Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut

2006
PG
1h 55m

IMDb RATING

7.6/10

20K

YOUR RATING

Terence Stamp, Christopher Reeve, Sarah Douglas, and Jack O'Halloran in Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut (2006)

Superman agrees to sacrifice his powers to start a relationship with Lois Lane, unaware that three Kryptonian criminals he inadvertently released are conquering Earth.

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Superhero Urban Adventure Action Adventure Romance Sci-Fi

Superman agrees to sacrifice his powers to start a relationship with Lois Lane, unaware that three Kryptonian criminals he inadvertently released are conquering Earth.Superman agrees to sacrifice his powers to start a relationship with Lois Lane, unaware that three Kryptonian criminals he inadvertently released are conquering Earth.Superman agrees to sacrifice his powers to start a relationship with Lois Lane, unaware that three Kryptonian criminals he inadvertently released are conquering Earth.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.6/10

20K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 5 wins & 1 nomination

Videos1

Trailer 1:37

Watch Teaser Trailer

Photos30

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
(at around 16 mins) The actor playing Clark Kent yelling out to Lois Lane after she jumps out of the Daily Planet is not Christopher Reeve. An uncredited actor was brought in to film the shot for the DVD release.

Goofs
Superman turns back time so that General Zod, Ursa and Non never leave the Phantom Zone, but we aren't shown how Superman deals with the missiles launched at the end of the first Superman movie - meaning, after turning back time, they should escape again, if Superman dealt with the nuclear missiles in the same manner. (This is a problem that actually stems from the first movie, where we aren't shown Superman dealing with the crisis in a different fashion after Lois dies - he shows up at Lois' car, and the aftershocks that caused her death just never happen.)

The next scene we see is meant to be the beginning of the movie again, with the Daily Planet - so after the nuclear explosions, and before the arrival of the villains - but Clark goes back to straighten out the trucker who hit him afterwards - though because Superman turned back time, basically, this event never happened - so Clark was hitting an innocent man for no reason. (The diner owner says that he just had the place fixed up - meaning the scuffle did occur, and Clark claims he's been working out, meaning from the last time they saw him, when he was beaten - however, again, this never happened because Superman turned back time again.)

Moreover, towards the end of the film, Superman destroys the Fortress of Solitude with his heat-sight - the Fortress of Solitude should be reconstructed (and with Jor-El available to guide Kal-El again) due to Superman turning back time again. The time travel device, beyond complicating the film's time-line, nullifies Jor-El's sacrifice and Superman's lesson, as after turning back time, things should be "back to normal" again.

Furthermore, if Superman's end-game was to turn back time all along, he didn't have to fight the super-villains in Metropolis or in the Fortress of Solitude at all - he could have turned back time immediately after regaining his powers, or following the Metropolis fight.

Quotes
Lois Lane: You ARE Superman, aren't you?
Clark Kent: Lois, now we've been through these haullcinations of yours before. Can't you see what you almost did? Throwing yourself off a building 30 stories high? Can't you see what a tragic mistake you almost made?
Lois Lane: I made a mistake. I made a mistake because
[Lois pulls out a gun]
Lois Lane: I risked my life instead of yours.
Clark Kent: Lois... don't be insane!
Lois Lane: And don't fall down 'cause you're just going to have to get up again!
Clark Kent: Lois, don't be crazy now... LOIS!
[Lois fires at Clark, who just stands there with a stern look on his face]
Lois Lane: [Lois looks at amazement] It IS you...
[Clark takes off his glasses to reveal that he is indeed Superman]
Lois Lane: I guess I've known this for the longest time.
Clark Kent: You realize, of course, if you had been wrong, Clark Kent would've been killed.
Lois Lane: [Lois holds up the gun] With a blank?
[Clark closes his eyes in embarassment]
Lois Lane: Gotcha!
Clark Kent: [Clark sits down ready to talk]

Crazy credits
After the Warner Bros./DC Comics logos, there is an on-screen dedication "in loving memory" of Christopher Reeve, "Without whom we would have never believed a man could fly".

Connections
Edited from Superman II (1980)

User reviews162

Review

Featured review

7/10

In any shape or form, Superman II is a flawed masterpiece

I've just seen this 'Richard Donner' cut of Superman II after getting the Christopher Reeve box set for Christmas. Its great. Really great. But heres the thing. There is material in the Richard Lester version that has been airing in the UK for years that i love and when you see the Donner cut its either edited out or the music is completely changed! The scenes i'am talking about are really around the Krypton villains. Their arrival on the moon and attack on the astronauts was one of the best sequences in the movie and the villains' theme by Ken Thorne (originally by John Williams) which plays over that sequence and whenever they are on screen was fantastic...the soundtrack is not in that sequence in the Donner cut!

Also, the hand wrestling scene between the farmer and Ursa in the coffee shop is gone! Please don't get me wrong, this version is superb and i guess it is as close to seeing what Richard Donner originally intended for the sequel before he was replaced with Richard Lester. Also the 'new' footage which i have never seen is really great, especially the opening sequence with Lois Lane throwing herself out of the Daily Planet office window in an attempt to get Superman to save her, as is the small new inclusions of the attack on the White House, making it a little longer and more violent was the right direction and you can clearly see where the makers of the X Men got their inspiration from in this sequence.

The final battle at Superman's address in the North Pole is slightly disappointing. More a battle of super minds than super powers.

However, this is really fascinating if you are a Superman fan and thankfully because of the box set i now have both versions. One is not better than the other, they are both flawed brilliance.