Superman II
Original movie poster
Directed by	Richard Lester Richard Donner (uncredited)
Produced by	Ilya Salkind Pierre Spengler
Written by	Comic Book: Jerry Siegel Joe Shuster Story: Mario Puzo Screenplay: Mario Puzo David Newman Leslie Newman Creative Consultant: Tom Mankiewicz
Starring	Gene Hackman Christopher Reeve Ned Beatty Jackie Cooper Margot Kidder Sarah Douglas Jack O'Halloran E. G. Marshall Terence Stamp
Music by	Ken Thorne John Williams (Themes)
Cinematography	Robert Paynter (Lester footage) Geoffrey Unsworth (Donner footage)
Editing by	John Victor-Smith
Distributed by	Warner Bros.
Release date(s)	December 4, 1980 June 19, 1981
Running time	127 min.
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Budget	$54,000,000
Preceded by	Superman
Followed by	Superman III
All Movie Guide profile
IMDb profile

Superman II is the 1980 sequel to the 1978 superhero film Superman. It was the only Superman film to be filmed by two directors. For this reason the film is surrounded with controversy since original director Richard Donner had completed, by his estimation, roughly 75% of the movie in 1977 before being taken off the project. Many of the scenes shot by second director Richard Lester (who had been an uncredited producer on the first film) in 1979 are refilmed Donner sequences. It was released in Europe and Australia in late 1980 but not in the United States until June 1981. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (494x755, 56 KB)movie poster source:www. ... Richard Lester (born January 19, 1932 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is a UK based film director famous for his work with The Beatles. ... Richard Donner (born Richard Donald Schwartzberg on April 24, 1930) is an American film director and also producer through the production company, The Donners Company, he and his wife, producer Lauren Shuler-Donner, own. ... Ilya Salkind (born Ilya Juan Salkind Dominguez, July 27, 1947 in Mexico City) grew up in the world of motion pictures. ... Pierre Spengler is a French film producer. ... Jerome Jerry Siegel a. ... Joseph Joe Shuster (July 10, 1914 - July 30, 1992) was a Canadian-born comic book artist best known for co-creating the DC Comics character Superman, with writer Jerry Siegel, first published in Action Comics #1 (March 1938). ... Mario Gianluigi Puzo (October 15, 1920 – July 2, 1999) was an American author known for his novels about the Mafia, especially The Godfather (1969). ... Mario Gianluigi Puzo (October 15, 1920 – July 2, 1999) was an American author known for his novels about the Mafia, especially The Godfather (1969). ... There have been a number of prominent figures named David Newman, including: David Newman, American composer David Newman, American Visual Artist David Newman, Canadian politician This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Leslie Newman is a screenwriter who co-wrote the first three Superman films with husband David Newman, who passed away in 2003. ... Tom Mankiewicz is an American screenwriter and director. ... Eugene Allen Gene Hackman[1] (born January 30, 1930) is a two-time Academy Award-winning American actor. ... Christopher DOlier Reeve[1] (September 25, 1952 – October 10, 2004) was an American actor, director, producer and writer. ... Ned Thomas Beatty (born July 6, 1937) is an Academy Award-nominated American character actor. ... Jackie Cooper (born September 15, 1922) is an American Academy Award-nominated actor, Emmy Award-winning TV director, and TV producer. ... Margot Kidder (born October 17, 1948) is a Canadian-American film and television actress who achieved fame playing Lois Lane in the Superman movies of the 1970s and 1980s. ... Sarah Douglas (born December 12, 1952) is an English actress, most notable for playing strong villainessess in 1980s science fiction movies. ... Jack OHalloran (born April 8, 1943 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American actor best known for his role as Non, the menacing-but-mute member of the trio of Kryptonian supervillains banished to the Phantom Zone by Jor-El (Marlon Brando) in Superman: The Movie (1978) and inadvertently released... E. G. Marshal as the President in Superman II E. G. Marshall (June 18, 1914 - August 24, 1998) was a two time Emmy Award winner American actor who starred in the 1957 movie 12 Angry Men. ... Terence Stamp (born July 22, 1939) is an English actor. ... This article belongs in one or more categories. ... For other persons named John Williams, see John Williams (disambiguation). ... Geoffrey Unsworth (1914-1978) was a British cinematographer who enjoyed a long and varied career in the British film industry, working on nearly 90 feature films spanning more than 40 years. ... “WB” redirects here. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... is the 338th day of the year (339th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The year 1980 in film involved some significant events. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... is the 170th day of the year (171st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... // January 19 - Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer acquires beleaguered concurrent United Artists. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... For the franchise, see Superman film series. ... Superman III (originally titled Superman vs. ... The year 1980 in film involved some significant events. ... For other uses, see Sequel (disambiguation). ... // Events February 1 - Bob Dylans film Renaldo and Clara, a documentary of the Rolling Thunder Revue tour premieres in Los Angeles, California March 1 - Charlie Chaplins coffin is stolen from a Swiss cemetery 3 months after burial March - Leigh Brackett completes the first draft for Star Wars Episode... DVD front cover for The Adventures of Captain Marvel film serial. ... For the franchise, see Superman film series. ... Superman is a fictional character and comic book superhero , originally created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian artist Joe Shuster and published by DC Comics. ... Richard Donner (born Richard Donald Schwartzberg on April 24, 1930) is an American film director and also producer through the production company, The Donners Company, he and his wife, producer Lauren Shuler-Donner, own. ... Richard Lester (born January 19, 1932 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is a UK based film director famous for his work with The Beatles. ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... // January 19 - Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer acquires beleaguered concurrent United Artists. ...

