Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut

Woop! It came in the post this morning!

Although I have so much to do before I can watch it.

 

Mine arrived today too and having the day off, I've just watched it

All-in-all a nice addition to the collection but don't expect antyhing too drastic.

**Spoilers ahead**



Firstly there's a very nice and important linkage to Superman Returns which was excellent, and having Jor-El back makes a big difference.
A less hammy Zod also works very well; he certainly is more sinister this time round and while I like the slightly comic effect of the original, this probably works better.

I also like the scene of Lois drawing glasses and a suit on the Superman image at the beginning, but they should have left it at that and kept to the original cut of her throwing herself into Niagara Falls rather then out of the Daily Planet, mainly because the scene where Lois takes Clarke's glasses off to clean them loses a lot of the magic it should have because she's already confronted him about being Superman.
And I also prefer the fireplace scene revelation rather the new gun shot scene. It's nice to see but I think the original one is better.

I'm not sure about the ending either. Turning back time (again) can raise some questions and they did it in the first Superman film. Having watched the documentary that goes wityh this new cut, I can understand why they didn't want Clarke kissing Lois but I think they could have got round it better.

Worth getting though, and it does also contain some of the old animated series so you get more for your money too!

 

I'm dying to see the new cut, but I'm holding out for the Ultimate Collection 13-disc set I 'SHOULD' be getting from my girlfriend for Xmas...she better be, I've seen the DVD in shops most of the week and it looks mighty tempting!

 

i want the superman IV special edition.
is that out yet?

 

Superman IV is in the 13 Disc set which is out on the 4th of December but I'm sure if Superman IV will have a separate release.

 

I don't think Superman IV will be getting an individual release because nothing has been changed, unlike Superman I & II. I also think it's because of the Superman Returns DVD release, where by Superman I & II are very relevant to the story where as III & IV aren't.

So you can get either the new 4-disc version of Superman: The Movie, the new 3-disc Superman II set which includes the Donner cut, the Christopher Reeve collection which comprises of the new 4-disc and 3-disc set of I & II, plus III and IV (as an after thought really), or the Ultimate Superman Coolection which includes the just mentioned Reeve Collections plus Superman Returns....confussed yet??

 

I've just seen on the Ezy DVD website (an Aussie website that I buy a lot of my DVDs from) has stopped pre-orders for the Ultimate Disc Set of Superman due to the over-whelming demand. I was going to pre-order it there, but decided to go for getting it from amazon.com instead. I'm glad I did, cause I'm saving myself about $65! Amazing! I love multi-zone DVD players! I can't wait for the DVDs to come in the mail now.

 

i'm only really interested in the extras for superman4... eighteen minutes of deleted scenes!
the whole nuclear man phase one subplot!
/sigh...

 

Just finished watching it, all I can say is WOW! I have waited a long time to see this and I thought it was absolutly brilliant. What were the Salkinds thinking really? Sacking Donner and refusing to use probably one of the greatest actors who ever drew breath in the film?

*SPOILERS*







The Brando scenes were amazing, especially the one when he gives Clark his powers back. And yay!! No more plot hole of Clark just staring at the green crystal!

And the 3 villains were evil! No more campy villians! We have an evil Zod, how he should be! The look of enjoyment on his face as he killed them men in the whitehouse. His scream of "Freeeee!!!" When released from the Phantom Zone were chilling. The turn back time scene was actually better than I expected it to be, it was done in a different style to the first movie and it worked for me. Although with Superman Returns in mind, wouldn't Lois no longer be pregnant?

But I'm still in fanboy overdrive! I thought it was absolutly brilliant and I will never ever watch Lester's tosh again. This is Superman II for me!

Btw out of intrest Tice, what bit did you mean when you said about the linkage to Superman Returns?

