WTF Happened to SUPERMAN II?!

In this recurring series, we'll be taking a look at a variety of films that had historically troubled productions or controversial problems in making it to the big screen. Some were massive hits despite their problems, while others died a slow box office death. Regardless of where they ended up, we have to ask the question: WTF happened to this movie?
This episode we dive into the tumultuous production of Superman II, which saw director Richard Donner fired and replaced by Richard Lester, which caused a series of massive changes that disrupted Donner's original vision for the film. Decades later, The "Donner Cut" would be released and more light was shed on what went down during production.
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[@Durwood71]

Reeve was an excellent actor. Watch the scene in Lois Lane's apartment when Clark Kent considers revealing his true identity. All Reeve does is take off his glasses and straighten his shoulders, yet the transformation from mild mannered reporter to Superman is unmistakable. There aren't many actors who can pull that off.

[@juansantiago3296]

Darren Z that observation is spot on....

[@3PiecesOfBread]

And the way he shifts right back into Clark a few seconds later is just as awesome. The scene where they get mugged and Clark catches the bullet. The way he panics when Lois is about to drop her purse instead of just handing it to the guy, and his facial expression as Supes at the end just before he throws the bullet away is a close second. The thing about Superman is almost anyone can pull off Superman, but nobody can pull off Clark like Reeve. It’s not even remotely close.

[@trinilyfe4404]

True

[@jrag1000]

@@3PiecesOfBread True because they never understood/understand the character. Clark Kent and Superman, Christopher Reeve KNEW that in order to hide behind Clark Superman had to BE Clark 100%. He did a tremendous job at humility and bashfulness.

[@Fairunknown]

You see what you want to see! ;)

[@rishshortfilms]

Decided to watch this after reading about Richard Donner's passing. Rest in Peace to the icon.

[@deborahblackvideoediting8697]

From all accounts, it sounds like Richard Donner created an excellent, supportive atmosphere for his cast and crew. There are so many horror stories about directors caring only for the final product, and not giving a damn about those working on their films. Donner's cast and crew really seemed to care a lot about him, with Gene Hackman going so far as to not return in support of Donner. And the fact that Donner did his best to keep the animosity between him and the producers secret from everyone else really says a lot about him. He suffered that burden alone, which I really respect.

[@JamesASharp]

RIP Richard Donner. He was a great director.

[@setialphasix]

"John Williams's iconic score became synonymous with the film." Ummmm, John Williams's iconic scores become synonymous with EVERY film he's ever scored, lol!

[@trekkiejunk]

Kyle -- Truuuuue.... but that doesn't negate that the score became synonymous with Superman. Also, Superman might be his only film score for a movie not based on original material. At least, not based on a huge franchise before he came on board. So the point about it being synonymous with Superman means something different than Star Wars or Indiana Jones.

[@rsr789]

@MGTOW Monkey No one will be as good as the guy who wrote the original Lost in Space theme.

[@Mr.White10-65]

rsr789 Buck Rogers theme is better lol.

[@davidtuttle7556]

@MGTOW Monkey You know that those were all Williams as well right?

[@DickDiamond74]

he actually said "character"

[@matthewgaudet4064]

The chemistry between Chris and Margot was magic, may they both rest in peace.

[@marlonclark1896]

they will always be superman and lois lane

[@zebunker]

They are dead. Not resting

[@xenoaltrax485]

^^^wtf?!? rip english comprehension, lol XD

[@BennTheGreaT]

@@zebunker should i say may they both dead in peace. 😅

[@alphatrion100]

@@xenoaltrax485 he obviously doesn't believe in an after life. Atheïst

[@aspeltaofkush3540]

One of my favorite General Zod lines in Superman II: “Why do you say this to me when you know I’ll kill you for it?”

[@moshabraf]

Lex Luthor : Kill me? Lex Luthor? Extinguish the greatest criminal flame of our age? Eradicate the only man on Earth with... Ursa : Kill him! Lex Luthor : ...Superman's address? General Zod : Come. The three of us will crush the son of our jailer!

[@mullcrumthesage6303]

"Kneel before Zod!!"

[@jameswalls4893]

Take My hand, swear allegiance to Zod.

[@l.blanton3019]

Yes,and kneel before General Zod

[@ryangeneral]

Me? fail English? That's Unpossible

[@justintime8922]

Reeve was just the best Superman ever and the soundtrack is impossible to beat .

[@mikemorris4548]

Agreed, the best original, as he was the original, but Dean Cain the best modern (him from the series)

[@JC-qu5lv]

Agreed and Gerard Christopher was the best Superboy and Tom Welling the best Clark Kent Superboy.

[@justintime8922]

​@walk hard Yes he was . I also think Margot Kidder was the best Louis Lane she had a goofiness when it came to Superman that was classic.

[@muslimmakhachev3746]

@@mikemorris4548 Dean cain sucks

[@muslimmakhachev3746]

Reeves is the best original superman

[@apoucher1]

Donner is a freckin’ genius 🙌 When you know of all the problems he faced during the production it is such an amazing achievment 👏👏👏

[@RoyCyberPunk]

Not only that. He was way ahead of his time with the end credits scene that ended up in the beginning of Superman 2 instead now end credits are a staple of superhero movies.

[@Jordan-Ramses]

They were right. Comic book hero movies are juvenile. It's like grown adults reading Harry Potter.

[@RoyCyberPunk]

@@Jordan-Ramses F*ck off troll.

[@preving]

agreed

[@paullynch1246]

And he has proved himself in so many different genres. He's a fantastic director and very versatile

[@1qwasz12]

"Kneel before Zod!". Terrence Stamp carried the sequel for me.

[@SidJustice1]

1qwasz12,he SURELY did!! “Who is this SUPERMAN!! Come to me, Superman! If you dare...I defy you. Come...and kneeeell b4 Zod! ZODDDD!!!!”