According to statements by Donner, roughly 25% of the theatrical cut of Superman II contains footage he shot, including all of Gene Hackman's scenes. In 1984, when Superman II premiered on television, 24 minutes were re-inserted into the film (17 mins in US ABC TV). Much of the extra footage was directed by Richard Donner. A brand new re-cut of the film, restoring as much of Donner's original conception as possible, titled Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut, was released in November 2006.

Taglines:

• The three outlaws from Krypton descend to Earth to confront the Man of Steel in a cosmic battle for world supremacy.
• The adventure continues.
• The Man of Steel meets his match!
• The Man of Steel is back, and better than ever!

Plot

The film begins with a prologue in which General Zod and his co-conspirators, Ursa and Non, are banished to the Phantom Zone by the Kryptonian elders as punishment for attempting to establish a dictatorship to rule Krypton. The story then moves forward to the present. Clark Kent learns from Perry White that Lois is in France, where terrorists have seized the Eiffel Tower and threatened to level the city with a hydrogen bomb contained in an elevator. While in the course of rescuing Lois, the bomb is activated and Superman throws the elevator out of the atmosphere and into deep space, where it explodes. The shockwaves shatter the crystalline conduit into the Phantom Zone, now floating near Earth, and Zod, Non, and Ursa are released. Lex Luthor, meanwhile, has escaped prison with Miss Teschmacher's help, leaving a hapless Otis behind. Luthor locates Superman's Arctic Fortress of Solitude, where he learns from a hologram about the three Kryptonian villains. Putting the pieces of the puzzle together, he hurries south, convinced his device has detected the three criminals' alpha wave signatures. General Zod is a fictional comic book supervillain who is an enemy of Superman. ... Ursa is a supervillain that appeared as an enemy of Superman in various comic book series and in other media adaptations. ... Non is a villain who appeared in the first to Superman movies, Superman I and Superman II. He was portrayed by Jack OHalloran. ... The Phantom Zone is a fictional prison dimension featured in the Superman comic books and related media. ... The Eiffel Tower (French: , ) is an iron tower built on the Champ de Mars beside the River Seine in Paris. ... The mushroom cloud of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japan, in 1945 lifted nuclear fallout some 18 km (60,000 feet) above the epicenter. ... Lex Luthor is a fictional DC Comics supervillain and is the primary antagonist of the Superman franchise. ... The Fortress of Solitude is the occasional headquarters of Superman in DC Comics. ... Alpha waves recorded by electroencephalography (EEG) are synchronous and coherent (regular like sawtooth) and in the frequency range of 8 - 12 Hz. ...

Superman and Lois Lane at the Fortress of Solitude.