 

I don't think Donner ever made it with Superman Returns in mind, unless he could see into the future

 

**Spoilers ahread**




Jon - the linkage being that Jor-El told Superman/Kal-El that he would become a father and that it was a prophecy. I'm also guessing that because it was a prophecy and was meant to be, even with Kal-El turning back time, Lois would remain pregnant (just my theory). And it is also for that reason Richie why Superman II and Returns are very closely linked and I strongly suspect Bryan Singer heavily based his script on the unseen version of Superman II. So while Donner didn't have Superman Returns on his mind, Singer certainly had his film on his mind when writing Returns

 

Good. Too many sequels are done with no regard to the originals.
Nice to know effort was put in.

 

GOt my
13 disc Superman colection

Yupieeeeeeeeeeeeee !

 

spoilers

the turning back time in this film is silly
firstly wouldnt zod and co still be breaking out of their prison
why would this event change
secondly superman and lois wouldnt have got it on so she wouldnt be pregnant
thirdly superman getting beat up when he had lost his powers wouldnt have happened
as this happened after zod and co got free
therefore no need to go back to him and how did the guy behind the counter remember him
i suppose my last point can be argued away that superman really just returned to teach him a lesson
and that no one remembered him and that he said he worked out because the guy behind the counter was looking at him strangely
there are other points about going back in time like what happens to the situation with his dad

and also
the circle is now complete
was this intentionally a direct nod at star wars
or just the catchphrase of those years gone by
is it discussed in the extras


personally i thought the ending let the whole movie down
i dont think this is any better than the original release
the 1980 release i mean
but its not any worse
the kiss in the original is somewhat daft
but ties in better
and leaves less of what some would call plotholes

and this is still full of cheese
they run parallel to each other

overall nothing to write home about
but still good to see more footage of brando

 

Yeah, have to agree with you there Durge. In some ways I'm slightly disappointed by the new Donner cut but it is nice to see it none the less.

However, the original 80's ending has a plothole because Superman says to the President that he wont be going away again but as we find out in Superman Returns, he did indeed bugger off for five years shortly after the events in Superman II.....so Superman lied blatantly

 

Celebrate the day...SUPERMAN RETURNS! (on DVD!)

http://www.play.com/DVD/DVD/PROD/3-/1117824/Superman_Returns/Product.html

 

I would celebrate, but since it is inferior to the original movies, I won't get too excited.

 

My mate and I were discussing all things Superman with Returns out on DVD today and we both agree that there are now 2 Superman timelines.

The first:
Superman the movie
Superman II
Superman III
Superman IV

The second:
Superman the movie
Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut
Superman Returns

I know which timeline I prefer. And the turnback time/Lois pregnant thing my mate came up with a reason. Ok, time turned back and everything went backwards as if it was in rewind, but Superman's sprem couldn't exactly fly out of Lois back into Supes who wasn't turning backwards with the earth, he was orbiting the earth not turning back with everyone else. So Lois remains pregnant with no recall of having sex and has a superpowered baby.

Crap but it kinda makes sense.

 

That explanation accounts for Superman not going back in time, because he was not on Earth, everything on Earth would have changed.


It's just a plot hole, ignore it and watch the films

 

SPOILER

Donners Cut is far more superior than than the Original Cut as I find it.
the scene with Marlin Brando was spot on and should not have been left out entirley
( I do understand why the WarnerBros decided to relaese Donnars Cut, now that Brando is
dead)
It would be nice to see Suzanna York (Supermans Mum) to give her opinion when Superman was becoming Human.

I also like the alternative cut of the fight scene between Zod and Superman,
especially when Zod Kicks Superman into the Statue of Liberty Flame.

However I have to agree, the ending of Donna cuts movies , it leaves so many holes
one of which was when the missle was going to hit the phontom zone, did superman destroy to to alter events ?
Its the same reason why I couldn't figure out Superman 1.

I like the theory of Louis remaining pregnant and the two differnet Time line. Nice one Jonjedi

 

could someone please do a spellcheck.
good heavens!

 

^ i trhought ou were doing it

 

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