[@joeparrigen4982]

"Zod not good"

[@standupG1]

Great point. He did an excellent job and I feel he doesn't get the credit he deserves.

[@1qwasz12]

@@standupG1 Terrence Stamp was a popular actor in the late 60's & early 70's. Afterward, the great actor had inexplicably vanished. And I don't think this was a self-imposed exile. Check out The Hit and the Limey. He is fantastic in both films.

[@1qwasz12]

@@somercet1 I skipped "Priscilla ". Not a fan of the genre.

[@gryphon9507]

Kneel before Zod. Now do crunches before Zod. One before Zod. Two before Zod. Three before Zod.

[@BigApeBooks]

LOL! Nice.

[@milesaway1980]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/p37Fmn-AZ8aNq7s Love this one!

[@KutWrite]

Even Zod couldn't do crunches from a kneeling position! (cool "Adult Swim" link, though)

[@postersandstuff]

Is Zod still selling kitchens , lol ?

[@thiscorrosion900]

and one day, YOGA!

[@tomteatom]

"they chose money over quality" Sounds like this is the choice every single company makes, these days.

[@vernskid]

You are so right. They should have let Richard Donner finish it. The movie would have been better.

[@captainvadergaming4696]

I think that's one of the reasons the Justice League Snyder Cut was ignored

[@SovereignStatesman]

Yes, but they often end up LOSING money by doing it. Brando would have made them a lot more money than they saved by losing him.

[@CaptainCat101]

I don't blame them, but it is terrible

[@kirk1701]

That John Williams score in the background is amazing.

[@VillekSublis]

not just that it as parade of the Ewoks from star wars the Return of the jedi

[@cosmicdarkmatter1128]

they should have used it for the Man of Steel Movies...smh

[@roycastanon5754]

Cosmic Dark Matter but they have a better score for the man of steel movies. Sorry but older doesn’t mean better

[@cosmicdarkmatter1128]

@@@roycastanon5754 That's your opinion, my opinion is that Man of Steel were better quality films obviously, and I'm a fan of Henry Cavill's take on Super Man. But I'm not that old and I like the score for the older films more. If you notice Star Wars films still use their original score to this day.... When it comes to music, newer doesn't always mean better either.

[@johnjohns8863]

Man of steel has the better score plus the danny elfman score in justice league made the movie a retarded piece of absolute shite .....worse score ....superman lip problem and shit ton more problems thanks to WB and pedophile joss wheedon who by the way looks like phil michell from Eastender

[@RagnarBlox]

Them firing Donner was what lead to horrible Superman 3 & 4. To me Superman 1 & 2 are the Gold Standard of Superman. No matter who they put into that suit, Christopher Reeve will ALWAYS be Superman.

[@MrCjchamp2001]

Ez Target 4 wasn't Lester. That's why Hackman came back

[@ssgoku7192]

Ez Target exactly

[@anonisnoone6125]

Why did they fire Donner?

[@dignerds]

That type of thinking damages the character ...he needs to live on in New live action

[@matthewgaudet4064]

Firing Donner and losing the screenwriters for Superman 1 and 2. Losing Hackman and Marlon Brando. They were all failures of the producers. Superman 4 on the other hand was a low budget Golan- Globus production and the Salkinds had nothing to do with it. They had failed with Santa Claus the movie and Supergirl. And had only held onto the rights for Superboy and made a tv series.

[@MrCliffda3rd]

I have the Donner Cut and havent looked back at Lesters version since.

[@IloveElsaofArendelle]

👏👏👏👏👏👏

[@FendersRule]

Lester version is better. Easily.

[@gutenbird]

@@FendersRule No crap. What the hell movies have these idiots been watching?

[@martinlopez1184]

Don't you believe in freedom of the press?

[@JodaroKujo]

MrCliffda3rd I like the original The original is my childhood I don’t really like the dinner cut version

[@MrAshwinChauhan]

"I can't even finish this sentence" Made me laugh out loud! 😂😂

[@woodsplitter3274]

I wonder why Superman is so hard to get right in movies. It could be that he is too earnest and genuine? Reminds me of Beowulf in that way: great source material; movies just couldn't make it to that level.

[@nazreplicas7930]

@@woodsplitter3274 zack got it right, Man Of Steel was great

[@visaman]

@@woodsplitter3274 Superman was a product of WW2. Take that element away and it just falls flat.

[@Outlaw8908]

@@visaman I disagree a great deal with that foolish statement. He was created before the Second World War. He is a product of a time that has been far more hopeful and genuine. Today that is too much for filmmakers and audiences. Hell even comic book writers these days make this mistake repeatedly. Overall themes aside the next hurdle creatively speaking is the character’s power. How powerful do you make him? How do you create viable conflict with a character that powerful? Truth is you would have to find some core powers and ignore the rest. You tackle those two hurdles writing wise and you have yourself a fairly good Superman film.

[@fenwar9060]

Made me chuckle as well.😀

[@theflyingninja1]

Christopher Reeve IS Superman. He was the only celebrity whose death made me cry.

[@kbanghart]

Wow, not even Freddie Mercury?

[@victorbonilla4634]

@@kbanghart or John Lennon?

[@deborahhanna6640]

Until I bawled my eyes out last year when Rutger Hauer died.

[@ggt47]

(Gasps)...Aww...

[@supernova1969]

Barry White's death made many people cry. So did Donna Summer's. May they rest in peace.

[@ChadeGB]

That smile he gives the camera, no, gives us, as he flies above the earth, so perfect, so Superman. No one will ever surpass Reeves and Superman 1.

[@bcgldnboy]

Christopher Reeve - no S at the end of his last name. George Reeves with an S played Superman in the 50's TV series Adventures of Superman.

