Ironically the removal of the Jor El scenes giving Supe back his power made his entrance at the Daily Planet to confront the villains even more effective.
Only thing i dissliked was the dinner scene at the end. Man of Steel did it better by letting Cavill take his revenge unnoticed while reeves made a big drama out of it and tryd to proof something. I always found that weird but superman 2 is a weird film to begin with so...
True. My childhood basically ended when batman begins was released so its a full circle. Nolan was one of the last creative and qualified Directors for the superhero-genre and it seems we will not have a good blockbuster superhero movie for a long, long time again.
I agree some of my best memories are these movies I thought I was superman when I was 5 I wore my Superman pajamas everywhere lol even in a children's modeling show where I ran around the stage like I was flying
Despite the recent superhero shenanigans in the cinema, I still say the smackdown between Christopher Reeves' Superman v Terence Stamp's General Zod is one of the best comic book fights on film. And the White House invasion is classic.
Terence Stamp was so iconic in this. General Zod's character has been so influenced by his portrayal. In both TV, games, and comics, the "Kneel before Zod" thing remains a constant.
Kevin Hansen I think it was a part of season 9 of smallville when Zod comes into it again where they talk about Terence stamps zod...including one awesome story stamp himself tells, about being struck by a skateboard riding punk, and stamp noticed the smallville ZOD logo on the kids short, and when the kids eyes widened when he realised who he was stamp went into character and screamed “kneel before Zod you bastard!”...to which the kid of course did
I liked that they had Superman's mother in the fortress this time, it was a good balance of storytelling , having him learn about his hertiage and his powers from his father in the first one and learn about love and human nature from his mother in the second one
@@_TheDreamWorld_ I love 3. 4 is a little disappointing but enjoyable enough to get more superman. It's still got a better superman than the new movies.
I love the ending they put in all of the superman movies with Reeve flying toward the camera and giving that big smile before the credits run. Rip i bet he was a super guy jn real life. And rip to Margot Kidder.
He had restrained himself from hitting her but knowing she is just as strong and just as bad should have been an incentive to say fuck that "man shouldn't hit a woman" crap. She wants to be a baddie like the others she can get POPPED in the face like them.
"Come Son of Jor-El kneel before Zod." is still to this day the most iconic & imitated line from the film. Ironically it's one of those lines that survived the Donner & Lester Cuts of the film.
I still like both versions of superman 2, but the 1st scene in a movie that got me wanting to make a movie and get involved in special effects is when he changes into Superman while running down an alley. I learned about ghosting and transitions due to that scene
Good times! I remember running out the house after the movie ended with my superman cape..I slipped on oil and cracked my head open..haven't been the same since
I disagree. It's nice as an exhibition piece, but to me it felt choppy and unrefined. The performances were stiff compared to the Lester re-shot versions, and some of the creative changes that he made (like Niagara Falls) were just nicer to look at. I do enjoy the extra footage, but as a whole the Lester version wins for me.
Me! And, I was young enough that someone had to take me. I remember my Dad asking my older sister to take me, and she wasn't happy because she didn't really have an interest in going at the time. But she did take me and after the movie was over, she said "That was actually a really good movie!" :)
Not only did we (the family) see it, but when we were leaving through one of the hallways to the exit, my dad turned around and said “You want to see it again?” and I was ecstatic. We snuck back around the corner, sat in the middle third row and watched it again!
Ursa is one of the most badass chics I ever seen on my life. Those eyes and vibe can cut diamonds. Other girls wanted to be princesses I wanted to be Ursa.
@@dalethelander3781 It most certainly does! I found it in a thrift store almost mint. I was impressed by how they did that hologram effect of the S logo on the vinyl. I'm surprised if never seen them do that effect before and I have quite a few vinyl collection from Queen to Michael Jackson
Despite its flaws, I've always been fond of Superman II. I remember having a SUperman II sticker album when I was a kid. Could have been a collector's item! For me, the crucial point was when Superman lost his powers. Then I thought: "Actually, Lois Lane fell in love with Superman, not Clark Kent!" Anyway, good fun. Good video, too. One thing, though: at 9:41, I guess you meant General Zod, not Jor-El.
This blew my mind when i first saw it on the big screen!!! Everyone cheering and stuff. Very cool!!! 😎😎😎 (the memory wiping kiss is very funny when Robot Chicken did it)
The best thing about the Donner cut (and there are plenty of positives) - it explains how Clark gets his powers back. This is left entirely mysterious in the cinematic release.
