1980 Theatrical Version [7]

2006 Richard Donner Cut [7]

Three space criminals clad in shiny black suits come to Earth and force Superman into a confrontation, just as he’s decided to give up his powers for a normal relationship with Lois Lane. Superman II was shot concurrently with Superman: The Movie, both under the direction of Richard Donner (The Omen, Lethal Weapon). But after Donner had a falling-out with the producers, he was replaced with Richard Lester, who reshot enough of Donner’s work on Superman II to get credit for the sequel. But in 2006, Warner Brothers finally released a “Richard Donner Cut” of the film that presents, as much as possible, Donner’s original vision for the movie.

What both versions of the film have in common is a terrific relationship between Superman and Lois Lane, reprised by Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder. Early on in the film, Lois begins to suspect Clark Kent is really Superman, and she tests him. When the cat is finally out of the bag, Superman can’t help but fall madly in love with her — so much so that he gives up his powers to have a normal life with her. Then the intergalactic baddies crash the White House and all hell breaks loose. Superman finds a way to get his powers back, and the last act of Superman II is a big brawl on the streets of Metropolis with Superman barely able to hold his own against the three super-villains. Gene Hackman returns as Lex Luthor, who ingratiates himself among the bad guys, and Terence Stamp is particularly memorable as the lead baddie, General Zod.

The Richard Lester cut of the film features quite a bit more low-brow humor and jokes that fall flat, especially in a prolonged sequence during which the three super villains wreak havoc in a small town. In contrast, the Richard Donner version gains gravitas from the restoration of scenes featuring Marlon Brando, who for money reasons does not appear in the Lester cut. Brando, as Jor-El, Superman’s father, gives a stern warning to Superman about giving up his powers. It’s a much more dramatic moment coming from the father of the character, instead of the mother (Susannah York) in the Lester cut of the film. And when Superman comes back to the Fortress of Solitude in search of a way to regain his powers, the Donner version delivers one of the best scenes in the movie, as Jor-El returns one last time and announces that his presence within the fortress will effectively die in order to return his son’s powers.

The Donner Cut is definitely the more emotionally satisfying of the two versions, both for Jor-El’s reintegration into the story, and for a handful of other moments between Lois and Superman that play out differently than they do in the theatrical cut. In fact one of the best scenes in either movie is the Donner version of how Lois finally finds out that Clark Kent is indeed Superman. The scene was never shot for the final film, but it was the original screen test material for both Reeve and Kidder. The ‘Richard Donner Cut’ integrates these early screen tests into the movie to restore the original narrative. It’s kinda fascinating.

Whichever version of Superman II you see, it’s fun to spend time with Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder again. These two can’t get enough credit in the success of these two films for their incredible chemistry and charm. The film lacks a little of the polish and integrity of its predecessor, possibly a result of its troubled production, but it’s a worthy sequel nonetheless.