[@Tony32]

@@bcgldnboy Used to be Reeves (with an s) the Mandela effect changed it to Reeve (no s)

[@bcgldnboy]

Tony32 REEVE always has been, always will be.

[@Tom_Van_Zandt]

@@bcgldnboy Tony32 was joking. The correct response would have been to chuckle and move on. Instead you chose to correct him without a hint of humor or irony.

[@darthudd6721]

Brandon Routh was the closest to reaching the level of Reeve, he was just let down by a terrible story. But I agree Reeve's was born to play Superman.

[@syntaxusdogmata3333]

_"By the time they started shooting, Reeve . . . was . . . Superman!"_ And he still is.

[@marcusmartin5758]

Nah, he's dead.

[@GMOTP5738]

@@marcusmartin5758 oh shit we got an edgelord over here 🤣

[@marcusmartin5758]

@@GMOTP5738 keep walkin snowflakes.

[@Revan2908]

@@GMOTP5738 Coming from the internet ubergeek who thinks it is still cool to say "edgelord"...

[@jaelge]

He was a passable Superman but lousy Clark Kent.

[@johnprudent3216]

I still love hearing this story even though I've heard it before. A true example of the story behind the movie being as interesting as the movie itself. But I'll say this, I never knew about the bit involving John Williams feuding with Richard Leister.

[@knownpleasures]

Did you hear about Brando suing the Salkinds for the unpaid 11.8% gross of Superman 1 which was settled of course? Thus the real reason he never appeared in part 2 where a similar % would have had to be paid again

[@redsabreanakin]

me too. I like to think I know all about the behind the scenes of Superman 1 and 2, but ive never heard of the Williams feud as well. I just assumed it was scheduling conflicts.

[@clauderain4888]

Hearing Donner talk about Siegel and Shuster tearfully thanking him for making the Movie made me get tearful

[@bigsonny45]

Me three!!

[@jedijones]

There was a Captain America documentary on TV when Winter Soldier came out in which Jack Kirby's family and Joe Simon had the exact same reaction to the first Captain America movie.

[@vassa1972]

The first two films were great and God bless Christopher Reeve

[@matthewking77]

@tyler durden his name is Reeve not Reeves btw

[@ShuffleboardJerk]

tyler durden This is the funniest exchange I’ve seen all week.

[@vassa1972]

@tyler durden hello and good morning I'm Peter from Hamilton Ontario Canada Tyler are you talking about me? Sorry I'm not sure that is why I'm asking sir?

[@kbanghart]

@tyler durden sure bro LMAO

[@claudegibson9839]

Back in the early 1970s Christopher Reeves was in a soap opera on TV. It's strange my mother said that he would make a good Superman, go figure.

[@SusanSloate]

I adored the original when it came out, and wish this video had given more credit to Christopher Reeve, who is in my opinion the ONE absolutely indispensable element. His Superman was magical. No one else has ever come close. My favorite film blooper comes from SUPERMAN II, when Lois falls into Niagara Falls and Clark, realizing he can't reveal himself but wanting to save her, uses his x-ray vision to slice the limb off a tree for her to grab onto. Reeve doesn't remove his glasses, which would have been shattered by the x-ray. Every time I see it, I chuckle. The original, to my mind, was the only truly worthwhile whole film. I loved the love story in the second, but that was all that was worth seeing. And to this day, Superman flying Lois around the world on their first date is the most romantic type of date I can imagine. LOVE that sequence!

[@Rony-L]

I kindly disagree.

[@gmfb521]

I always thought the continuity between 1 and 2 was awesome. Never knew they were filmed at the same time.

[@AstrosElectronicsLab]

@daro2096 Which makes sense, as there weren't many lines for him to say. Probably in total about 4 pages.

[@210SAi]

Astro's Electronics Lab pretty good for 1 million dollars in the late 70s no less

[@jc.1191]

Me either, and that was my childhood

[@jonahlancaster2651]

Superman: The Story of how Richard Donner saved the production.

[@RollingOrmond]

The original pre-Donner recut is still the best. Lester did a great job.

[@bryanc7094]

Rolling Ormond meh

[@TheLegacyHero]

@Razh 80 You gotta be kidding me! That would've been epic, and cyber lady in Superman 3 would've made so much more sense to be Brainiac!

[@Omaru1982]

The Donner cut is good except the awful re-used ending. Superman reverses time and then goes to beat up a trucker who doesn't even know who he is. @@RollingOrmond

[@slim420MM]

Superman 2 The movie about how Superman will kill a woman if he cums in her.

[@rdg5233]

During the sequence when Superman's flying over the clouds I always like that little nod to the camera he gives breaking the third wall.

[@EldergodUK]

Superman, the first deadpool :-)

[@MKEvinyl]

You mean the fourth wall.

[@saturninhabitant]

Superman is flying over planet Earth. And is "BREAKING THE FOURTH WALL", not the third wall.

[@mitrooper]

They did multiple versions of this, including one where he gives a great eye-wink.

[@rdg5233]

@@saturninhabitant I stand corrected but you get what I mean.

[@3PiecesOfBread]

Almost anyone can pull off Superman, but nobody can pull off Clark like Reeve did. It’s not even close.

[@espojtraveler123]

When Clark first opens up his shirt to reveal that S and saves Lois Lane with one hand catching the helicopter with the other I get nostalgic (Superman theme playing)

[@newsveteran4466]

What "S?" Should be, "When Clark reveals THE "S."

[@jc.1191]

Damn right 🎶

[@daveryerson448]

This is not just a WTF Happened to this Movie. It's a great backstage look at both of the movies. It was very fun to watch.

[@darksharxz]

Indeed

[@agfagaevart]

get the superman dvd. it has more accurate info in the extras.

