Guest Review

Some time ago, I invited Associated Content contributor and pal William N. Stape to write a review or opinion piece for The Last Reel...We've been emailing back and forth since he profiled me in February of this year...Since he had yet to see Richard Donner's version of Superman II, I suggested he watch it and then review it for me. I was interested in what he had to say about it when-compared to my opinion...

Take it away Will....

Imagine wanting to watch the "same" movie again, but being forced to wait on the pleasure for 26 years? For Superman fans, the opportunity to do just that arrived in 2006 with Richard Donner's version of Superman II, a movie he started, but didn't finish way back in 1977.

For the uninitiated, Richard Donner, director of Superman starring Christopher Reeve, also filmed its sequel Superman II simultaneously. Following a dispute with producers Alexander and Ilya Salkind, Donner was fired and Richard Lester brought in to finish the movie. Lester's version was the one released theatrically in 1980 to great box office success and fan adoration.

Still, fans longed to see what might have been if Donner had completed his vision.

With studio Warner Brothers blessing spurred on by an enormous Internet fan rallying, Donner gathered the footage he'd shot, assembled a production team and finished the flick so many had been wishing to view. Was it worth it? Absolutely.

Donner cut his directorial teeth on TV dramas like Kojak, Streets of San Francisco and even genre classic The Twilight Zone. His action oriented work on shows like The Wild Wild West and The Man From U.N.C.L.E. taught him more than a thing or two about pacing and high octane fight scenes. Perhaps more than anything else, his Superman II dazzles with meatier and better directed action fare.

Basically the story can be broken down into three main action set pieces: Kryptonian villains led by General Zod as they take the White House, Superman fighting his evil countrymen on the streets of Metropolis and finally the showdown in the Man of Steel's Fortress of Solitude. Save for the last one, Donner's direction in the fight fests trumps Lester's by a good margin.

In Lester's II, the White House fight flies by quickly. While perfectly serviceable, it's nothing to excite a diehard action fan. Donner ups the ante with not only more realistic violence, but gives Zod a moment of sheer ruthless villainy. After yanking a military rifle from a solider, Zod guns down as many puny Earthlings as possible, laughing manically all the time. This truly set a darker tone for the White House takeover and unforgettably validates Zod as one mean son of a gun. Donner's finale at the Fortress of Solitude is nearly identical to Lester's, except for a sorely missed gag of Superman using holography to coolly stump the villains. Of course the most popular scene is the Metropolis show down. Here Donner doesn't disappoint.

Again, the scene is quite close to Lester's - with the same beats and punches as theatrical film fans love, however one moment truly elevates Donner's cut. Instead of Zod knocking Superman into a building, he launches the caped Kryptonian into a wild spin right smack into Lady Liberty's torch! The resulting explosion bursts forth in a magnificent shower of glass shards, and plops Superman to lay in what's left of the twisted wreckage. It's not only a real visual treat, but as Superman is thrown violently into that symbol of American freedom and democracy, it means so much more than just being tossed into some brick and mortar. Who knows if Warner Brothers objected to the Statue of Liberty's torch being destroyed, but as the White House is nearly destroyed in the same movie, I don't see the harm. Also, it's a wonderful metaphorical enforcement of how Superman fights for truth, justice and the American way, especially when invaders tarnish those patriotic symbols.

Aside from far meatier and deftly handled action, Marlon Brando returns as Kal-El's father. Producers refused to pay him to appear in the sequel, so actress Susannah York was used speaking nearly the same dialogue. York did a fine job, but she's no Brando. Watching one of history's greatest film actors in scenes never before shown was yet another dual treat for Superman fans, along with drama aficionados. When Jor-El glances up at a frightened Lois Lane, casting a disapproving gaze upon her, like some potential father-in-law reproving his son's choice of spouse, it's classic Brando and well worth this movie restoration. I'm kind of shocked more fanfare wasn't involved in the release for just Marlon Brando's historic restored scenes alone.

For a continued blow-by-blow comparison of the two films, you'll have to study them yourself. Even in Donner's DVD audio commentary, he's at a loss to just which footage he shot and Lester's. Of course in terms of individual scenes working better in their respective edition, well that's left up to fans with a lot of time on their hands.

My bottom line: The original Superman films represent a pinnacle in movie making in all aspects. Not only were they the "birth" of the modern day superhero film, but the technical hurdles the production team overcame, the casting of acting juggernauts like Marlon Brando, Terrance Stamp and Gene Hackman, and the incredibly lucky discovery of Christopher Reeve to personify the pulp fiction legend like no other, gave it a weight or as Donner is fond of saying a verisimilitude, which has rarely been achieved before or since. Lester's II may not have been a true cliffhanger, but in all important ways it's a companion piece or even second chapter of an epic tale. Sadly Superman 3 & 4's narrative quality doesn't measure up. Bryan Singer was wise to overlook them with his revisit of the film franchise.

With Richard Donner's Superman II Cut, fans can now weigh a new version into the mix. No matter how much you love Lester's theatrical version, you must watch Donner's cut to see the story not only how it could have been, but how it could have been better. That said, there are aspects of Lester's version which I feel work wonderfully. Who knows. Maybe a fan will take both versions and produce the "definitive" cut. In the meantime, we can enjoy both on DVD and continue to politely argue the merits and debits of both cinematic treats.

Whatever your preference, it's clear Superman will return...


Thanks Will--

You make some interesting observations that I hadn't thought of at the time of its release nearly one year ago....or at all for that matter...

Superman will return indeed--and so will Mr. Stape...the saga of the Donner Cut of Supes II isn't quite over either...