically of this movie. And this video is the first in that way. Great job!

[@SenseiStarman]

I agree completely. 4 has problems, but those are largely due to direction and the budget cuts. The story is solid and in the same spirit as classic stories like Miracle Monday or Peace on Earth that explore the implications of what Superman represents. It just needed a few more script rewrites and to actually do something with the subplot at the Daily Planet.

[@carldagroundskeeper]

Just saw this one last week. I knew for a while that it was the weakest of the Reeve Superman movies but decided I just had to give it a fair shot. I agree with your points here, I knew about the stuff that was working against it and was able to understand the message it was sending.

[@garinsparks7041]

Had me at Cannon Films!!! Great Review for a fun, bad movie. Still fun to watch after all these years

[@chungkingexpress94]

The concept is amazing for a 4th film. If they weren't gimped on the budget it would have competed with the first two. 3 isn't that bad either

[@Robert-nz3te]

Superman three is a Richard prior comedy. I felt sorry for Christopher Reed having to play second fiddle when he is the Star. Never liked the film. Love Chris Reeves, love superman. Superman is not comedy. Massive error.

[@FilmThePoliceFTP]

Nuclear man is ome of the best villans IMO. He scared the crap out of me as a 3 yr old watching this.

[@kevingiven3463]

I always said the script for Superman 4 was a great Superman story, but the idiots at Canon films botched it. You have a villain created from Superman's own DNA a great sub=plot in Perry White losing the Daily Planet to a competitor. If they had this script when they were doing Superman 3 it would have been more successful since the production values in the third movie were good enough, even if the story was weak.

[@David-di8nm]

When they had fight on the moon I hated that they made Superman into a weakling

[@Nuhnighna729]

I always loved this movie

[@emmacrawford11]

Me too

[@slotmaster3092]

oh yeah!

[@defaultdan9715]

Well I can't tell how people feel about this video because goddamn dislikes are all of a sudden not showing up again. I love so many people on the site including you while the site itself just keeps getting worse. I'm sure this is news to no one.

[@SteveAndrews-i6o]

Story was good concept but the special effects was shocking

[@matthewgaudet4064]

The Special effects are horrible. If that fan edit that finishes the effects is ever completed it will be the best version. The studio should do something similar or even hire that guy.

[@MattPurvis-gt3ww]

Superman 4 - The Quest For More Money.

[@AD-sk3wo]

agree, iv is better than 3. superman 4 feels like superman interacts to the society. scene where OTW UNITED NATIONS, SUPERMAN WITH CHILDRES DEFINES what a hero it is

[@ritagonzalez8923]

It wasn’t 3 the cheesy one?

[@PollyPolly2222]

I just watched all 4 back to back, and I liked 4 better than 3 too. The villains in 3 just weren't interesting at all. People say Nuclear Man was undeveloped, but he was just a Frankenstein, simple and potentially unstable. The film had potential, but it was so cheaply made. Christopher is best SM ever. Jon Cryer sucked in this.

[@williamavitt8264]

I would put Hugh Jackman on the irreplaceable list

[@steviegbcool]

as a kid this was my favourite superman movie. but yeah it kinda looks terrible now.

[@theradgegadgie6352]

Yeah, it really is THAT bad. It is a sweetcorn encrusted, Golem-Globussed turd of a non-film. I would kiss III on the lips before I would even be on the same continent as IV.

[@Nuhnighna729]

I loved all the movies

[@Josephbyrnehistory]

I don’t think Lacey is that bad to be fair

[@AJAT800]

I argue Batman & Robin is The Worst Superhero Movie Ever. At least Superman IV still has the greatest Superman, Christopher Reeve, Batman & Robin had George Clooney as Batman; worst Batman ever

[@FilmThePoliceFTP]

Imagine calling nuclear disarmament authoritarian... I'm sorry not teying to be rude, that just really stuck out to me. I mean, I see what you're saying, but they made the weapons with reckless abandon.. I'd suggest making them is authoritarian but hey... its just a superman movie lighten up FTP 😂

[@Black2KGSR]

I was with you until you dissed Superman III

[@craigmullen9046]

Jesus people on here must be very easily pleased!!!

[@TheDudeOfSteel87]

It is a far better movie than III and more enjoyable than Returns and MOS

[@TripleNeon]

It's definitely more enjoyable than returns and MOS, idk if it's better though. Returns is almost a good movie, it's just so dull.

[@auntiewewe972]

I absolutely love Superman. Superman the movie is a top 5 movie if all time. Christopher Reeve will never be topped as Superman. He's just Superman. The Quest for Peace is pure trash. From the worse than fan film special effects, to the horrible story, plot, acting. Reeve, Kidder, and Jackie Cooper look like they aged 25 years . Jon Cryer was annoying. Hackman mailed it in. Reeve didn't want to be there. They had friggen humans flying in space for Christ sakes. Whatever Reeves intentions, good, or whatever this film gas zero redeeming qualities. It tried to pass off rural England as Metropolis. The London underground as a sub station. They cut out 45 minutes of movie that made the movie nonsensical. Lacy Warfield acted lke a spoiled slut. Superman used Lois as a sounding board then just erases her memory again. Just a mess all the way through. 3 at least had good moments, junkyard scene, Lana back story, and if they did the novelzation instead it would of been so much better. 3 is not a good movie. Its not a bad movie . Quest for peace is worse than Batman and Robin. ..........however its better than any Snyder crap. At least it had that much.

[@SteveAndrews-i6o]

I liked The Amazing Spider-man 2

[@carlosrobinson7458]

I think three is worse than 4 by far

[@emmacrawford11]

Superman 1111 is not that bad

[@Out-Cast75]

Terrible movie

[@mws755]

It's not that bad. It's still better than Man of Steel. The movie has it's flaws and came along during a period where no one was interested in a super hero movie. That would all change 2 years later in 1989. If Superman 4 had been made after Batman it would if been better quality

[@TheOther644]

I agree it isn't that bad, and you aren't the only one that feels its underrated. For me I strongly disagree with those that call it the worst. It has its issues thanks to Cannon Group. But it was still a Superman film, and Triple Neon covered the good things about it very well. It also gave us Nuclear Man, one of the best life action Superman villains out there. I mean originally they did want Bizarro, but couldn't get the rights and I am glad cause we would never of gotten Nuclear Man otherwise. His birth scene is so epic, and his more then just a brute. Looking at the things he does, and his original plans that were cut out. Sure he had a lame weakness, but if it wasn't for that weakness Superman would never have beaten him. The thing is Cannon Group losing money wasn't why they cut Superman cash, they took a lot of it and put in into their other projects. But the film still could have been great even with the amount of money they had at the time. They cut the script, scene, fx and reused old footage instead of making new ones. It was a story by Reeve's and his passion project till Cannon Group screwed around with it. But there was a comic of the film and used a lot of hat was cut out and just not used. It shows the Nuclear Man 1, the Bizarro version before the legit Nuclear Man. Nuclear Man's plans to nuke the work etc. Sadly it left out the awesome Moon fight. I really hope they release a remaster version of this film.