Al Bundy for President the problem is that he didn’t finish the movie. We only have what he shot so far. It’s really not his complete vision. I saw one ending with the villains surviving and being arrested by the artic police which is just silly. I thought that was the donner ending.
i will say, the Lester cut is still Donner's movie, anything with Hackman, when Lois lane isn't anorexic, that's all Donner'work. Nearly all the flying sequences are Donner's too. The big scene at the beginning at the tower and honeymoon is Lester, but for the most part, the rest is all Donner. I heard nearly 75%. When they did the donner cut, it became about 90% his adding the Brando scenes.
"The Donner Cut feels like an incomplete film" Sorry, but obviously. Imo, I think this shows how his vision could have been superior. Alas, he never had the chance.
When it comes to iconic movies superman, star wars,Indiana jones ,etc .its the music that really gives movies that spark that gives goosebumps. Music makes movies.
I hate to be “that guy” but at 9:41 you miss spoke when you said “Jor-El orders that that kid be killed.” Should have been “General Zod orders that that kid be killed.” Great Video none the less Minty!
Yes Minty!! Yes!! That's my favorite line my from Superman 2! It was like he was saying "have u met me? have you seen what I do?". My other is "give me another plate of this garbage" 😂👏🏾 I miss Christopher Reeve so much. Great video.
The Donner Cut is fine, but wasn't it missing the "Care to step outside" line? That's the best part. And what they should've used when he returns in JL as well.
That scene was crap in the doner cut!!! Best part of the film as the theme sends chills down the spine as supes returns and then that iconic line!!! I much prefer the lester/doner version tbh
lester's film is donner's, that's the problem with this, nearly 75% of Superman 2 is Donner's work. The exception scenes are the honeymoon suite and a few scenes with the villians and that stupid scene where Superman through his superman S on the villians at the end of the movie. Whenever there was cheese, you know it was Lester. Donner wanted it darker and grim, the approach lester took did the job, remmeber, without Donner, there would be no Superman 2.
It missed many classic lines. One I liked was when Perry White was telling Clark Kent about the terrorist threat on France and Lois being there. Clark doesn't know about it, and Perry says :- "Get your head out of the clouds, Kent. Don't you watch the news?"Clark Kent:- "Well, I actually don't watch TV, Mr White. Too violent. I'm reading Dickens". I like it because I could imagine Clark Kent being nerdish like that.
@@GisherJohn24 The reason for the new scenes was due to Hollywood rules, Donner did not want credit when the separation occurred because he didn't want his name associated with scenes he didn't believe in, so in order for Lester to get sole credit, he had to have directed 51% of the movie. so he had to re-shoot at least 26% of Donner's footage as well as the final 25% to receive sole credit. So after they scraped Donner's original opening, with Lois jumping, they had to retool the whole Niagara falls scene which is why we got the week fall in the fire moment instead of the shooting the blank scene which unfortunately they never filmed outside of screen tests. And Brando sued the producers for more money even though he knew it was supposed to be for 2 movies so they cut him and hastily inserted Susanna York which then also didn't make sense. And Minty missed one bonus fact.................
I prefer the Donner Cut. The theatrical cut is campy. The Donner cut, although incomplete, has the same tone as the first film. It's made with care and you can tell the actors were affected by not having him there. They even say they were mad about him being gone. Left to his own devices, Lester created Superman 3. The only good part of that film is bad Superman.
Christopher Reeves Superman was my hero growing up as a small lad. I had the superman wall paper, quilt, books. In my 40s now and ill still watch these movies from time to time
Although I like the new technology in CGI, I have to say that Chris Reeves played a great Superman. That's not to take away from the other actors though.
Saw this 5 times in the theatre as a kid. Loved it then and I love it now , this movie is the reason we have these super hero movies today . Superman 1 and 2 are the shit .
Of the two versions I prefer Lester's version for 2 simple reasons it's what came out in theaters and Donners version although very good feels incomplete or unfinished what warners brothers should do is like people behind Blade Runner they should make a Ultimate Cut combined both Donner Version and the Lester Version therefore combining both into one
Well, to be fair to Donner, he intended to use a different ending for Superman II because the time travel sequence got moved to the end of the first Superman, and Donner decided that he'd just figure out a new ending for Superman II once he finished the first film and got back to work on the sequel. We'll never know what ending Donner would've come up with for Superman II, but I do know it would have ended with Lois still knowing that Clark was Superman and would also have set up the Brainiac plotline for Superman III... which also, sadly, never happened.
@@dhenderson1810 Interesting that all the fans who were calling for Snyder's head on a pike now want to see his cut of Justice League. They're bi-polar.
