When SUPERMAN II was released, two of my best friends in high school had just been hired as ushers at the nearby movie theater where SUPERMAN II was showing. I like to think I'm a pretty honest CrazyFilmGuy but I was hoping to take advantage of my friends' access to sneak into SUPERMAN II and not have to pay. We were never able to pull it off. My friends (and I) were too chicken. Their boss seemed to always be hovering in the lobby. When I went to see it, there weren't enough other moviegoers at the snack bar to distract the manager. I didn't want to get my friends fired. I would end up paying the admission (probably six bucks) and walk honestly into the large auditorium to watch SUPERMAN II in 70mm.
Before the SUPERMAN movies came out, Superman had been relegated to television and in black and white no less with THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN (1952-1958) starring George Reeves as Clark Kent aka Superman. Superman would next make his appearance on the animated television series SUPER FRIENDS (1973-1985) that I watched as a kid. With the advent of better special effects that kicked off a year earlier with George Lucas's STAR WARS (1977), Warner Bros and director Richard Donner (LETHAL WEAPON, THE GOONIES) were confident that the time was right for the man in red tights and a large S on his chest to return via the big screen. This time, Superman would not be in black and white or animated. It was time for a flesh and blood Superman in bright Technicolor.
I'm going to focus on SUPERMAN II which I just watched for the first time after 43 years. Englishman Richard Lester (A HARD'S DAY NIGHT, THE THREE MUSKETEERS) took over the SUPERMAN reins from Richard Donner (more about that later). If you don't remember the plot to SUPERMAN, SUPERMAN II begins with a recap of SUPERMAN during the opening credits. With a screenplay by Mario Puzo and David & Leslie Newman (with a Creative Consultant credit to Tom Mankiewicz) based on a story by Mario Puzo and directed by Lester, SUPERMAN II begins back on Superman's home planet of Krypton before it was destroyed where three criminals General Zod (Terence Stamp), Ursa (Sarah Douglas), and Non (Jack O'Halloran) are banished into the Phantom Zone (a glass trapezoid) by the Council. The three traitors tumble into space, presumely never to be seen again. On Earth, Clark Kent aka Superman (Christopher Reeve) races to Paris where he stops three terrorists from detonating a hydrogen bomb on the Eiffel Tower and rescues his secret love, fellow reporter Lois Lane (Margot Kidder) who's covering the story. When Superman throws the bomb into space, the shockwave from its explosion shatters the Phantom Zone, releasing General Zod, Ursa, and Non from their prison. The three criminals gain superpowers equal to Superman from exposure to the Sun.
The greatest criminal mastermind in the world Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman) and his associate Otis (Ned Beatty) who both appeared in SUPERMAN plot their escape from prison. Clark and Lois are sent to Niagara Falls by Daily Planet editor Perry White (Jackie Cooper) to investigate a honeymoon racket ring. Clark is secretly in love with Lois who just wants to be friends. Lois is in love with Superman. After Superman rescues a child who fell into Niagara Falls, Lois begins to suspect Clark might be Superman. General Zod and his gang show up on the Moon and kill a team of astronauts. They head next for Earth. Luthor makes a daring hot air balloon escape from prison with the help of his curvy assistant Miss Eve Teschmacher (Valerie Perrine), leaving Otis behind. Lois jumps into the river above Niagara Falls to make Clark turn into Superman and rescue her. Clark manages to rescue her without revealing his alter ego. Lex and Miss Teschmacher ride a snow mobile to the snowy Arctic and uncover Superman's Fortress of Solitude, his sanctuary, courtesy of a device Lex has created. Lex grabs a crystal from a Krypton memory bank, triggering the Archives of Krypton. Lex and Eve watch as Superman's mother Lara (Susannah York) talks about the banishment of Zod and the others. Lex is determined to meet these super criminals.
