Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut [Blu-ray] [2006] [US Import]

Great Blu Ray and a shame that Mr Donner never got the chance to finish what he began. The additional scenes have more heart and style than anything in the original version of this film. Plus the Blu Ray is region free so it plays on my UK PS3 as well!

NB - As is their wont, Amazon have put the reviews for multiple format releases of this title together on the same page. This is a review of the DVD release.

Superman II - The Richard Donner Cut isn't a perfect film by any means, but it's a huge improvement over the Richard Lester theatrical version, which I found almost completely lacking in soul and filled with incredibly awkward shifts in tone - indeed, Lester's determination to abandon the verisimilitude that was Donner's watchword and turn the whole thing into a cheap custard pie comedy showed how little he cared for the material. As with Superman III, where he had more of a free hand, he seemed more interested in an Adam West-style slapstick spoof than anything else.

Although some have compared it to a rough cut, despite Donner only finishing about 70% of the film, the reconstruction is a lot smoother than expected. Aside from the awkward 'Last week on Superman' opening which goes on forever, it doesn't look bad at all - even the screen test used for one key sequence is shot in full costume on a fully dressed set, and is more competently executed than many of Lester's scenes. Using the first film's turning back the Earth plot device yet again is awkward and the effects reintegrating the unused Brando scenes aren't always as smooth as they might be, but it never looks particularly unfinished. If anything I found the editing much more disjointed in Lester's cut, where the additions were painfully noticeable - not just the different film stock or change in tone but the fact that everyone suddenly looked so much older in the reshot footage.

Although the film is now a lot tighter, the first half is still awkward - too much Gene Hackman, too little conquering the Earth (gee but the President rolls over easy: fry a few rednecks and knock over a single Washington monument and he'll give you the keys to the planet). It still has too much of that atrocious audio manipulation of Terence Stamp's voice that makes him sound like a bad drag act as well (and this a decade before he became Priscilla). But once the second half hits its stride, it's a massive improvement. While the early Brando scenes are purely functional, there's some real emotional power in his final scene, and with all the infantile cutaways to badly-executed slapstick comic cutaways to people getting ice creams in the face or the like removed, the battle in Metropolis finally works and even takes on an apocalyptic dimension entirely absent in Lester's isn't-this-childish-rubbish-really? approach to the scene.

The end is a little disappointing, but still perhaps more convincing than the kiss ending in Lester's cut. Most importantly the film finally has the soul that Lester chewed out and threw away. It still would have been a disappointing sequel had Donner been able to finish and tighten it, but compared to the messy hybrid Lester delivered, it's a much more satisfying number. I'm glad to see something finally approaching a decent film.

The 3-disc UK edition is definitely the one to go for if you can find it, though - as well as including Donner's cut and Lester's much longer theatrical version, it also has an excellent array of extras including several of Paramunt's 1940s Superman cartoons. The single-disc US release only contains Donner's cut, which comes with an audio commentary by Richard Donner and Tom Mankiewicz, introduction by Donner, 6 deleted scenes and a featurette on the fim's restoration.

Okay, I'll keep this short! I'll try anyhow.

Basically I anticipated this title for so long (3 years or more).

Anyhow the Richard Donner material that makes up this film is mostly great, however I feel that it was way too patchy, ie. The special effects that were touched up (since they weren't back in '78 due to the movie being halted on Donner), have been done so on a shoe string, ie. false and cheap looking with little continuity from the first film's style.

For example the villians release from the Phantom Zone. The footage is better only it just doesn't tie in with the first movie's great visuals!! On par with Lester's also crappy looking Phantom Zone release visually but more dramatic!!

It seemed a rushed affair, no dis-credit to Michael Thau as he was only working with what he had particularly budget wise. He done his best I'm sure. And Richard Donner I'm sure overseen this to the best of his efforts.

The villians didn't really get enough show time, even though they had an extended and 'vicious' attack on the White House. I noticed how much more English (London esp) Terrance stamp speaks under Donner's Direction.

Overall the movie came in about 10 mins too short and there was no excitement as the battle in the Fortress of Solitude (obviously Lester's footage) was excluded, however this would have been better left in, as it worked, ie. The big 'S'launched at Non and the 'Multiple Superman Illusions'. Basically once the villians arrive at F.O.S. it's straight into the depowering piece.

The mostly finished looking Brando scenes were excellent adding more charisma to the Superman Lore! It's worthwhile noting too that Margot Kidder looked gorgeous in Donner's work. She's very gaunt and stressed looking in Lester's cut! Terrance Stamp isn't as Grey and doesn't have that 'quiff' at the back of his head with Donner. Lester's Frankensteined version had continuity issues here big time.

Yes Superman turns the world back at the end just like Superman The Movie, but that's how this was originally conceived and shot only with the first movie being rushed on by the producers/studio whatever it was adapted for the end scene for a resolution. I enjoyed this with STM and if edited better it would still work with the sequel.

Whether or not a 'Superman' can turn back time by spinning the earth backwards or not I don't care because at the end of the day it's a fantasy movie. I mean I really don't know what would happen if the earth was spinned backwards or forwards but do keep an open mind/imagination. The end of the movie I can accept, however if more money was spent to finish off the special effects again it would've been better. Also it didn't look right when we seen a street full of people during this scene that was so 2006 looking NYC to be believeable as 1978 Metropolis. Stock footage would suffice!

I'm glad he still went back and whacked Rocky up at the end even though time was turned back. That guy was a bad ass so really he needed straightened out none the less.

I do believe that if Donner had been Left to his Devices in '78 we'd have no complaints over this sequel. It probably would have been the 'EMPIRE STRIKES BACK' of Superman.

However considering Donner was to have 75% of Superman II in the can surely he can take a page out of George Lucas's book and tweak this movie a little further to perfect it more even if it means using a little more of Lester's F.O.S. shots to even the ending out. Georgy boy's re-worked 3 movies I can think of more than once. Dicky boy get your finger out, and Warner Bros get your wallet out!!

Thanks however for this 2006 version of Superman II...............