Clark and Lois are on assignment in Niagara Falls, Ontario, investigating what Perry calls a "honeymoon racket." Superman rescues a boy who falls over the railing, then flies behind a hot dog stand, emerging as Clark. Lois suddenly decides it is far too convenient that Clark disappears every time Superman makes an appearance, and that Superman just happened to be right on hand to save that little boy. She tries to prove it by jumping into the Niagara River, screaming for Superman to save her. Clark does not change his identity and remains his nerdy self, feigning panic. However, unbeknownst to Lois, he uses his heat vision to sever a tree branch for Lois to use to stay afloat. After Lois gets herself to shore, she scolds herself for putting herself in danger and actually believing Superman could be such a weakling like Clark. However, later in their hotel room, Clark's powers are revealed when he quickly retrieves his fallen glasses from the fireplace with his bare hands. Seeing that he is unscathed, Lois realizes the truth. After some hesitation, Clark admits his secret identity and takes Lois to the Fortress of Solitude, showing her the crystals which created it and control its operations; Lois leaves the primary green crystal under her purse, outside the control panel. After a conversation with the hologram of his mother Lara about the consequences of being in love with a "mortal" (as Kal-El's Kryptonian body structure would not be able to impregnate Earth women), Superman agrees to give up his powers to begin a relationship with Lois despite warnings that the process is irreversible. The two retire to his bedchamber. Image File history File links Christopher_margot1. ... Image File history File links Christopher_margot1. ... Skyline of Niagara Falls, Canada, as seen from Niagara Falls State Park across the river. ... A hotdog stand is a stand that sells hotdogs. ... Superman is a fictional character and comic book superhero , originally created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian artist Joe Shuster and published by DC Comics. ... The twisty branch of a Lilac tree A branch is a part of a woody plant such as a tree, shrub, or vine. ... For other uses, see Purse (disambiguation). ... Lara, Jor-El, and Superman. ...

Meanwhile, the three Kryptonian criminals have devastated a joint NASA-Soviet moon expedition, killing three astronauts. They fly to Earth, which they believe is called "Planet Houston" (having overheard radio transmissions with Mission Control in Houston, Texas). They wreak havoc on a small town (East Houston, Idaho), easily defeating the U.S. military. After defacing Mount Rushmore, the trio attacks the White House, where Zod forces the President of the United States to kneel before him. “Houston” redirects here. ... For the 1960s rock band, see Mount Rushmore (band). ... For other uses, see White House (disambiguation). ...

Returning from the Fortress of Solitude, the now-depowered Clark is beaten up in a diner by a bullying truck driver. His despondent mood worsens when, in horror, he watches the President announcing his abdication and Zod's now-supreme authority. The President suddenly pleads for Superman's help and Zod issues a challenge to Superman to face him. Realizing the danger posed to the world and the terrible mistake he made, Clark returns to the Fortress in search of a way to restore his lost powers. Arriving in the dark sanctum, he falls into despair, shouting for his father. He sees the green crystal glowing where Lois accidentally left it.

Meanwhile, General Zod and his cronies have grown bored with ruling the Earth, longing for a challenge. Lex Luthor pays them a visit in the Oval Office and negotiates a means to lure Superman to the villains by holding Lois hostage. He also reveals that Superman is the son of Jor-El, their imprisoner. They arrive at the Daily Planet offices and seize Lois, only to be interrupted by the arrival of Superman, his powers fully restored. A destructive battle ensues among the four Kryptonians as Superman struggles with the new experience of battling multiple enemies of his power level. During the battle, Ursa and Zod discover Superman's weakness, his concern for human life, and use this against him. Finally, Superman flees, seemingly in defeat. Luthor convinces the villains that they must pursue Superman to his Fortress. The Oval Office from above in 2003, during the administration of George W. Bush. ...

At the Fortress of Solitude, Superman attempts to distract the villains with a hologram that creates multiple images of himself. However, after grappling with Zod, Ursa and Non threaten to tear Lois limb from limb, and Superman agrees to release Zod and capitulate to them to spare her life. Superman manipulates Luthor into tricking the criminals, counting on Luthor to double-cross him. Superman is forced into the same depowering chamber he used before, and the red light that drains super-powers is actually set loose on the Fortress. The three supervillains are drained of their powers, Lois and Luthor are unaffected, while Superman is safe inside the chamber. Superman feigns weakness and then crushes Zod's hand after seemingly accepting it in submission. Lois easily dispatches the now-powerless Ursa, and Non leaps towards Superman, only to find he can no longer fly. All three villains fall into the depths of Superman's fortress, apparently to their dooms.