[@RichardX1]

Casting Christopher Reeve was the best decision made for these films. Because not only could he pkay Superman, but he could play Clark Kent. And make you forget they were supposed to be the same person.

[@bobblueford]

Yes!!! Every actor since, has played both characters with the same personality. Reeve is the only one that played him with two personalities.

[@jennifersman7990]

After his accident, Reeve did an interview where he said that we all like to think we have a bit of Superman and Clark Kent within us and that’s why his Superman related so well with audiences because they saw themselves onscreen

[@jedijones]

@@jennifersman7990 Roger Ebert mentioned the same thing in his review of Superman 2.

[@ejay1118]

Whenever anyone mentions that a pair of glasses and a suit shouldn't work. I remember the shot of Reeve, taking off the glasses, straightening his shoulders and saying, in a deep voice; "Lois," (Lois is out of the room) "I have to tell you something. I'm really..." Then Lois comes back into the room, he "chickens out" puts the glasses back on and becomes "Clark" again!

[@benhill8483]

Agreed and for me this was the main reason Cavills man of steel didn't work for me...the duality of Reeves performance is the selling point for me

[@probitionate]

TV Trivia: the gal on the train @ 2:20 is Noelle Neill, who played Lois Lane in the 50s television show 'The Adventures of Superman'.

[@rwarren58]

Noelle was also in Superman Returns, her last appearance in a Superman film.

[@masere]

The guy is Kirk Alyn who played Superman in the 1950's, and the little girl is actually Lois Lane as the deleted scene mentions.

[@m.em.e4412]

watched 1 and 2 easily over 100 times each & still feels better than any modern super hero movie

[@mgtowlite7414]

@MP E You dare to admit that you weren't enchanted by *Captain Marvel?* You must be a -normal Man- sexist, racist, transphobe!

[@princerogersnelson5166]

Nice profile pic, I loved MOS & BvS' I thought finally we've got a really good actor who looks the part [great new suit, better then that dumb S in Superman Returns, toy suit] we get to the 3rd movie & bam, dreams crushed, another dead midway Superman franchise & what could have been the Superman character's answer to The Dark Knight trilogy, I think the character is cursed to never have a great franchise

[@migue4793]

I love Superman I and II. Much better than today

[@gc3k]

Other than the disco fever suits on Zod and friends, and Superman throwing a giant fruit roll up at Non

[@ironmaiden5658]

Totally agree. 1 and 2 are the best there is.. Followed closely by The Man of Steel IMO.

[@kforcer]

Most of today's audience will find it a bore...? I don't think so; pretty sure it is still watched and re-watched by people of various ages. This is almost guaranteed given how beloved the character of Superman is coupled with the fact that there has yet to be an on-screen version that has captured the popular imagination in the same way that this version did.

[@johnjohns8863]

This superman was not based on the comics .......are you all retarded it was shit simple

[@bigkmoviesandgames]

@@johnjohns8863 it has lots of stuff that's in the comics. like almost every other superhero movie it has elements from many different comics to make an original story. If you don't like it fine but you're acting hostile for other peoples opinions which is childish.

[@athenassigil5820]

@@johnjohns8863 That's why the creator's of Superman praised it and cried tears of joy? Ha.....

[@JustChrisWillDoTa]

I think it was a great adaptation of the comics, and is still a great watch today. My 8 year old little girl enjoys watching them, though maybe not as much as I do.

[@kforcer]

​@@johnjohns8863 But it indeed was (based on the comics). Certainly it didn't include the additions to the Superman universe of Captain Marvel's creator ,Otto Binder, such as Superboy, Supergirl, etc., but wonderful as those were, they were at the end of the day, just that, additions, intended to bring to Superman some of the flavor of the (at the time) more popular Fawcett character. I can't really think of any major departures from the core Superman story, in fact.

[@niceblokedave1]

Dick Donner is a legend, the guy just has a way with people. How he managed to control and direct the young acting cast of The Goonies and get them to perform is beyond me, it just looked crazy at times on set !

[@jjdigitalvideosolutionsllc5343]

WB should fix Superman IV, re-release it, and donate proceeds to spinal injury research in honour of Christopher Reeve.

[@handsolo1209]

Does WB have a trash can big enough for that shitfest of a movie?

[@FreeBird_6791]

I don't think it would still work. It would be nice to throw in new special effects but it stole too much from the first two movies to be anything great. Love the soundtrack, though.

[@evertonporter7887]

Superman Returns is the REAL sequel to III as far as I'm concerned.

[@AstrosElectronicsLab]

I can't believe they actually cut a lot of scenes out of IV (which made some of the plot disjointed in my opinion) later after the original was premiered. I remember watching on TV as a kid then seeing it recently on the Blueray release and got the feeling of bits "missing"...

[@andrewmurray1550]

@@handsolo1209 I say remake it - put Ben Affleck in the role of Superman, Arnold Schwarzenegger as Nuclear Man and Jim Carey as Lex Luthor! (that would be an interesting mix...or not.

[@jaysonraphaelmurdock8812]

I never understood why Superman 2 is hailed as the better movie. The original is iconic and just looks better.

[@skip741x3]

probably becuz of the Zod character...the effects though, as I see them now from superman 2 , were pretty aweful ,realllly bad ....the original 1st movie however , likely had a bigger budget and Brando..those krypton scenes still look cool today

[@desmondd1984]

@Nintariz Kinda questionable though how he basically kills Zod without a second thought. Seem to recall a similar thing being heavily criticized in MOS...

[@mickeythebull9842]

Back in 1980 I thought Superman 2 was the better movie, largely because of the action. Now I don't think 2 holds up as well as the original. Too campy.

[@defhoez449]

I miss Donner...he was a fantastic director. Superman, Lethal Weapon franchise, Goonies, Scrooged, Maverick. All classic films.

[@mikamika1873]

... The Omen...