The Donner cut of the White House siege was way ahead of its time. It really underlined Superman later returning the dome and apologizing to the President for his absence.
I spent 22 years in the US Navy. Actor Jackie Cooper (Perry White) was a Captain in the Naval Reserve. It was the honor to be his driver to a Sea Cadet Dinner aboard the Queen Mary in Long Beach in 1980 where he was the guest speaker. We had small talk in the car on the way down from the Cooper home in West Hollywood. When I asked about the second Superman movie, the dam burst. He regaled me with all kinds of positive stories about making one and two. A fantastic night!
The Donner Cut was great to see and I really enjoyed it, but it can never truly replace the Lester version as the official sequel. Why? Because the Donner Cut is a sequel to a version of Superman The Movie that never existed. See, when they were filming 1 and 2 back to back, Superman The Movie was going to end with the cliffhanger of the criminals being freed from the Phantom zone by the missile. There was no death of Lois, and no turning back time. Notice in the Daily Planet scene at the start of the Donner Cut, the earthquake is in the headlines, as it was never undone by the time reverse. The time reverse was always intended for Superman II's finale. When the decision was made to focus on the first movie only, the expensive effects shot for turning back time was already completed and the Salkinds wanted to use it here just in case Superman II never happened, so it was worked in to the finale of the first film. Had Donner returned, a new ending would have been created for Superman II since the time reverse was already utilized. After all of these many years, it was not possible to film a new ending, so Donner stuck to that original plan of time travel. So, if you replace the theatrical cut with the Donner Cut, then using time travel twice makes the entire thing pretty lame. The Donner Cut will always be an awesome glimpse at what could have been. Now, what I would like to see is a new cut of the film that uses everything possible from both directors to present the best version. Imean, the Donner Cut as it exists today...unfinished...could really use some Lester scenes to fill it out and make it run better, and yes, we would stick with the magic kiss ending because it is the only ending to use without repeating time travel.
I have the Richard Donner DVD of Superman 2. It's either before the film starts, or in the Bonus Material on the DVD, Richard Donner gives a speech about the film & he does in fact point out that it may feel incomplete, but that's because the reel of film that contained some scenes that he had filmed went missing & was never found. Richard Donner also points out how he had to use Screen Tests & tried to blend them into the film. It really is worth watching the Bonus Material.
One of the best villain lines in movie history took place in the Superman 2 White House Oval Office scene. General Zod looked at the America Eagle Zeal on the Carpet and said, "I see you are practiced in worshiping things that fly.... Good." That General Zod character is still mesmerizing till this day.
Let's take a moment to recall that, in _Superman The Movie,_ Lex Luthor purchased land on the Nevada/California border with a plan to detonate nuclear bombs in the San Andreas fault line. Cutting California adrift from the US, and turning his Nevada holdings into beach-front property. In truth, Lex isn't the hero we deserve, but he is the hero we need right now.
Is anyone really surprised that Sarah Douglas would smile at a child getting killed? Hell, she tried to sacrifice her _own_ niece in "Conan The Destroyer." The lady's cold, dudes. =)
Holy Shit!!, I just realized that Superman 2 has the same plot as Spider-Man 2, they both loose their powers in a time where crime is everywhere and then they both eventually get their powers back.
Nothing like seeing him run though that Ally as Clark and changing into Superman. Crazy to think that the love scene is still controversial. Did he not use super protection?
Of course Jor-El was gonna have his wife on the green crystal along with himself! If I recorded myself on a green crystal I'd let my wife be on it too!
Superman didn’t turn back time, when he flew around the world repeatedly. He was going back in time. Everything going backwards is how things appeared from his POV.
The Donner Cut is interesting, but he goes to the same snow-beaten diner like 3 times to beat up some old trucker who called him names. The whole Mortal/Immortal thing is just a crazy, as if you were the one person in the world who can fly and save people, you'd be unlikely to give all that up just to bang Margot Kidder. What? Was he pissed they never released a Superman Soup? I have a soft spot for both cuts, and some bright spark even mashed up both for a seamless 4 hour movie. Its fun to see the saga develop, until we got to film 3 at least.