Back in Metropolis, Superman uses a form of telepathy (a kiss) to erase the knowledge of his dual identity from Lois, returning them to their usual status quo. Later, Clark takes revenge on the customer who bullied him at the diner, who breaks his hand after attempting to punch the Man of Steel. Clark then shyly claims he has been lifting weights and pays the truckstop owner for the damages. The film closes with Superman restoring the American flag atop the White House and assuring the President that he will never again abandon his duty as Superman.

The film ends by stating that the series will continue in Superman III. Superman III (originally titled Superman vs. ...

Cast

Christopher DOlier Reeve[1] (September 25, 1952 – October 10, 2004) was an American actor, director, producer and writer. ... For other uses, see Clark Kent (disambiguation). ... Superman is a fictional character and comic book superhero , originally created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian artist Joe Shuster and published by DC Comics. ... Eugene Allen Gene Hackman[1] (born January 30, 1930) is a two-time Academy Award-winning American actor. ... Lex Luthor is a fictional DC Comics supervillain and is the primary antagonist of the Superman franchise. ... Ned Thomas Beatty (born July 6, 1937) is an Academy Award-nominated American character actor. ... Otis, played by Ned Beatty, is the short henchman of Lex Luthor who appears in the films Superman: The Movie and Superman II. Lacking any real intelligence or physical strength, Otis is used by Luthor primarily as a gofer. ... Jackie Cooper (born September 15, 1922) is an American Academy Award-nominated actor, Emmy Award-winning TV director, and TV producer. ... Perry White is a fictional character who appears in the Superman comics, and is the editor-in-chief of the Metropolis newspaper the Daily Planet. ... Margot Kidder (born October 17, 1948) is a Canadian-American film and television actress who achieved fame playing Lois Lane in the Superman movies of the 1970s and 1980s. ... For the Dutch girl group, see Loïs Lane. ... On the cover of Playboy, August 1981 Valerie Ritchie Perrine (born September 3, 1943) is an American actress and model. ... Eve Teschmacher (known simply as Miss Teschmacher) is a fictional character from the first two Superman movies from Warner Bros. ... Marc McClure (b. ... James Bartholomew Jimmy Olsen is a fictional character, a photojournalist who appears in DC Comics’ Superman stories. ... Terence Stamp (born July 22, 1939) is an English actor. ... General Zod is a fictional comic book supervillain who is an enemy of Superman. ... Sarah Douglas (born December 12, 1952) is an English actress, most notable for playing strong villainessess in 1980s science fiction movies. ... Sarah Douglas in the role of Ursa in Superman II. Ursa is a supervillain that appeared as an enemy of Superman in the theatrical film Superman II. She was a co-conspirator and accomplice of General Zod. ... Jack OHalloran (born April 8, 1943 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American actor best known for his role as Non, the menacing-but-mute member of the trio of Kryptonian supervillains banished to the Phantom Zone by Jor-El (Marlon Brando) in Superman: The Movie (1978) and inadvertently released... Non is a villain who appeared in the first to Superman movies, Superman I and Superman II. He was portrayed by Jack OHalloran. ... York to the right together with Ilya Salkind on the set of Superman: The Movie, circa 1977 Susannah York (born Susannah Yolande Fletcher on January 9, 1939[1]) is an English actress. ... Lara, Jor-El, and Superman. ... Clifton James is an actor born on May 29, 1921. ... E. G. Marshal as the President in Superman II E. G. Marshall (June 18, 1914 - August 24, 1998) was a two time Emmy Award winner American actor who starred in the 1957 movie 12 Angry Men. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas  US Government Portal      For other uses, see President of the United States (disambiguation). ...

Controversy and cult status

The neutrality of this section is disputed. Please see the discussion on the talk page.

