Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut

[Rutabaga]

I've never been a huge fan of the original theatrical version of Superman II directed by Richard Lester. There were lots of plot points and scenes that just left me with a really sour aftertaste. Still, over the years I've heard all the legends and stories about Richard Donner's vision of the movie and how it radically differed from what we eventually saw, and because of my respect for Richard Donner, I'd always been hoping to be able to see it.

Well, they finally released Superman II: The Richard Donner cut on DVD in late November, in conjunction with the release of Superman Returns on DVD, and I immediately put it in my Netflix queue. Took until this week to finally get it, this was the most popular movie I've had to wait for since I signed up with the service a few months ago.

I watched it last night, and wow, what a difference from the original theatrical version! A much improved and appealing Superman movie! It's been a long long long time since I saw the original theatrical version all the way through, I disliked it that much, but I still saw tremendous changes and differences. Such as, the whole Paris silliness is gone, Lois forcing Supes into revealing his identity is completely different, and most importantly, it's papa Jor-El and not mama Lara that Superman speaks to in the Fortress of Solitude. It ultimately makes the whole "Superman loses his powers and then gets them back" story element make much more sense and more believable in the flow of the story, rather than the complete deus ex machina in the original theatrical version that drove me absolutely nuts. The Richard Donner cut is the one I wish they'd hung on to and released all those years ago, because I would have liked it much, much better. As it is, Superman II, which is a movie I've avoided over the years because I just didn't like it, has now become a movie that I'm going to be adding permanently to my DVD collection.

If you're a Superman fan, I strongly suggest that you check this DVD out because I think you'll probably like it :).

[Jedieb]

I've always been a big fan of Superman II. That being said, I was really looking forward to seeing the Donner cut. It was on my X-Mas list and the kids gave Daddy what he wanted. The Donner cut is a very good version. I don't think it's huge improvement over the 80's version. The ending for instance, just doesn't work that well. The original also had a much better buildup to the big throw down in Metropolis. But there were a lot of instances where the Donner cut had better moments. I wish I could takes parts of both and put them together.

[Rutabaga]

I do agree that the ending is one area I have a quibble with...having Superman turn time backwards again was too repetitive, and a little too easy. Plus, if this had been the original ending, Superman Returns would have had to have been totally different since there never could have been a Superman Jr.

I've always considered myself an oddity, I guess, since I so disliked the original theatrical version...almost everyone I've heard talk about it either in person or on the net has loved it to pieces. I'm always the oddball, it seems :D.

[Jedi Master Carr]

I haven't picked up this version yet. I actually like the Original release of Superman 2, it wasn't perfect but was a good movie. I am curious to see this version to compare it. I hear some of the bigger problems aside from the ending was so much wasn't finished.

[Droo]

I bought the Ultimate boxset the day it was released here. I've seen the Donner cut twice now and it's wonderful. The themes and drama are sustained much more powerfully than in the Lester cut.

For some reason, the extra scenes aside, Zod seems much more menacing in Donner's cut. I'm convinced they used a different recording of Terence Stamp's performance for him because now, instead of being able to take his character seriously only in part, I now see Zod as a true villain of great threat. How the Zod, Ursa and Non escape this time around is much better and gives you a real sense that this is an immediate continuation of the first story.

All of the Lois/Clark/Superman romantic business is conducted with far greater craftsmanship, and instead of silly saccarine moments, there is real moments in which your heart pains for these characters. Particularly the scene outside the Fortress of Solitude and at Lois's home. "Don't ever forget," killed me.

As for the turning back the world, I've watched the documentaries and listened to the commentaries and this is the deal with it: the turning back the world sequence was written exclusively for the finale of Superman II. However, with the Salkinds pushing for the release of Superman: The Movie, they feared the box office takings wouldn't allow them to finish filming Superman II so they wanted a "big" and "cool" ending for their first film, so the turning back the world sequence was refilmed for Superman: The Movie, even though it had already been filmed for the sequel. It's a shame all this happened this way, because now we will never really know what the original ending to Superman: The Movie was going to be.

As for the Superman Returns discrepancies, taking the Donner cut into account, it doesn't really make any difference, for two reasons: first of all, Singer's film is a "loose sequel" to the Donner films, and secondly, Jason has super powers to some degree in Returns, therefore when he was concieved, Superman had to have had his super powers too, because in the Lester cut of Superman II, when Lois and Clark sleep together, he is already human - no super powers would've been inherited. And as for the Fortress of Solitude, I'm glad that it exists as it does in Returns, because the way it's been designed is gorgeous.

All in all, the Donner cut of Superman II is a vast improvement, it's a terrible shame that he didn't get to finish filming it in accordance with his vision but we are very fortunate to have been offered this glimpse at what his film would've been like had it been finished.