Hey Minty, I think you need to do some more digging on this movie. I always love your facts, but I think this one merits some further investigation. So here is what I had learned about Superman II in the late 90's early 2000's, and I'm not sure if you can find the facts, or if they have been updated, but it's worth digging if you can: Donner was not shooting 2 movies. He had intended everything you see in Superman II to be in Superman I. The begining seen of Superman one sets up the General Zod as the main antagonist of the movie. If you look at it, it does seem very strange for them to put this in, if it was always intended for these super criminals to be in a second movie, that no one would have known would be being made. Gene Hackman did not shoot any scenes for Superman II: Gene Hackman was hired on for Lex Luthor for Superman I, He did all of the scenes you see in Superman I and II all under the idea this was 1 movie. So when Superman II came out, and he was not only in the movie, but Top Billing on the credits he was surprised, and also a bit upset as his contract was for Superman I, and half of his performance was put into another movie. So there was a legal suite brought forth as Gene was Staring in a movie he had never signed a contract to be in, even though he had technically been paid for the work he did. The studio tried to shoot arround the footage they already had and even put in a Gene Hackman Double for the scenes they needed, most notably the Majority of the Prison Scenes, and the scenes of Lex Luthor Discovering the Fortress of Solitude. The Studio was very upset about the production costs of Superman I. When the first movie was done, and they realized they had 90% of the footage it would take to make a second movie, it was decided to try and recoop their loses, and put together a second movie. I am not certain why they chose another director, I believe it was because they didn't want Donner to be in charge of another project with a runaway budget. After learning that the film was shot 90% by Donner, fans started petitioning for a cut of the movie to be released that was done by him.
The two films being shot simultaneously was reported by Starlog magazine in 1977. The "two films out of one" applied to The Three Musketeers. The Salkinds and Pierre Spengler got caught on that, so they were above-board with Superman.
@CareBare Hair Also, by the time it was all over, creative consultant John Mankewitz has overhauled the script to the point that everything written by Mario Puzo, David Newman, Leslie Newman, and Robert Benton was, for all intents and purposes, thrown out and a new story written. But...WGA rules.
You're wrong on all accounts. Where did you read this? Gene knew there were two films, and even filmed two different prison scenes. He didn't finish some of his scenes in pt 2 because he was upset they they fired Donner and had no obligation to finish those scenes at a later time. His time frame for filming Superman 2 was up.
Crsunlimited Games I hate to beat a dead horse, but everyone knew it was 2 movies, including Brando. Donner only shot 75% and they were forced to stop 2 because they needed to get the first film out, as it was originally due June of 78 and later pushed to December and the Salkinds and the studio could not push it back anymore. Then when the separation happened depending on who you believe(the truth is always in the middle) Brando balked saying he only agreed to one film, Hackman gave permission for them to use a body double and Lester really only took the job to get the money the Salkinds owed him(on a funny note, Lester actually told Donner in 76 not to work for the Salkinds)
@@darthmong7196 hey I'm not trolling everyone copies off him a bit hes the master, however he didnt take it seriously like say De Niro, I mean he turned up to apocalyse Now 100 pounds overweight when he was meant to be playing a seriously bad ass super soldier
@@thedys70 didnt like Dennis Hopper, they had film their scenes separately, because Hopper was off his face on drugs. I dunno, definitely difficult and a bit eccentric, today he'd probably be pigeon holed into some kind of spectrum
Only Christopher Reeve made us believe a man could fly....I listen to you out here in the middle of Texas, especially the boring trip between Corpus Christi and San Antonio.....it's a boring 2 hour trip. Thanks for keeping me entertained on my road trips. I have Lex Luther to thank to helping me discover Australia when I was a kid in early 80s.......kneel before Zod!!!!
I just realised that I've only watched this film once: on a VHS pirate in the 80's; around the time it came out. I remember pretty much every detail of the film.
@@Tralman1965 the answer is simple,it takes breath to speak which air is needed in the lungs,and the moon is close enough to the sun so that the Criminals have their powers,or a much simpler answer would be that it was written in the script!
They obviously had their powers the moment they were released from the Phantom Zone, as they _flew_ to the Moon (as opposed to experiencing explosive decompression) One can say they were communicating telepathically, so the “voices on the Moon” was for the audience’s convenience, much like Superman “making the Earth go backwards (when traveling back in time)” wasn’t supposed to be literal. Also keep in mind that it’s a movie about _SUPERMAN_
Getting back to The Donner Cut the only real problem I had with it was the ending. IIRC Richard Donner said that after reversing time was used in the first movie they were intending to have written a new ending. But that never happened because Donner never returned to Superman 2. While they used the original reversing time ending again it felt like a non-ending because it was already said they were going to use a different ending and because we just saw that in Superman 1.