Off-screen problems hampered production of this movie: like other Salkind productions such as The Three Musketeers (1973) and The Four Musketeers (1974), this was filmed at the same time as the first Superman movie to be a direct sequel. However, Marlon Brando filed suit over his percentage of the first film's profits, so as a response, the Salkinds excised his scenes from the second film.^{[citation needed]} Director Richard Donner argued with the producers over their attempts to make the film "more campy," in his opinion, which led to his removal and replacement on the project by Richard Lester. Following that, Gene Hackman declined to return for any reshoots by Lester, which cut down the number of scenes in which he appears in the final cut (or with a few scenes where a body double was obviously being used). Image File history File links Unbalanced_scales. ... The Three Musketeers is a 1973 film based on the novel by Alexandre Dumas, père. ... The Four Musketeers is the title of a 1974 Richard Lester film, which follows upon his film of the previous year, The Three Musketeers, and covers the second half of Dumass novel. ... Marlon Brando, Jr. ... Richard Donner (born Richard Donald Schwartzberg on April 24, 1930) is an American film director and also producer through the production company, The Donners Company, he and his wife, producer Lauren Shuler-Donner, own. ... Camp is an aesthetic in which something has appeal because of its bad taste or ironic value. ... Richard Lester (born January 19, 1932 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is a UK based film director famous for his work with The Beatles. ... Eugene Allen Gene Hackman[1] (born January 30, 1930) is a two-time Academy Award-winning American actor. ...

2006 DVD re-release.

Another reason behind Richard Donner's removal may have been that the Salkinds were upset that Donner went over their originally planned budget for the movie. Warner Brothers ended up getting more and more involved in the race to complete the film, allowing the studio to receive more profits from the film's box office take than the Salkinds had originally agreed to. With their power slipping away, Donner was unfortunately made the scapegoat. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (565x826, 188 KB) Summary Released by Warner Bros. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (565x826, 188 KB) Summary Released by Warner Bros. ...

Despite all the difficulties, and with only a few noticeable shifts in tone between the two directors' scenes (Lester's scenes tend to be more campy and humorous), it was noted by critics to be a remarkable and coherent film, highlighted by the movie's battle sequence between Superman and the three Phantom Zone prisoners on the streets of Metropolis. Scenes filmed by Donner include all the Gene Hackman footage, the moon sequences, the White House shots, Clark and the bully, and a lot of the footage of Zod, Ursa and Non arriving at the Daily Planet. Since the Lester footage was shot almost two years later, both Margot Kidder and Christopher Reeve's appearances look different between the Lester and Donner footage. Reeve appears less bulked up in Donner's sequences (filmed in 1977), as he was still gaining muscle for the part. Kidder also has dramatic changes throughout; in the montage of Lester/Donner material, shot inside the Daily Planet and the Fortress of Solitude near the movie's conclusion, her hairstyle, hair color, and even make-up are all inconsistent. Indeed, Kidder's physical appearance in the Lester footage is noticeably different; during the scenes shot for Donner she appears slender, whereas in the Lester footage she looks frail and gaunt. For other uses, see White House (disambiguation). ...

In the years since the film's release, the controversy continues to be fueled, while the film itself has achieved cult status. In 1983, Alexander Salkind's production company pieced together an "Expanded International Cut" of the film for television using approximately 24 minutes of footage not shown in the theatrical release, some of which was original Richard Donner footage shot before Richard Lester became director. The "new" footage expanded on the film's many subplots, including a further explanation of the villains' task on Earth, Superman and Lois' romance and an alternate ending involving Lex Luthor, the three Kryptonian villains, and the final fate of the Fortress of Solitude. This 146-minute expanded version was released throughout Europe and Australia in the 1980s (the initial expanded U.S. ABC and Canadian CBC telecasts, though edited differently, were derived from the European/Australian TV edit). The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) operates television and radio networks in the United States and is also shown on basic cable in Canada. ... The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), a Canadian crown corporation, is the country’s national public radio and television broadcaster. ...

In 2005, several Superman movie fans attempted to bring the film closer to Donner's original vision by creating their own professionally-made video restoration of the "International Cut" and offered free DVDs of it on one of the many Superman fan sites, but their efforts were thwarted by Warner Bros., who reportedly threatened legal action. Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... “WB” redirects here. ...

