Superman Collection

Christopher Reeve

Margot Kidder

Terence Stamp

Sarah Douglas

Jack O'Halloran

Gene Hackman

Ned Beatty

Jackie Cooper

Valerie Perrine

Susannah York

Clifton James

E.G. Marshall

Marc McClure

Leueen Willoughby

Robin Pappas

Roger Kemp

Roger Brierley

Anthony Milner

Richard Griffiths

Melissa Wiltsie

Alain Dehay

Marc Boyle

Alan Stuart

John Ratzenberger

Shane Rimmer

John Morton

Jim Dowdall

Angus MacInnes

Antony Sher

Elva Mai Hoover

Hadley Kay

Todd Woodcroft

John Hollis

Gordon Rollings

Peter Whitman

Bill Bailey

Dinny Powell

Hal Galili

Marcus D'Amico

Jack Cooper

Richard LeParmentier

Don Fellows

Michael Shannon

Tony Sibbald

Tommy Duggan

Pamela Mandell

Pepper Martin

Eugene Lipinski

Cleon Spencer

Carl Parris

Norman Chancer

Jean-Pierre Cassel

Richard Donner

Jeff East

Glenn Ford

Trevor Howard

John Cannon

Miquel Brown

Richard Lester

Mario Puzo

David Newman

Leslie Newman

Pierre Spengler

Ken Thorne

Geoffrey Unsworth

John Victor-Smith

Robert Paynter

Jerry Siegel

Joe Shuster

Ilya Salkind

Lynn Stalmaster

John Barry

Peter Murton

Jim Morahan

Colin Chilvers

Roy Field

Zoran Perisic

Dusty Symonds

Yvonne Blake

Sue Yelland

Douglas Noakes

Frans J. Afman

Cecil F. Ford

Tim Hampton

Vincent Winter

Maurice Fowler

Charles Bishop

Terry Ackland-Snow

Norman Reynolds

Ernest Archer

Don Sharpe

Roy Charman

Freddie Cooper

David Garfath

John Harris

John Morgan

Ginger Gemmel

Chic Waterson

Peter MacDonald

Debbie McWilliams

Allan James

Gareth Tandy

Christopher Newman

Terry Madden

Roy Button

Paul Storey

Raoul Girard

Peter Young

Stuart Freeborn

Tom Mankiewicz

Graham Churchyard

Vic Armstrong

Derek Meddings

Geoffrey Helman

Robert Simmonds

Robert Lynn

Maria Monreal

Pamela Davies

Doris Martin

Elaine Schreyeck

Katya Kolpaktchy

Stephen Claydon

Jeff Paynter

John Campbell

Joy Bayley

Terry Apsey

Larry Cleary

Robert Hathaway

Peter Watson

Archie Ludski

Paul Smith

Sarah Vickers

Bob Mullen

Peter Holt

Russ Woolnough

Colin Wilson

Nicolas Gomez

Graham Henderson

Mahesh Rajguru

Christine Samways

Bobbie Johnson

Betty Adamson

Keith Hamshere

Robert Harman

Ivor Beddoes

Doug Ferris

Peter Harman

Peter Hammond

Cervin Robinson

John Richards

Gerry Humphreys

Michael Hopkins

Nereida Soto

Pat McDermott

Joan White

Bobbie Smith

Paul Weston

Science Fiction

Action

Adventure

Superman II

Dovemead Films

Alexander and Ilya Salkind Productions

International Film Production

United Kingdom

United States of America

CinemaSerf

It's not often that I reckon a sequel is actually better than the first film, but I think this one is. Having saved the world from the evil machinations of "Lex Luthor" (Gene Hackman) back in 1978, "Superman/Clark" (Christopher Reeve) has determined that he must come clean with "Lois" (Margot Kidder) about his true identity so they can fall in love. His timing isn't great though as just as he pops into his power evaporator, the evil "Gen. Zod" (Terence Stamp) arrives on Earth with his two trusty lieutenants "Ursa" (Sarah Douglas) and the feeble-minded "Non" (Jack O'Halloran). Naturally, they want to rule the world and even manage to engage the services of the recently sprung "Luthor" who alerts them to the presence of the son of the very man who condemned them to float through space encased in a glass pyramid. Now "Soop" has to find some way to reverse his power loss and then to combat three beings bent on destruction who have the same powers as him and lots of lovely "Lois" leverage. There's loads of death and destruction throughout this entertainingly paced outing for our red-caped superhero. As usual, though, it's not the wooden as a washboard Reeve who steals the plaudits - those laurels certainly go more to the on-form Hackman and to a Stamp who looks slightly bemused as the destruction rages and the product placement runs riot. The one thing that definitely does let this down is the quality of the production. It's not quite that you can see their wires when they fly, but the walking on water scene leaves little to the imagination; there are loads of scenes that don't quite look like they belong in this film and the continuity folks have had a bit of a nightmare - but all of that said, it's an enjoyable good v evil storyline that for a while even looked like the baddies might prevail - and that's always a good thing.