[@-M0LE]

DeFHoez and is bus wife is carrying on that passion

[@jackwulf7439]

This was the Best Zod. Regal, godlike, arrogant, and fun! A truly enjoyable villain.

[@bobblueford]

👍👍👍👍👍

[@davidtuttle7556]

It was. But Gene Hackman in 1 was THE best Lex. Funny, charismatic, relatable, yet totally evil nut job.

[@richardupton3323]

kneel before zod.

[@sidarthur8706]

Richard Upton ok daddy

[@PurpleBox89]

Stamp made a fair Jor-El too in Smallville.

[@gk10002000]

S1 really was a landmark event. Had to be there to experience it. I was

[@James-qu6ul]

True, and there were just so many huge, great movies around that time too. Between 78-82, we had Superman, The Deer Hunter, First Blood, Raiders of the Lost Ark, the original Halloween, Empire Strikes Back (commonly regarded as the best Star Wars film), Blade Runner, Alien, Apocalypse Now (probably one of the the best war movies ever made to this day). And more.

[@TheDealMaster]

Nice work on this video, JoBlo. Superman II turned out great by both directors... I like both versions, partially due to when I grew up (with the Lester cut). But the Donner cut was certainly closer to what the movie was supposed to be.

[@nycboy121]

I love the ending......when you say "I can't even finish this sentence"....lol.....so true!

[@vinayseth1114]

So, Richard Donner was the Superman behind Superman!

[@DedByMonday]

HE Was an ASSHOLE DIRECTOR that is all....

[@robertdikes2435]

GREAT QUOTE SETH YOU ROCK SIR !!!!

[@vinayseth1114]

@@DedByMonday ? How was he an asshole director??

[@vinayseth1114]

@@robertdikes2435 Thanks mate! :)

[@bobblueford]

@Daniel Olortegui Donner is Jewish. Salkinds are Russian, Polish, German, Mexican... everything BUT Jewish!

[@Tbone2044]

Superman 2 with the 3 vilains is still the best out of all of the superman films!

[@CrazyCoupleDIY]

Totally agreed

[@patchoucoc.5238]

It’s the classic Superman

[@stonedrider15]

I loved it! I watched first time when I was like 8 and it was just amazing... It's like a live action dbz fight.

[@TTo-pr2vc]

The fortress of solitude was in this one

[@fucheduck]

the only formidable foes for a SUPER man. is Super people!

[@spedc]

I'll tell you one thing, I saw the 'released' Superman II in the theater and it was ok. But, when I saw the "Donner" version of Superman II - it was awesome!! I made so much more sense and it had so much better continuity it was perfect!! The Lester and Co. damn near killed Superman.

[@lastdimestudios]

The final comment about the current treatment of superman was hilarious!

[@therion961]

Superman II was (still is) a great movie

[@coreyoz]

that diner scene is one of the best in cinema if you ask 8 year old me

[@johnbull1568]

@@coreyoz There's a bunch of great scenes, and great lines still quotable today. Sure, the special effects are ropey and don't hold up, but it's still a great movie.

[@pedroanibalpower7612]

Christopher Reeve the only one Superman forever

[@therion961]

Pedro Anibal Power amen to that

[@jkdortch2308]

THE PHANTOM ZONE

[@seaoforange09]

😂”...Since then, Superman, the patron saint of comic books, has been treated with the outmost respect and care that I I I I can’t even finish this sentence...”

[@rochestertostivesrace1068]

Warner Brothers didn't learn from the mistakes made by the Salkinds and that left us with the horror that was Justice League. An unfinished film, mostly rewrote and reshot by another Director, resulting in a product that was a completely different feel from Zach Snyder's vision from MOS and BVS.

[@them-aasaaron6440]

Superman II the Richard Donnor cut is one of the best comic movies "never" made. What a shame.

[@bradenhogan2]

Aaron Jones aaand here come the Snyder Cut crowd

[@LukeLovesRose]

Agreed. Those producers totally SUCK

[@treoates7224]

I agree wholeheartedly. The "Donnor Cut" was quite superior.

[@dannyr2976]

The one element that didn't work for me in the Donner cut was the hotel scene as, Clark would've felt a bullet hit him, hence there would be no need to reveal his Superman identity and two, Lois would be sitting in a jail cell for firing a weapon in a hotel room and not flying with Supes to the Fortress of Solitude.

[@billybatson7852]

I thought it was just okay. I watched it once and definitely prefer the original cut.

[@masonbricke4568]

Your ending was just hilarious, and your sentiments widely shared.

[@AT-sd9qq]

Totally agree

[@PeterSellers22]

Superman "a bit of a bore"!? You've completely lost me there 🤨

[@lukegoldstonofficial1614]

PeterSellers22 there are people I know who will find the film a bored, and that would be about 97% of my High School. I haven’t seen the whole movie, but it looks like a work of Art.

[@akanshajaiswal534]

Really another hater of superman

[@hckneoboom9548]

Superman I is my favorite superhero film of all time. I didn't know all of the bad stuff that happened behind the scenes due to Richard Donner not being able to finish the second film. We the audience were in love with the first film and welcome more of that movie magic that came with the first film. Honestly, really enjoyed the 3 villans in the second film which were part of the mythos found in the comics and help move the plot forward. I enjoyed these films until the third one. However, if you want to discuss the film that is truly a disjointed mess in this franchise even with the immortal Christopher D'Olier Reeve reprising the role of Superman, look no further than Superman IV: The Quest for Peace.

[@darkwyve]

Yeah, here's a perfect set of scenes of what Christopher Reeve *really* thought when they released Superman IV: The Quest for Peace... kzbin.info/www/bejne/oJyzqJZqaJJsn8U

[@xetaprime]

"I can't even finish the sentence" LOL!