All four Superman films received Special or Deluxe Edition releases in 2006 coinciding with the release of Superman Returns. It was confirmed that Ilya Salkind has released Donner's footage for a separate Superman II disc and that Donner was involved in the project. According to an interview conducted by website supermanhomepage.com, Ilya confirmed that Time Warner now owns all of the footage shot for 1978's Superman, 1980's Superman II, 1983's Superman III, 1984's Supergirl and 1987's Superman IV: The Quest for Peace including distribution rights. SE restorationist Michael Thau worked on the project alongside Richard Donner and Tom Mankiewicz, who supervised the Superman II reconstruction. Despite some initial confusion, Thau confirmed that all the footage shot by Donner in 1977 was recovered and transferred from England. The new edition was released on November 28, 2006 and called Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut. The new cut also features less than 20% footage filmed by replacement director Richard Lester. // Please note that following the tradition of the English language film industry, these are the top grossing films that were first released in the United States and Canada in 2006; because they may have made most of their income in a later year, they may not be the top-grossing... For the video game of the same name, see Superman Returns (video game). ... Michael Thau is a film editor and preservationist who is most notable for recent restoration and production work on the Christopher Reeve Superman films, Superman: The Movie and Superman II. He is the son of Ben Thau, one of the college of cardinals executives that worked in the background for... Richard Donner (born Richard Donald Schwartzberg on April 24, 1930) is an American film director and also producer through the production company, The Donners Company, he and his wife, producer Lauren Shuler-Donner, own. ... Tom Mankiewicz is an American screenwriter and director. ... is the 332nd day of the year (333rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Score

Main article: Superman music

As John Williams chose not to return to score the film due to obligations to other producers, Ken Thorne was commissioned to write the music upon Williams' recommendation. However, the score contains frequent excerpts from Williams' previous score to the first film. Thorne wrote minimal original material and adapted source music (such as Average White Band's "Pick Up The Pieces", which appears both in the diner in Idaho as well as during Clark's second encounter with Rocky, the bullying truck driver). This does not cite its references or sources. ... For other persons named John Williams, see John Williams (disambiguation). ... This article belongs in one or more categories. ... The Average White Band (also AWB) is a Scottish funk and R&B band. ...

Trivia

Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines. The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.

• Superman II was released in Europe and Australia (4 December 1980) before being released in the United States (19 June 1981).

• The original script had the nuclear missile from Superman: The Movie releasing Zod and companions from the Phantom Zone, instead of the Eiffel Tower bomb. In the Richard Donner cut, the nuclear missile scene has been restored, and all scenes involving the Eiffel Tower plot were removed.

• In the version of the film planned by Richard Donner, Superman flies around the Leaning Tower of Pisa at incredible super-speed, accidentally causing it to stand up straight. This was dropped by Richard Lester, but re-used in Superman III, where Evil Superman straightens the Tower of Pisa on purpose.

• Some scenes from the Metropolis battle may have been shot and then cut: the destruction of the Washington Monument, the Statue of Liberty's arm being destroyed, melting of the Eiffel Tower, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and Ursa's reshaping the faces on Mount Rushmore.

• In one TV version, a U.S. "polar patrol" is shown picking up the three Kryptonians and Lex Luthor at the end of the film. Without this ending, it appears that Superman has let the Kryptonians die, though Superman has a strict code against killing and their deaths aren't necessary once they are depowered. Without this ending, it is still believed that Superman returns Luthor to prison, as he breaks out once again in Superman IV.The ending of this version also has Superman, with Lois standing beside him, destroy the Fortress of Solitude. The latter part of the scene can also be found on Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut, while the part where the police arrive is a deleted scene.

• Superman also uses the rare "super-kiss" to make Lois forget he is Clark. While this was a real power Superman had in the comics, it was rarely used, and eventually removed.

• During the fight scene inside the Fortress of Solitude, Superman uses his "S" symbol to subdue Non from a flying attack, temporarily encasing him inside a plastic film like substance.

• Rhea Perlman and John Ratzenberger both make cameo appearances in the film. They would later appear on the Long running sitcom Cheers from 1982-1993.