<em>'Superman II'</em> is a more rounded affair, though is no more entertaining than the first film - I enjoyed both the same, more or less. Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder remain as watchable as before, but Gene Hackman isn't as memorable in this follow-up - still good, mind.

I like how we got to see extra of Zod, Ursa and Non in this one, if only to see more of Terence Stamp - who I've only really seen later in his career, he's terrific in 2011's <em>'The Adjustment Bureau'</em>. Sarah Douglas and Jack O'Halloran as the other two characters are decent.

A perfectly solid sequel, you can't ask for much more than that.

_**Continues the super-story of the groundbreaking first film**_

Three Kryptonian criminals escape imprisonment in the Phantom Zone (Terence Stamp, Sarah Douglas and Jack O'Halloran) to harass citizens of the United States, including the president (E.G. Marshall), while Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman) schmoozes them. Meanwhile Lois Lane (Margot Kidder) suspects that Clark Kent is Superman (Christopher Reeve) during an assignment to Niagara Falls before flying off to fight the Kryptonians. Susannah York plays Kal-El’s mother while Jackie Cooper is on hand as Perry White.

"Superman II" (1980) was mostly shot simultaneously with the first film in 1977 wherein director Richard Donner had shot 75% of the film before focusing on finishing the first movie. When the flick went back into production in 1978 Donner was controversially fired and replaced with Richard Lester, who was already working on the project with Donner as second unit director. Marlon Brando’s scenes as Jor-El were cut (obviously because he wanted too much money, i.e. 11.75% of gross US box office earnings) and redone with Lara (York). 

Despite the behind-the-scenes drama, this is a thoroughly entertaining sequel with some people even claiming it’s better. What makes the film work so well is that (1) the three Kryptonian villains are interesting and their superhuman exploits are engaging, (2) Luthor is likewise amusing, (3) the sci-fi ambiance and special effects are state-of-the-art for the late 70s and (4) the drama involving Clark/Supes and Lois (and Perry White) is consistently entertaining. On the downside, I could do without Otis’ goofy antics (Ned Beatty) and the movie is slightly overlong. 

The film runs 2 hours, 7 minutes and was shot in Paris; Norway; Niagara Falls & Calgary, Canada; Pinewood Studios (the Metropolis scenes, etc.), Chobham Common, Surrey (the East Houston, Idaho, scenes), & London Underground, England; and St Lucia.

GRADE: A/A-

Fun packed and humanistic sequel is worthy alright.

Superman II stars Gene Hackman, Christopher Reeve, Terence Stamp, Ned Beatty, Sarah Douglas, Margot Kidder, and Jack O'Halloran. It was to be a troubled shoot that saw two directors involved with the project. Richard Donner had completed about three quarters of the film before being taken off the project, so Richard Lester then came in to finish the film. Because of the back stage problems there are a host of writers credited on the film and both Robert Paynter & Geoffrey Unsworth were involved with the cinematography. Filmed using the Megasound system the score is a reworking of John Williams original score by Ken Thorne.

Something of a miracle in itself that Superman II, in spite of all the behind the scenes shenanigans, is a very fine sequel to the massively successful Superman from 78. Sure there's some odd tonal shifts, a couple of things don't quite add up (to be corrected later on down the line with the release of the Richard Donner cut), while the villains are badly under written, but this has enough comic book adaptation savvy to please most comic book lovers.

This time around sees Superman pitted against three villains who have been released from their prison due to Superman himself detonating a hydrogen bomb in space. The big kicker here being that the three convicts, General Zod, Ursa and  Non, are from his home planet of Krypton and had been imprisoned by his father Jor-El. Now they are free they are hell bent on revenge against the son of Jor-El and the planet that worships him. If that was not enough for Superman to contend with, he also has affairs of the heart to deal with as his love for Lois Lane grows ever stronger by the day. While a certain Lex Luthor is plotting his escape from prison...

Pic nicely fuses a humanistic heart with exciting set pieces, to make Superman II a worthy sequel to the wonderful template that is the first film. Ultimately we should embrace both cuts of Superman II or it would go downhill from here...  7/10

Potential Kermode

**He was called Non because that is the amount of brains he had.**


Great sequel that expands on the introductory scenes in Superman (1978) where we met General Zod, Ursa and the massive moron, Non - although I wouldn't call him a moron to his face. (Perhaps if I had a ladder)

But anyway, these three criminals are inadvertently released from the Phantom Zone by Superman and they naturally head toward Earth seeking revenge on the son of their jailer.

Hackman receives top billing this time now that Brando collected his pay cheque and was at the bank cashing it.
A very entertaining and funny sequel thanks to Richard Lester's expert hand at comedy.



- Potential Kermode

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