Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut

[TheNewGirl 1,046]

Anyone see this?

 

I am totally and completely 100% disappointed in this movie. I bought it thinking that it would have extended scenes, commentary, etc.

 

NOPE.

 

TOTALLY different movie than what I grew up with.

 

Zod and friends don't get out of the Phantom Zone when the Eiffel Tower elevator explodes in space, they get out from the missle that Superman hurled into space at the end of Superman I. Lois and Clark visit Niagara Falls, but she never jumps into the water to see if he's Superman...instead, she has an idea that he might he Superman...they show her drawing on a picture of Superman in the Daily Planet - drawing a hat, glasses and a suit on him...and suddenly she's like, 'OMG, Clark is Superman!!!' and goes aruond saying things like, 'That's just SUPER, Clark."

 

Man. YES, I am a bit heated about this. I bought it with FULL intentions of watching with my son, being excited that a classic from my youth is a now a favorite of his.

 

[Snoopy1 0]

Wasn't planning on picking it up, but wow, they must have shot a ton for Donner to have that much extra footage. Test audiences must have been pretty at the initial cut for them to add Eiffel Tower and Niagra scenes.

[MDC 5,931]

Why bother with a new cut? Superman II is perfect in every way.

[Snoopy1 0]

Why bother with a new cut? Superman II is perfect in every way.

 

 

I was thinking that when I read TNG's post, the only thing I could think of off my head that I would want to see more of in the movie would be Hackman and Beatty.

[TheNewGirl 1,046]

I was thinking that when I read TNG's post, the only thing I could think of off my head that I would want to see more of in the movie would be Hackman and Beatty.

 

 

The ONLY reason I bought it is because I figured it would have more footage of the original movie...much like Superman I when it came out on DVD, there are several scene's that I don't recally seeing before.

 

The acting seemed VERY hokey at times, too.

 

OH! And Lois actually TRICKS Clark into revealing he's Superman. They are in their hotel in Niagara falls, but it's this tiny little apartment looking thing, no huge heart shaped tub or pink bear skin rug. She's putton on makeup or something, and she says something to him, like all ready knowing. he takes off his glasses and says, "You know?" And she goes, "Nope, gotcha." And then go to the next scene.

 

He still gives up his powers for her, but it's not the same scenes and sequences.

 

[cgod 0]

***A few minor spoilers about the Donner cut in case you haven't seen it***

 

Superman and Superman II were actually being filmed at the same time. Due to huge budget overruns they focused on finishing the first to get some revenue and then turn around and finish the second. In the interim of going back to finishing the second Richard Donner was fired due to disagreements primarily with the Salkinds and Lester was brought in to finish. The reason this cut was different than what we saw in theaters wasn't because test audiences didn't like it but because a different director actually ended up finishing the movie so he put his version together. He used some scenes already filmed but also went back and re-filmed or re-wrote other scenes or had to fill in blanks that had been left by the unfinished production.

 

TNG, the trickery scene (which involved her pulling a gun and shooting but using a blank), if I am not mistaken, was footage from the screen test of Kidder and Reeve together before actual filming of the movie had begun. If you look at Reeve you can tell he's not completely bulked up to full Superman size. That was the reason for the different look of the set. One of the other things I had seen mentioned about the whole thing was that the fly around the world trick was supposed to be used at the end of Superman II to undo everything that happened in both movies (I am not sure how they were going to bring back Lois in the original had they had time and money to complete it as they wanted) and we never would have had to suffer that "magical kiss" that we saw in the theatrical release. I for one prefer the direction that the Donner cut took things and had he been able to do his thing I think Superman II would have been a better product than what we saw. Don't get me wrong, the original Superman II wasn't bad by any means but IMHO it still left something to be desired. I thought Lester's version brought in a little more campiness than was necessary (Superman III went over the top with it in it's attempt to play to Pryor's comedic strengths.)

 

Also, Donner's firing was one of the reasons people like Kidder and Hackman had limited or no screen time in Superman III as they were very vocal against it and suffered as a result. They were brought back in Superman IV to return things to a more Superman-like formula after Superman III disappointed and we all know how that turned out.