• Richard Donner briefly appears in a "walking cameo" in the film. In the sequence where the de-powered Clark and Lois are seen approaching the truck-stop diner by car, Donner appears walking "camera left" past the driver's side. He is wearing a light tan jacket and appears to be smoking a pipe.

• In the scene where the young boy falls over the rail at Niagara Falls, as Superman is rescuing him, a woman's voice can be heard saying in a stereotypical New York/Jewish accent, "Of course he's Jewish." The creators of Superman, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, were both Jewish; as was Batman creator Bob Kane.

• Selected premiere engagements of Superman II were presented in Megasound, a high-impact surround sound system similar to Sensurround.

• In an episode of Family Guy, Peter remembers a scene in which Superman throws the crest from his chest, where Superman and Non discuss how it was only a minor inconvenience.

• The idea, not the entire story point, of Superman & Lois having sex is in the back-story to Superman Returns.

• After attacking the White House, Lex Luthor enters the Oval Office to make a deal with the Kryptonians. By the end of the scene, he is sitting behind the President's desk. In the comics, Lex Luthor ran for President of the United States and won.

• In the 2006 documentary You Will Believe: The Cinematic Saga of Superman (included in the DVD set The Ultimate Superman Collection), Sarah Douglas says she was the only cast member to do extensive around-the-world press tours in support of the movie, as she was one of the only actors who held a neutral point of view in the Donner/Lester controversy.

• Gene Hackman, Ned Beatty and Marlon Brando are the only actors who didn't participate in the film's reshoots. Their scenes in Lester's version (with the exception of Brando) were portrayed with body doubles.

Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... is the 338th day of the year (339th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 170th day of the year (171st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Gregorian calendar). ... The Leaning Tower of Pisa (Italian: ) or simply The Tower of Pisa (La Torre di Pisa) is the campanile, or freestanding bell tower, of the cathedral of the Italian city of Pisa. ... The venomous countenance of the evil Superman. ... Superman IV: The Quest For Peace is a 1987 film, the last of the Superman theatrical movies starring Christopher Reeve as the Man of Steel. ... This article is about the TV series. ... Jerome Jerry Siegel a. ... Joseph Joe Shuster (July 10, 1914 - July 30, 1992) was a Canadian-born comic book artist best known for co-creating the DC Comics character Superman, with writer Jerry Siegel, first published in Action Comics #1 (March 1938). ... Batman (originally referred to as the Bat-Man and still referred to at times as the Batman) is a DC Comics fictional superhero who first appeared in Detective Comics #27 in May 1939. ... Bob Kane (born Robert Kahn, October 24, 1915 – November 3, 1998) was an American comic book artist and writer credited as the creator of the DC Comics superhero Batman. ... Megasound was the name of a movie theater sound system created by Warner Bros. ... Sensurround is an audio process developed in the 1970s by Universal Studios for the presentation of theatrical movies. ... The Cleveland-Loretta Quagmire is an episode of Family Guy. ... Family Guy is an Emmy award winning American animated television series about a nuclear family in the fictional town of Quahog (IPA or ), Rhode Island. ... For the video game of the same name, see Superman Returns (video game). ... The Ultimate Superman Collection (also known as The Superman Ultimate Collectors Edition and Superman: The Ultimate Collection) is a 14-disc DVD box set of Superman films (13 Disc box set outside of the US), released on November 28, 2006 by Warner Home Video. ... Eugene Allen Gene Hackman[1] (born January 30, 1930) is a two-time Academy Award-winning American actor. ... Ned Thomas Beatty (born July 6, 1937) is an Academy Award-nominated American character actor. ... Marlon Brando, Jr. ...

See also

• Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut
• List of films recut by studio

According to the Auteur Theory, the prevalent framework of modern film criticism, a film director is most responsible for the creative aspects of a film. ...

External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:

Superman II

• Superman II at the Internet Movie Database
• Supermanii.com
• The Superman Sourcebook, at The Thunder Child
• Superman II at Rotten Tomatoes
• Movie Reviews (Christopher Reeve Homepage) - Superman II
• Superman Homepage: Superman II - Movie Synopsis/Review/Critique
• louandbud.com: Chris Reeve - Page 2