Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut

Far superior to the goofy Richard Lester version, this cut restores a sense of grandeur and dramatic weight to Superman. The only major problem is the ending, which *SPOILER ALERT* simply rehashes the time-reversal climax of the original, which was pretty dumb to begin with. Oh well.

Everything boils down to one moment that defines Christopher Reeve's Superman and it makes or breaks this movie, and the entire series for you as a viewer. In this version, when Lois figures out that Clark is Superman, she holds a gun on him as an ultimatum. In one silent motion Clark Kent becomes Superman by standing up straight. That reads so subtle but the action is deafening.

Definitely better than the theatrical release. It's obvious some plot pieces are missing, though that's to be expected given the circumstances. Almost as good as the first film.

Yeah, this is how it should have been.

Fixes up a bunch of the scenes I didn't like originally and the ending makes a lot more sense. However, it's often very obvious that you're watching a re-edited film. It's more interesting for "what could have been" than it is on its own.

Reusing the same ending as the last film is such a big dick wave energy move. Cutting out most of the humor scenes is the right move, franchises shouldn't get silly till atleast the third entry than go absolutely insane by the 4th before backtracking too hard with the 5th.

I've not seen the original Superman II (decided to go with watching this one instead). Wish I hadn't really, as this feels unfinished. Parts are as good as you'd expect, other parts are subpar. Christopher Reeve is great, of course, and Marlon Brando is excellent. The villains are pretty bland though. I never cared for villains that seemed to have no motivation other than being evil. Also never cared for the whole superhero-having-an-internal-struggle business.

This is a well made sequel. The cast all do a good job here, especially Christopher Reeve. The story is fun and the villains are great. Overall I would recommend this film.

Em honra de Richard Donner (1930 - 2021). Céus, como amo esse filme, aliás como amo o cinema do Donner, da época em que blockbusters ainda prezavam pela qualidade, esse aqui é um filme de super-herói perfeito, tá tudo no lugar certo na hora certa. The Richard Donner Cut com comentários de áudio BRRIP HDLiT.

I know a lot of people prefer this movie, and I get it. On an overall level, you sense what Donner wanted here, and what he wanted was definitely better - especially with the focus on the villains and Use of Jor-El footage. But it's a highly unfinished film. Donner had to reuse shots of the first movie to finish this - and he even used a dress rehearsal in the film where Clark switches hair styles/length and glasses constantly. It's noticeable.

Top badass moment? Donner or Lester, I’m now fully convinced that we should ALL be kneeling before Zod. I’m sorry, but I’m not buying that Earth spinning crap... again! Doing that would’ve just stripped the planet of its atmosphere and biosphere the first time, killing everyone and everything; not exactly a very 'super' outcome. And as for trashing your own home like a sulky teenager to impress your girlfriend (and then dumping her) - words fail me. No cats, chainsaws or decapitations.

This third act is much better.

Watched this because I keep reading that "Superman II" was better than the first in the series (which I adore from childhood). Stumbled upon the Donner cut. Not remembering the original version of "Superman II", I did not enjoy this director's cut. I cringed at times, I think (hope) because of the unfinished test footage that's shoehorned into the film. If you don't have strong recollections of the theatrical version of "Superman II", I recommend that you DON'T watch the Donner cut first.

MUCH BETTER.

What is notable is how not better this version is. The whole Pop Art excessive quality of the city fight scene is cut down, the new ending makes literally no sense and seems weird but not interesting, there is more Brando which in these films is never good, and the tackiness level is higher than ever. But maybe if I saw the theatrical version again I'd feel something similar.

Smoother, more graceful beginning and 15 minutes of supplementary Brando that tells the same essential story as Susannah York's hologram in the standard version. Some alternative takes or footage from different camera angles. So, all in all, if you're expecting a re-cut along the lines of Payback: Straight Up or the Exorcist prequel, you're going to be disappointed. But those who prefer Donner's more structurally sure-handed direction, you'll appreciate the compromise here.

This is the definitive version of the Superman sequel. If 2 seemed strange at times, it was due to the studios meddling and removal of Richard Donner (the man responsible for the greatness of the first film). This cut almost restores the entirety of the vision Donner had when making the sequel and is a far better film than that released in cinemas.

84.500

This is definitely an improvement over the original version. A lot of the really stupid stuff is gone, and overall its just a better movie. It has a few problems, but overall this is definitely the superior version of Superman II.

There will never be another Superman like Christopher Reeve... Marlon Brando and Gene Hackman are good too, but Lois Lane is terrible. It's a good and surprisingly funny and witty hero movie, but there's no denying that it is dated and exerts little appeal over those who are not Superman fans - as myself.

The Richard Donner Cut is the true and originally intended version of Superman II but I'm not entirely sure if I prefer it over the theatrical cut. Despite feeling unfinished, this 2006 re-cut is a triumph and its remarkable that fan demand made it possible. Marlon Brando's added scenes are great and the plot and tone is more serious than the slapstick and camp moments of the theatrical version. Not perfect by any means, but a positive outcome considering the films troubled process.

Now, this is truly super! Much more fluid and even than the known Lester version, the Donner cut feature several 'new' and/or improved scenes as they were originally intended - especially featuring Clark and Lois, Superman and (in this cut ever-present) Jor-El. Plus most of the sillyness is gone! In short: Forget all about the Superman II you thought you knew.

This cut is definitively better than the theatrical one in many aspects. The movie anyway keeps having some flaws, but you can easily see many have gone. Only 2 big flaws added: First one, come on, again the rotation thing to solve everything? Will he solve it all the same way always? He really doesn't need any other superpower, just rotate and that's it. Second flaw: the epilogue... revenge by Superman for something that actually didn't happen (but everyone acts like it did).

The Richard Donner Cut might not be perfect, but it's fascinating to see what could have been, and it answers some of the questions that the theatrical cut left me with. If you liked Superman II, you definitely need to see The Richard Dinner Cut, just to say that you have. With this new cut come more problems, but also more improvements that make it worth seeing -- however, only after you've seen the original, so the gaps that the missing footage bring would not be as bothersome.

Even with some scenes being from screen tests, and a repeated ending, this is still pretty damned fantastic.

Strangely feels like maybe lightening can't strike twice; even with the same crew shooting with the same cast all at the same time. Scenes are edited with different takes and just don't have that spark like the original '78 film. Still, even with all its faults, I'd take this over the theatrical version any day.

Don't remember the theatrical release. This version is ok, though predictably uneven, in both tone and quality. At times it really works but at others it feels disjointed and silly, especially the dated special effects. And that ending is a terrible, and unnecessary, copout.

80.125

Pure awesome

Kneel!

Little seems different here other than an ending that parallels the 1st film, but improves the Lester ending only a little since it insures the postscript makes no sense at all. The best parts are early on where Lois' attempts 2 force Clark into outing himself, r both giddily thrilling & do a much better job of showcasing the characters' smarts. Unfortunately, the constantly jokey tone taken whenever any1 other than Zod & Co. r in the picture detracts from the tension here as well.

Den bedste af de utroligt svage superman film

A little bit better than the regular II.

mixed feelings; not confident of rating

That's more like it! A few problems here and there, but such an improvement on the Lester Version. Love the Brando scenes.

It's great to see this alternate take on a story that is essentially the same as the one released to theaters. The quality is a bit low because they had to simply put this together from footage already shot 25 years before (some footage even coming from screen tests) rather than shoot necessary footage to fill out the necessary scenes.

Why won't the Son of Jor-El just kneel before Zod and get it over with already?

This was definitely an interesting redone version of the original movie, but it only proved to be marginally better than the first one.