[@sircadlab703]

This times a million

[@NameCallingIsWeak]

@MGTOW Monkey From bing top result "Basically Kal El means lightweight God. “Kal” (קל) means both lightweight and easy, but in this context it’s more plausible that it means lightweight. Whereas “El” (אל) means God. That said, with an English accent, which both Superman creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster held (both Jews by the way), it may also be possible that the original meaning was actually voice of God."

[@redrebel4540]

Reeve was perfect in the role, a real childhood hero of mine, still is.

[@nakinaki7991]

Superman 1 and 2 best ever

[@jc.1191]

Mine too. He's forever superman, and who I looked up to as a boy.

[@generalkruger7071]

Christopher Reeve IS THE REAL Superman,forever.

[@B.O.L.A]

The older this film gets the better it becomes. Perhaps the best personification of intelligence, heart and perfect comedic timing. He makes you fall in love with his character that no other actor has done.His suit is so simple yet perfect for his time, iconic!!!

[@jerico641]

Hey! My grandkids don't find it "a bore"; they love it! All six of them, ranging in ages from 1 to 15.

[@kevingosse8657]

I loved the first one, then the second one blew my mind! I'm glad your kids enjoy them

[@davidcunningham5083]

their still the best superman films to date, simply cause they are true to the character and tell a good story, it's really cool you can share and enjoy these movies with your grandkids, i think that's the real joy of watching movies is sharing that experience with the people you love

[@thedarknate0845]

This reviewer is an idiot!

[@amandakendall4541]

Yes! Respect!

[@kick-ass8704]

6? You mean 5

[@BrianMax]

Superman and Superman II were the first modern comic book movies. They were well made, had state of the art SFX (for their time), and took the source material seriously. Too bad Donner couldn't have finished the movies and edited them for the story he wanted to tell.

[@-M0LE]

Brian Max he did make his cut of the second one and it’s great

[@SweatyBreeze]

The dummy being fired from the cannon at 6:56 actually looked really good.

[@DlcEnergy]

Pineapple Pizza you are disgusting

[@syntaxusdogmata3333]

@@DlcEnergy You are ignaciably contrafibularious.

[@perrin6]

Yeah but Superman went ballistic so they had to do it differently.

[@VicMeep]

@@syntaxusdogmata3333 You what

[@syntaxusdogmata3333]

@@VicMeep Exactly! 😎

[@leafyutube]

"While today's audience will find the film a bit of a bore..." Actually, it's TODAY's comic movies that are a bore.

[@deborahhanna6640]

Meh... they change any iconic character any time it suits some beaurucratic pc A-hole or drags out a crap story for 5 more movies. Gotta get the dollars! Nobody wants a great story to end, but a signature of a great story IS that it ends & has a GREAT end. It gives the audience closure.

[@AstrosElectronicsLab]

Agreed, 80% of the Marvel movies suck

[@thedaveanddaveshowlive3765]

Astro's Electronics Lab BS!!!! Guess that’s why they’ve made billions in revenue.

[@cptrobby5700]

Completely agree - those marvel movies are unwatchable to me

[@GorillaGrodd420]

@@AstrosElectronicsLab They are not that bad.

[@clubredken13]

The big takeaway from this I think is that the original Superman will always be the best superhero movie ever made. As it should be.

[@geomfilms]

Very nice behind the scenes and explanation of what went down. Thank you for this edit.

[@MattHalpain]

this video is a real nostalgic treat for me, thank you.

[@boardgameman6298]

This blew me away. I never knew there was such turmoil making both films. Wow. Thanks for your clip, it was fantastic!

[@TunkTheTank]

19:29, wait till you see what happened during Superman III and IV kzbin.info/www/bejne/eH7ah4qtZr6jbq8

[@rschmidt9495]

Superman I & II, along with Batman (Michael Keaton) will always be my favorite superhero films.

[@ThePoorBoy]

Yes!!! If heaven happens to exist, hopefully we'll get a proper Batman Vs. Superman movie one day -- Reeve and Keaton directed by Donner with a script by Mankiewicz and Hamm (Tim Burton can serve as a creative consultant).

[@rschmidt9495]

@@ThePoorBoy That would be epic!

[@bobblueford]

I wish everybody felt this way!

[@girlinterrupted9792]

I was JUST about to comment this! I'm an 80's kid and those movies will ALWAYS have a special place in my heart💙

[@jedijones]

@@ThePoorBoy What would've been amazing would have been a Dark Knight Returns adaptation with the older Keaton and Reeve playing the roles.

[@MacSmithVideo]

"what if they teased a sequel no one wanted?" lol that would never stop them now.

[@the-NightStar]

Super Mario Bros The Movie of all things, has a sequel bait ending. So i'm pretty sure this is not a recent phenomenon.

[@bobblueford]

Mac Smith and Night Star: Masters of the Universe (1987) sure did!

[@atomicdancer]

And I'm still waiting for Ryan Reynold's "Green Lantern 2." Stop teasing us, Warner Bros, and tell us what happens next already!

[@brandonlyon730]

Last Airbender had that scene with Ozai and Azula in its end, cliffhanging for the second movie that never got made.

[@bradleybradley4363]

Lesley Jones: "What's Zuul?"

[@dougvitale]

Thanks for making this documentary about two of my favorite movies from my childhood in the early 80s. I remember being in awe of the fights that Superman had with Zod and his crew.

[@TunkTheTank]

19:29 You're welcome, you can check out my sequel video here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eH7ah4qtZr6jbq8

[@Johnny-mb9vy]

The front projection shots look better than the bluescreen shots

[@killwalker2474]

Had no idea there was a Richard Donner cut of Superman 2. I HAVE to find it. Stupid cling wrap scene was embarassing

[@zeroman614]

Kill Walker the S is for “Saran Wrap”

[@killwalker2474]

@@zeroman614 lol. I was gonna say Saran wrap but idk if that brand is everywhere. Cling wrap rolls off the tongue better too

[@KevyNova]

I bought it the day it was released and I haven't watched the Lester version since.

