Recently I reviewed the original Superman movie from 1978 and talked about how it was a massive movie in my childhood. While I love that original movie, I have always preferred Superman II from 1980. I tend to do a back-to-back special when I watch the Superman movies, I will watch I and follow it up right away with II.
How to Download Superman II
Superman II was released on June 19, 1981. You can download or stream the film from a digital platform. Click on the Download button at the end of this review and make your choice.
The Movie Review
The first Superman has a very interesting development with Richard Donner being brought on to complete the movie. Superman II had an even more turbulent development with Donner being kicked off, and Richard Lester bring brought back in, who wanted to scrap what Donner did so he could get the full directing credit! The production of this movie was an absolute mess, it is kind of crazy that the theatrical cut is as good as it is when you consider the turbulence going on behind the
If you love reading about the behind the scene stuff with movies and how they came to be, Superman and Superman II are so interesting to read about. Ok, the plot of Superman II revolves around General Zod and his goons being released from The Phantom Zone and wanting to make Kal-El pay as he is the last son of Krypton.
Terence Stamp as General Zod
Terence Stamp is awesome as General Zod! I loved General Zod as a kid and I think as a kid, I would have put him right up there with the likes of Darth Vader as far as big bad villains go. Of course, Gene Hackman as Lex Luthor is back and he tries to align himself with Zod and his goons in his search for power.
A Comic Book Movie Through and Through
I feel that Superman II feels far more like a comic book movie than the first movie does. It has more humor and more action and actually, the humor that the movie had is something that some people do not like. Look, I love Superman, but even though it does play things more straight, it still has some goofy stuff in it. Superman II embraces this and I honestly do not have a problem with it.
The Turbulent Production of Superman II
Now, we need to go back to the turbulent production that Superman II had. You see, Richard Donner actually shot a ton of stuff, some people say as much as 75 percent of the movie before he was canned! Fans for years wanted to see his stuff put into the movie and in 2006 we would get, Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut.
I had heard about how Superman II was supposed to be very different from the movie we got and I was so excited to see Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut and I have to say, it is a bit of a different movie and it does have a more serious tone. However, I do not think it is as drastically different to the Superman II as we got. If you forced me to pick which one I liked best, I would have to say the Superman II theatrical cut as that is the one I grew up with.
Comparing the Donner Cut and Theatrical Cut
By the time I saw the Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut, no exaggeration, I had to have already have seen Superman II at least 50 times as I watched it over and over as a kid. Hey, do not get me wrong, the Donner Cut is still fantastic and if people prefer that, I would not argue with them at all. It has a more serious tone overall and I do think some of the changes work.
Adding Superman II to Your Collection
If you want to add Superman II to your collection, you can get an awesome 4K set that has the theatrical and the Richard Donner cut on it. However, the end of 2024 sees an epic Superman 4K collection that in addition to Superman, Superman II, and the Donner Cut also has Superman III and Superman IV which are being offered in 4K for the first time. Yes, I already have the 4K sets of Superman and Superman II, but you better believe I have asked Sandy Claws for that 4K box set!
