Superman II vs. Superman II

A while back, one of my colleagues at AgonyBooth.com wrote up a comparison between the theatrical and re-issued versions of Superman II. Here's my take on both versions.

As most Superman fans know, the original plan was to have the original 1978 film and it's first sequel always be a two-part epic. That is basically how it ended up, but one key event took place. Superman director Richard Donner was fired by producers Alexander and Ilya Salkind for basically taking too much time on the original film. This is why the film ends with Superman turning back time, which was supposed to occur at the end of Superman II. However, much of Superman II was already shot, so the Salkinds enlisted Richard Lester to replace Donner, as they had worked with Lester on The Three Musketeers and The Four Musketeers. However, Donner's firing led to both Marlon Brando and Gene Hackman walking away from Superman II (Hackman's scenes were already shot by this time, which is why he is still seen in the movie). While Superman II was a success, fans were still understandbly upset that the man who helped make the original so great was treated so poorly by the producers. In the years since, there was basically a demand for an original cut of Superman II with Donner getting directing credit. In 2006, the same year Superman Returns was released, that original cut was released and soon made available on home video. Here are the good points of the Donner cut: 1. Seeing Brando as Jor-El, which gies nice continuity with the original film. 2. Having Zod, Ursa, and Non released with the nuke Superman kept from destroying New Jersey, which is a nice bit of irony and better than the generic terrorists threatening Paris. Despite this, however, I actually prefer the Lester cut. The following reasons for this are:

1. The opening scene with Lois trying to prove Clark is Superman is out of place, especially with the flow of the rest of the film.

2. The moment where Lois discovers Clark is Superman doesn't have the heart that it did in the Lester cut and obviously looks like rehearsal footage.

3. Jor-El just magically appearing to give Clark back his powers, despite his statement that doing so would be impossible. The manner in which Clark becomes powerful again in the Lester cut is better done (the crystal Clark neglects to put back) and more effective than his old man basically saying that he changed his mind.

4. Superman turning back time after the bad guys have been taken care of. I realize this was the original ending for the second film, but the ending of the first had a more powerful reason for Superman to change time (reviving Lois). As a result, repeating it here is just repetitive. It also makes the climax less enjoyable as Clark comes across as just a super-bully when he kicks that bully's ass in the restaurant, whereas we could cheer Clark for doing so in the Lester cut.

While I prefer the original version, I certainly encourage anyone who's a Superman fan to check out the Donner cut as it does have some nice moments.