[@wstine79]

I own both the original and the 2006 Donner cut. I love them both for different reasons.

[@ironcrosstrainingltd6482]

Same 👍

[@DLRX]

Agreed, the Donner cut is far superior but having grown up with the Lester cut (multiple viewings on HBO back in the day) I can't simply forget about it.

[@kevin10001]

DLRX actually the Lester cut is far superior cause the donor cut is a mess of a movie cause it's obvious that the gun scene is out of place cause if it being a test shot cause Christopher goes from having his bulk to not having it to having his bulk again I have both versions and I go to the theatrical version way more and superman 2 is my favorite of the Christopher Reeve superman movies

[@ironcrosstrainingltd6482]

@@DLRX I am in the same situation I watched it so many times before Donner's cut. If I remember correctly Excuse me General would you care to step outside is Lester. Classic moment 👍

[@MAMoreno]

@@kevin10001 The Lester Cut is also a mess of a movie. Neither version completely works, since both were Frankensteined together. And it's really hard to fix the problem, since Lester consciously chose to shoot the film in a drastically different way than Donner did. In either version, the jump from one director's footage to the other's is utterly jarring, both visually and tonally. A proper Superman II will never exist.

[@joseantoniodelgado109]

Great video and input on what went on behind the scenes. Respect

[@anthonyleighton4754]

no wonder marlon got large 11% royalties on the 1st film for a couple of days work - smart move.......

[@jaelge]

Brando did not necessarily love acting. Admittedly he found it to be easy and lucrative. But he was fukin' brilliant as Marc Antony in Julius Caesar. His best role as far as I'm concerned.

[@danobrien9947]

The last line absolutely slayed me. Nicely done!

[@jinxy72able]

Louis: You got me, who's got you? Superman: Richard Donner.

[@LucidVision138]

Lmao

[@jamesclukey7488]

Lois ...... spell it right for Christ's sake !

[@dbmusicproductions7568]

Superman: “Louis! Oh, gosh! I caught the wrong person! Sorry Louis, I have to drop you and go find Lois. Good luck, now!”

[@jamesclukey7488]

@@dbmusicproductions7568 Nice !

[@sk8ernutdw]

@@jamesclukey7488 Oh you mean.. a friend? :D

[@cav2ya]

Thanks for this! I worked with Michael Thau on the Donner cut. It was a fun project. To get to see all the footage of Brando as it was shot, and the fixes we did in post.. the camera test/gun shot scene testing Clark as superman was a nice addition. We need more films like this. Focused on the story, and not the effects!

[@lamarbuckner7560]

Marc Fisher -Thank you for giving us the Donner cut of “Superman II.” I prefer the Donner version and the restored scenes of Marlon Brando are magical. “Superman the Movie” is the best memory of my childhood. Each time I view the picture I get emotional.

[@SB992REBORN]

YOU WORKED ON THE DONNER CUT !!!!?!!!!!!!! ITS MY FAVORITE VERSION OF II AND ITS MY FAVOURITE OF THE FIRST TWO!!!!!!!!!!! HHH HOW WAS IT WORKING WITH RICHARD DONNER AND MICHAEL THAU AND HOW WAS IT SEEING THE FOOTAGE WHEN IT WAS FOUND IN THERE??!!!!!

[@oatlord]

I remember being so mad as a kid when I realized just spinning the earth the other direction would have no effect on time.

[@210SAi]

Are you sure it won’t?

[@luchadorbeaux1698]

I now know the story of that stupid cellophane S. I am gonna sleep so good tonight.

[@TunkTheTank]

Right? I've always thought was so SO dumb.

[@MrDruism]

I never understood the mind kiss till I heard someone talk about it when I was older. I was confused when I saw it as a kid but didn’t ask anyone because I felt dumb for not understanding what was happening in that scene.

[@atomicdancer]

Superman always had the power to throw his "S" at people, but he never really knew what it would do, before he tried it.

[@-M0LE]

Luchador Beaux same

[@bobblueford]

I like the cellophane S. Besides, It's his house, he could do what he wants!!!

[@boxcarhobo7017]

The Donner Cut is like getting an alternate reality-version copy of Superman 2 dropped off in our multiverse timeline and finally seeing, almost 4 decades after-the-fact, what other parallel-universes already knew: It's Super, man!

[@ClassicFilmTVCafe]

Superman II is the best of the Superman movies. Christopher Reeve is the best Superman. End of review.

[@bastidface]

I love this film.

[@210SAi]

Superman 2 can’t top Lex Luthor as the villain and the Smallville act

[@tiffprendergast]

Classic Film & TV Cafe yeah

[@PaulAdamsPhotos]

Great work - learned some new stuff here. Thanks.

[@chrisolivo6591]

Superman 1978 has one great thing that is lacking in the modern blockbuster: Heart. The movie has heart, has dramatic moments, has great one liners and comedy that is authentic, not gags. The modern blockbuster is all about wowing the crowd and big set action pieces. That is why most modern Blockbusters are forgotten or don’t hold up well. Independence Day was THE Blockbuster of 1996 and now it’s looked at as utterly silly. The reason? The movie has no heart and no developed characters. Superman 1978, Star Wars, Jaws are all great movies because they are limited by technology so they HAD to focus on characters, the story and the script.