Back at Niagara Falls, Clark trips and puts his hand in the fireplace by accident in front of Lois. He has no burns. Lois realizes Clark is not a mild mannered, awkward reporter. Clark confesses to Lois his true identity. He is Superman. General Zod and his cohorts show up in a small Idaho town and cause havoc, forcing the military to show up. Zod, Ursa, and Non toy with their jeeps and guns. Bored, Zod discovers the ruler of these hapless humans is the President of the United States (E.G. Marshall). Zod wants to meet the President. They fly off to Washington D.C. Superman brings Lois to the Fortress of Solitude. He shows her where he came from. If Superman wants to marry a mortal like Lois, he has to become mortal. Superman steps into the Crystal Chamber and becomes human, losing his superpowers. The three Krypton criminals descend onto the White House, destroying the venerable structure. The President kneels to General Zod to save the planet. The President calls on Superman to defeat Zod. Only Superman is now just non-superhero Clark Kent, who can't even defend himself or Lois against a misogynistic trucker at a local diner. Clark sees the President's dire message on the diner's television. He heads back the Fortress of Solitude to try and turn himself back into Superman.
Clark finds one remaining piece of green crystal in his cave that will give him his powers back. Lex Luthor shows up at the White House. Lex promises he can deliver Superman to Zod. In return Lex asks only that he be given Australia to rule. Zod, Ursa, and Non fly to Metropolis, showing up at the Daily Planet where Superman arrives in the nick of time. Superman and the Krypton rebels battle on the streets of Metropolis and above, destroying buildings and cars in the melee. Zod realizes that Superman cares for his adopted planet Earth and its people, making Zod want to hurt Superman even more. Superman flees to the Fortress one last time with Zod and company in hot pursuit. Can Superman defeat General Zod, Ursa, Non, and Lex and save the planet?
After 43 years, my memory of SUPERMAN II was not as good as I thought. The first comic book moment in the film is not Superman tossed through several buildings as I recalled but the man-child Non throwing a redneck through a diner wall and a truck parked outside. Superman would later punch Non through an entire building floor in the film's climactic fight scene. I had forgotten the scenes in Paris or Niagara Falls or that Superman had built the Fortress of Solitude up north. The special effects are good in some sections and not so good in other scenes. Rewatching SUPERMAN II did reenforce why I liked the sequel a little more than SUPERMAN. There wasn't the obligatory origin story which took up half of SUPERMAN. The sequel gets right into its story. SUPERMAN II has more villains with Lex Luthor plus General Zod, Ursa, and the behemoth Non (who were briefly introduced in SUPERMAN). As good as Richard Donner's SUPERMAN was with iconic stars like Marlon Brando as Supeman's real father Jor-El and Glenn Ford as his adopted father Pa Kent on Earth in small but important supporting roles and casting newcomers Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder in the key roles of Clark and Lois, new director Richard Lester brought his British outsider sensibility to the sequel, keeping the movie moving along at a good pace with plenty of humor and romance along the way.
One of the clever plot mechanisms SUPERMAN II uses is the "fish out of water" scenario. From Mark Twain's 1899 novel A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court to Ron Howard's SPLASH (1984) and John Carpenter's STARMAN (also 1984), having a particular character like a Yankee engineer, a mermaid or a space alien in a totally different environment has always been a popular device. SUPERMAN II takes the three Krypton criminals Zod, Ursa, and Non with their superpowers and puts them in a foreign environment like a small hick town in Idaho. The differences between the arrogant supervillains and the backward thinking locals provide both humor and conflict. Ursa tries her first arm wrestling contest with a local and breaks his arm. Non becomes attached to a police siren. This will carryover as the criminals take over and demolish the White House in their search for the President of the United States. Later, the three will encounter their first big city and all its dangers and giant toys in Metropolis.
Another strong factor for SUPERMAN II is the progression of the Superman/Lois romance. We already know that Clark is in love with Lois from SUPERMAN but his love is unrequited. Lois loves Superman not the bumbling Clark Kent. SUPERMAN II doesn't waste any time expanding on this plot thread. Lois begins to suspect that Clark might be Superman when the caped superhero shows up at Niagara Falls where Lois and Clark are on an undercover assignment. After Superman rescues a young boy who goes over the massive falls, Lois tries to duplicate the dangerous feat to draw Superman out. Clark accidentally saves her on his own. Instead, the clumsy Clark will reveal his alter ego much more simply when he trips and sticks his arm into an open fire, suffering no burn wounds to Lois's amazement.
