Superman Retrospective: Superman II- Theatrical Version vs. Richard Donner Director's Cut

Superman II (1980)
Starring: Christopher Reeve, Gene Hackman, Margot Kidder
Directed by; Richard Lester (or Richard Donner, depending on the version you watch)


The production history for Superman: The Movie was a complete nightmare. Director Richard Donner went over budget numerous times and multiple delays led to them wrapping up filming only a couple of months before the final film was to be released. Because of this, the producers decided to fire Richard Donner and replace him with Richard Lester as director for Superman II. The only problem, Donner had already begun filming Superman II and had quite a bit of it shot before he was fired. By the time Lester took over and shot his own footage, many of the actors were upset about Donner's dismissal and the end of production was filled with tension and mixed feelings towards the new director. So in 2006, around the release of Superman Returns, interest was buzzing to see what Donner's version of Superman II would look like, leading to the restored and re-edited director's cut known as Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut. Rather than do two separate reviews and repeat myself a lot, I thought I'd touch base on the major focal points of the original Superman II, but also offer my thoughts in comparison with The Richard Donner Cut, as they are 2 completely different movies in many ways. So let's see which version of Superman 2 makes for the better movie experience, as well as the better sequel to the original film.

One of the major pros of Superman II are the villains. General Zod, played by Terence Stamp, is a terrific main bad guy because he's hungry on power. He loves the idea of defeating someone, making them feel inferior, and absorbing all land and power that they possess. If he goes unchallenged, he gets bored. That's fantastic. Non, played by Jack O'Halloran, is your standard silent muscle character. And then there's Ursa, played by Sarah Douglas. This chick is just plain CRUEL. She has a blood lust and really enjoys causing pain, hurting others, making people feel inferior. At least someone like Zod has an air of political nature and wisdom in his conquests, but Ursa is just about causing pain to others. And it's very enjoyable to watch. These are three Kryptonian fugitives who have the same powers as Superman does, leading to awesome displays of power you would never see from the Man of Steel.

The competency of Lois Lane, played by Margot Kidder, varies depending on which version of the film you're watching. I think she works strongest in The Richard Donner Cut. Thanks to the order of a couple of scenes, she is able to figure out quickly that Superman and Clark Kent are the same person, then puts it to the test. In the theatrical version, she's still playing around with the idea for the first half, and it's only because of him slipping up that she finally gets confirmation. The Richard Donner Cut makes her feel more resourceful, which you would believe from a top journalist like Lois Lane. She has a theory early on and goes to any lengths to prove that theory right. I like that a lot more than her being in the right place at the right time.

At the end of the day, Richard Lester had a challenge ahead of him when he joined Superman II. With most of the scenes already filmed, he had to go and reshoot stuff that felt like a movie he would make. Because of that, there's a number of scenes and sequences that are altered or completely redone before making it to the final product. The film opens with a scene involving terrorists in France, leading to the way Zod, Ursa, and Non are released from the Phantom Zone. The scenes in the Fortress of Solitude feature all Kryptonians not named Jor-El appearing due to the amount of money it would have cost to put Marlon Brando in the film. This and a few other creative decisions definitely give the film a different flavor in comparison, but I think the big positive take away from it is that it gives Lester his own style as a director. If the goal was to capture some of the heart that the original had, while still creating a sequel that can stand on its own, then I think Lester's version succeeded. The film opens with a complete recap of the first movie to cover the common ground established in the series and is then able to explore and expand the story possibilities. I like that quite a bit.

However, I'm a much stronger fan of continuity, so I like The Richard Donner Cut more than just "quite a bit." For starters, this film has Jor-El in it, which always helps thanks to the magnitude Marlon Brando had as a star. Not to mention a lot of the plot points and creative decisions call back to moments from the first movie, like how Zod and the others are freed from the Phantom Zone. I think a lot of that boils down to the idea that the story was written for 2 movies, which Donner began filming consecutively. The story feels more complete with Donner's version, created as a way to be a companion film with Superman: The Movie. Sure, Donner's version features a couple of scenes from the Lester version, but that's just something you have to get over for the sake of finalizing a film project. Also, the effects are a little primitive, which I almost considered a negative. But when I saw the bonus features and they said they were trying to replicate effects that were plausible at the time the film would have been released, I forgave it and actually considered it a stroke of creative genius. It's with The Richard Donner Cut that I can really see a lot of love and respect put into a project like this. This was 30 years after the original version was released, so this wasn't something that NEEDED to be made. But an overwhelming number of requests from the fans motivated them to bring this project to life. I definitely can appreciate the dedication it took to restore this lost film and create something that rivals, and in many ways triumphs over the actual theatrical version.


Rating: 3 out of 5 stars for the Theatrical Version / 4 out of 5 stars for The Donner Cut

Both versions of Superman II are good movies, but I definitely have a favorite. The Richard Donner Cut is a much better companion piece to Superman: The Movie, which would arguably make it the better sequel. And I'd argue that it's the best Superman movie from the original series. If you have the time, I'd recommend checking out both versions of the film to see which one holds greater value with you. But, if you've only got the patience to sit through one version, I'd give a stronger nod to The Richard Donner Cut.

Superman II and movie images are copyrighted by Warner Bros.