[@bobblueford]

👏👏👏👍👍👍

[@arx117]

Spiderman 1 and 2 has heart. Man of steel has it but got overpowered by seriousness. You can see when ckark talking to his ma and pa. Also the end scene when clark got job in daily planet

[@bobblueford]

@Felipe M 👍

[@DesertBro]

No film HAS to focus on characters. Countless crappy "B" flicks have terrible scripts, action, costumes, and effects and yet still turn a profit for the producers. Most "action" flicks have lousy characters - but those movies aren't about characters, they're about ACTION - and super-hero fare falls in that catagory. We are indeed blessed when we get more that just action. Even today, action can be done well, but character?.....that's a fancy hat trick that DC still hasn't figured out for the most part.

[@SuperCeleste007]

Avengers age of Ultron - WTF happened to this movie?

[@DannyBoy443]

The beautiful blonde in the orange dress melon shopping is secretly one of the greatest lost pieces of film ever lol. #Truth

[@sperrin]

"Superman II - WTF Happened To This Movie?" I don't know because this video seems to be about the making of the first film...

[@AstrosElectronicsLab]

Video should be retitled: "Superman II - WTF Happened To This Video About Superman II?"

[@captainvadergaming4696]

You do realize Superman I and II were filmed simultaneously

[@ChannelNerdgasm]

Despite its production controversies, I still think Superman II is the best Superman movie made as of yet (even one of the best superhero films to this day).

[@En_theo]

Yeah but the original script makes more sense to me than the current version. Brando had a bigger role in the sequel, the biblical aspect clearer in Donner's version.

[@EldergodUK]

You will bow down before me superman the movie. First you, then one day your movie sequels. Your sequels!!!!

[@drnocka-rocksteady]

The feel. Its what Superman is. It makes you feel good.

[@superlyger]

Avengers is destruction porn.

[@Tuinuiski]

This! 😊👍

[@jaybird8192]

Christopher Reeve was and still is the best version of Superman, hands down! Same with Margot Kidder as Lois! The chemistry between them just shot through the screen!!

[@jaylee8240]

Man of Steel is the best Superman movie ever

[@PungiFungi]

@@jaylee8240 Please, with the overacting and hifalutin angst. No thanks.

[@carlosmejido3244]

@@jaylee8240 Reeve si the best Superman

[@victorgalvan406]

This is a wonderful vlog. Thank you

[@paulware4701]

Thank you for this video. I had no idea there was a Donner cut of II. I will go out and find it right now. Awesome!

[@TroyNaumu808]

Reeve is still the BEST Superman

[@danielaalders]

yes he is...

[@AztroZ-cz5js]

Indeed... a real hero and a gentleman

[@quandale6258]

I personally think him and Cavill were perfect

[@JosecCuervo]

Yup Reeves was great back then Cavill is the perfect Superman now.

[@veltonmeade1057]

And Toby Maguire will always be the best Spiderman.

[@user-ty6do8yz4l]

I even had the Superman collector's cards in 79ish. I put one of the stickers on my Estes Model Rocket box!

[@davidecapps65]

I don’t anyone will ever encapsulate Superman’s character as well as Christopher Reeve did it.

[@freedomlover9560]

Completely agree here. I'm an 80s kid and Reeve will always be my Superman. However, no one will ever be able to touch Tom Welling as far as the role of Clark Kent is concerned.

[@jasonnewsham7724]

Still an awesome movie to this day.

[@MyCovertNarcissism]

Amazing video, so glad i watched this, great work

[@saldichiaps7199]

Christopher Reeve will always be Superman to me. Terrence Stamp's performance as General Zod is the best villian ever and is underrated in my opinion.

[@captainvadergaming4696]

That's exactly what I think with Michael Shannon's version. Terrence Stamp was great too

[@40some57]

This was brilliantly done - thank you for creating.

[@lidette711]

Why are the mistakes from 40 years ago still happening today? It's like Warner Brothers never learns.

[@danpetitpas]

One thing to keep in mind is Warner Bros. for the last 60 years has been a film distributor. It even hands off its own films to other production companies to actually film. The studio makes deals and counts the grosses. But it trusted the wrong people to make its superhero movies.

[@jedijones]

Also keep in mind WB didn't fire Donner. This was the Salkinds. Unfortunately what happened to Donner has essentially happened to many directors in recent years under WB, Disney's Lucasfilm, Marvel Studios and others. Directors are considered more interchangeable and replaceable than they have in decades now.

[@phaneserichthoneus8895]

I've always wondered how audiences would react if someone went back to the basics of telling a well-crafted and truly finessed story without sacrificing the modern capabilities of special effects. I don't know. Maybe today's writers really think their stories are fantastic. That's not to say that there aren't some good recent movies. But I'm one who is easily entertained; if a movie has plot holes and inconsistencies, I would never notice it because I always live in the moment when I'm watching a movie; I don't sit there like a hawk looking for the slightest errors. Anyway, I'm digressing....

[@jedijones]

@@phaneserichthoneus8895 I do think Ready Player One succeeded very well as a classic 1980s-style adventure movie. It had the emotional subtext underneath the special effects that we remember was prevalent during that era. Audiences seemed to like it, but many just ignored it. Because a big difference today is how much audiences flock to sequels and brand names. Back in the '70s and '80s, people were very skeptical of sequels and seemed more open to new ideas and originality. The biggest hit movies of any year back then were rarely sequels. Now they almost always are.

[@phaneserichthoneus8895]

@@jedijones Ah, I haven't seen that movie yet, but I've been wanting to. Yes, I imagine Spielberg still has it. lol

[@riftshredder5438]

At least we got the Donner Cut before his death

[@bertwesler1181]

Great job! I usually don't like this kind of film, but yours is wonderful and the final sentence knocked me out of my chair, It was SOOOOOOOO true!

[@frankjanosko9083]

When I saw the Richard Donner cut, I was amazed and how different it was and confused about how why it had the same reverse time ending. Thanks for clearing that all up!

[@TIOMKIN1]

Excellent Video. It told a lot about Superman ll I didn't know especially about why John Williams didn't do the music. Thanks for the upload. Out.