The relief when Superman/Clark can finally tell Lois is palpable. We the audience are relieved after a movie and a half of Clark hiding his secret from Lois. Superman proudly shows off the Fortress of Solitude and where he came from to Lois. He's committed to a relationship and tying the knot with Lois even if it means becoming mortal. Superman and Lois become the first superhero comic book characters to have sex in a film (off camera off course. We next see them post-coital). Naturally, just when Superman gives up his powers for the woman he loves, the President of the United States and all mankind need Superman the most with the arrival of the three supervillains from his home planet of Krypton who have the same superpowers that Superman once had.
The chemistry between Christopher Reeve as Superman and Margot Kidder as Lois Lane makes these comic characters human and endearing in SUPERMAN II. Reeve and Kidder set the standard for all future comic superheroes and their love interests. If we don't like and believe in them, the movie will fail. For me, Christopher Reeve was the perfect embodiment of Superman with his jet-black hair, six-foot four stature, and square jaw good looks. I wasn't as sold on Margot Kidder as Lois the first time I watched the SUPERMAN movies. She won me over with this recent viewing of SUPERMAN II. She's got moxie. When she's with Clark she's the tough talking, no nonsense city news journalist. When she's around Superman, she becomes a love smitten teenager. Kidder made Lois seem like a comic book heroine pulled from the pages of a Joe Siegel/Jerry Schuster Superman comic book come to life.
The behind-the-scenes drama of SUPERMAN II (which I was only slightly aware of) is as engrossing as the plot to one of Superman's comic book stories. Director Richard Donner who directed the first SUPERMAN had actually filmed half of SUPERMAN II when he was either fired or walked off the film after a dispute with Producers Ilya and Alexander Salkind. The Salkind's hired Richard Lester who they had worked with on THE THREE AND FOUR MUSKETEERS films. For Lester to receive a solo directing credit, he had to reshoot half of the film that Donner had already shot besides finish the film. Several actors including Gene Hackman refused to participate in the additional filming, loyal to Donner. It all makes sense now as there are some voice overs and off camera dialogue that are supposed to be Hackman as Lex Luthor that was done by a voice impersonator. When watching it recently, I thought something didn't sound right. Despite all the behind camera craziness, SUPERMAN II still turned out to be a successful blockbuster and critically acclaimed. Lester would go on to direct SUPERMAN III (1983) with Christopher Reeve back as Superman and Richard Pryor as the villain. However, years later movie fans (and Margot Kidder) would encourage Warner Bros to release Richard Donner's version of SUPERMAN II known as SUPERMAN II: THE RICHARD DONNER CUT in 2006 with different takes of the same scenes as well as new footage that Donner shot and Lester didn't use.
For the stars Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder, their lives after SUPERMAN II would not have a comic book ending. SUPERMAN II would pave Reeve to appear in some successful, non-SUPERMAN films like Jeannot Szwarc's romantic time traveling tale SOMEWHERE IN TIME (1980), Sidney Lumet's DEATHTRAP (1982) with Michael Caine, and James Ivory's THE BOSTONIANS (1984). An equestrian enthusiast, Reeve would become paralyzed after a horse-riding accident in 1995. Reeve would still work in film and television after the accident but sadly, he would succumb to his injuries in 2004. For Margot Kidder, she too found work beyond Lois Lane in films like Stuart Rosenberg's THE AMITYVILLE HORROR (1979), Michael Pressman's SOME KIND OF HERO (1982) with Richard Pryor, and many more films. Kidder would work steadily in the 80s and 90s until she began dealing with a bipolar disorder that would derail her career for a few years. Kidder would commit suicide by overdose in 2018 at the age of 69.
Gene Hackman was one of the biggest movie stars in the 1970s with a Best Actor Academy Award as unorthodox New York cop Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle in William Friedkin's THE FRENCH CONNECTION (1971). It was a coup to land Hackman as Superman's nemesis Lex Luthor in SUPERMAN. In SUPERMAN II, Luthor is reduced to more of a supporting role with the addition of three new supervillains from Krypton. Hackman's Luthor is an example of the evolution of the comic book villain to the big screen. Luthor is more funny than dangerous or threatening. He reminded me of the villains in the old BATMAN television show like Cesar Romero as the Joker or Frank Gorshin as the Riddler. They're full of quips and jokes and funny one liners but not deadly enough to make us fear for the superhero. Luthor has some of the funniest lines in SUPERMAN II but the drama between good and evil is lost. Hackman wouldn't even go with Luthor's trademark baldness except for his opening scenes in SUPERMAN II when he's in prison. The dangerous, psychopathic supervillain would emerge with Tim Burton's BATMAN (1989). And to see how dangerous Lex Luthor could be portrayed, check out Jesse Eisenberg's performance as Lex in Zach Snyder's BATMAN VS SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE (2016).
An inspired casting choice for the role of General Zod in SUPERMAN II was English actor Terence Stamp. Stamp was one of the up-and-coming British actors in the 60s along with Peter O'Toole and Michael Caine appearing in British films such as John Schlesinger's FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD (1967) with Julie Christie and Ken Loach's POOR COW (1967) before taking a break from acting in the early 70s. With Zod, Stamp portrays the supervillain as a petulant child, demanding everyone bow to him and bored with how easily they seem to have conquered Earth. SUPERMAN II would reenergize his career. Stamp has since appeared in Stephen Frears THE HIT (1984), Oliver Stone's WALL STREET (1987), and THE LIMEY (1999), Steven Soderbergh's excellent crime drama showcasing Stamp along with another 60s icon Peter Fonda.
Less well known are Stamp's Krypton co-stars Sarah Douglas as Ursa and Jack O'Halloran as Non. Douglas makes Ursa one of the boys, having fun beating up humans and wreaking havoc wherever she goes. Douglas would appear in another comic book turned film in Richard Fleischer's CONAN THE DESTROYER (1984) with Arnold Schwarzenegger. Douglas played Queen Taramis. Douglas would also appear in a 2018 episode of the CW TV series SUPERGIRL. O'Halloran was a former heavyweight boxer who lost to the likes of George Foreman and turned to acting when he retired. At six feet, six inches tall, O'Halloran is perfect as the hulking Non. O'Halloran auditioned for the role of Jaws in the James Bond film THE SPY WHO LOVED ME (1977) but lost out to Richard Kiel (who O'Halloran resembled). Clifton James who appeared in two James Bond films as Sheriff J.W. Pepper including LIVE AND LET DIE (1973) plays another, less agitated sheriff in SUPERMAN II. And check out early film roles for actor John Ratzenberger (Cliff from the NBC TV series CHEERS) and Richard Griffiths (who played Harry Potter's Uncle Vernon in the HARRY POTTER films) as one of the French terrorists.
I had forgotten that besides SUPERMAN and SUPERMAN II, there were two more films that followed in the franchise, a sign that the first two SUPERMAN films had done very well financially. But the next two would not be quite as successful. SUPERMAN III (1983) (also directed by Richard Lester) had a new comic villain in Richard Pryor as Gus Gorman and a new love interest in Annette O'Toole as Clark's old high school flame Lana Lang plus a good and evil Superman. The nail in the coffin for the series would be SUPERMAN IV: THE QUEST FOR PEACE (1987) directed by Sidney J. Furie with Superman duking it out with Nuclear Man. The less said, the better. Appearing in all four SUPERMAN films would be Christopher Reeve (Clark Kent/Superman), Margot Kidder (Lois Lane), Jackie Cooper (The Daily Planet editor-in-chief Perry White), and Marc McClure (Daily Planet photographer Jimmy Olsen).
My memory may not have been as good as I had hoped but SUPERMAN II still proved to be the entertaining summer blockbuster film that I went to see as a teenager 43 years ago. I was not the biggest Superman fan to begin with. I preferred superheroes that wore masks or helmets to disguise their identities. Superman had to hide his identity by pretending to be the klutzy Clark Kent, almost afraid of his own shadow. But SUPERMAN and SUPERMAN II paved the way for the future of superhero movies. Tell the origin story. Provide a good love interest and supervillain. With the further advent of special effects and now CGI, filmmakers could bring all the comic book action, gadgets, superpowers, and fantastical locations and universes to life. As I sat in the Westgate Theater back in the summer of 1980, my friends in the lobby making popcorn and taking tickets, little did we realize that SUPERMAN II was just the beginning for the superhero genre.