Admittedly the Donner cut did feel a bit pieced together, but I'm glad it exists. In particular the scene where Lois shoots Clark; it shows us, if nothing else, how good an actor Christopher Reeve was; he practically transforms from Clark to Kal-El by standing a little taller and removing his glasses - even in the more casual clothes, he BECOMES Superman.
“And over the last few years we have heard a lot about something called ‘family values’. And like many of you, I have struggled to figure out what that means. And since my accident, I've found a definition that seems to make sense. I think it means that we're all family. And that we all have value.” Christopher Reeve, speaking at the Democratic National Convention in 1996. What a Super Man.
I remember how pumped I felt as a kid when Superman got his powers back and was ready to kick ass again
gsxerwhite very few moments in life compare to this one. I still love the theme song!
@@fulcruman1877 you are so correct. Music was amazing
Ironically the removal of the Jor El scenes giving Supe back his power made his entrance at the Daily Planet to confront the villains even more effective.
Only thing i dissliked was the dinner scene at the end. Man of Steel did it better by letting Cavill take his revenge unnoticed while reeves made a big drama out of it and tryd to proof something. I always found that weird but superman 2 is a weird film to begin with so...
The Diner scene was about giving a bully a taste of his own medicine.
The 80s gave us some magnificant films..i was lucky to be a kid then.
True. My childhood basically ended when batman begins was released so its a full circle.
Nolan was one of the last creative and qualified Directors for the superhero-genre and it seems we will not have a good blockbuster superhero movie for a long, long time again.
Me too! Soooo lucky.
I agree some of my best memories are these movies I thought I was superman when I was 5 I wore my Superman pajamas everywhere lol even in a children's modeling show where I ran around the stage like I was flying
Kinda helps that we were the blessed with the VCR. 😃
Can relate. I was a poor kid in the 90's, so all our entertainment came from the 80's.
Terrance stamp as general Zod was amazing
Scared the shit out of me when I was little
@@gsxerwhite I always thought he was up their with Darth Vader as the best movie bad guy
Must agree. Stamp of Approval! Lol
and he was so awesome, that DC changed Zod to be more like Stamp's portrayal (and even imported Ursa & Non into the canon!)
ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT!!!
Despite the recent superhero shenanigans in the cinema, I still say the smackdown between Christopher Reeves' Superman v Terence Stamp's General Zod is one of the best comic book fights on film. And the White House invasion is classic.
Terence Stamp was so iconic in this. General Zod's character has been so influenced by his portrayal. In both TV, games, and comics, the "Kneel before Zod" thing remains a constant.
Kevin Hansen I think it was a part of season 9 of smallville when Zod comes into it again where they talk about Terence stamps zod...including one awesome story stamp himself tells, about being struck by a skateboard riding punk, and stamp noticed the smallville ZOD logo on the kids short, and when the kids eyes widened when he realised who he was stamp went into character and screamed “kneel before Zod you bastard!”...to which the kid of course did
Yeah, but it was weird that Jor-El sounded just like him in Smallville.😁😁
Don't forget the SyFy show Krypton, their General Zod ended season one with that line.
I half expected him to say that in The Limey to Peter Fonda lol
Awesome villain
I liked that they had Superman's mother in the fortress this time, it was a good balance of storytelling , having him learn about his hertiage and his powers from his father in the first one and learn about love and human nature from his mother in the second one
I Miss old-school
Chris Reeves
Superman.
Part 1&2
Are cinematic
Masterpieces!
It will never be topped or recreated.
And may Christopher Reeve Rest in Peace...
Also SuperMan 3 & 4 don't exist, let's never talk about them.
@@_TheDreamWorld_ I love 3. 4 is a little disappointing but enjoyable enough to get more superman. It's still got a better superman than the new movies.
Man of steel was really good. Reeves is always Superman but cavil is a perfect follow up
@@_TheDreamWorld_ Facts!!!
I can accomplish anything while listening to the Superman theme.
I call bullshit. Come pick up my Buick and spin it on your nose
I love the ending they put in all of the superman movies with Reeve flying toward the camera and giving that big smile before the credits run. Rip i bet he was a super guy jn real life. And rip to Margot Kidder.
i like when Ursa says, Supeman, and then throws a manhole cover at him
He had restrained himself from hitting her but knowing she is just as strong and just as bad should have been an incentive to say fuck that "man shouldn't hit a woman" crap. She wants to be a baddie like the others she can get POPPED in the face like them.
@@homelesshannah50 exactly. You think Batman holds back on female criminals or villains? He fucks them up 🤣
@@knightghost1782 why? Cuz Batman don't give a fuck lol
Ursa was a freaking hot gal :]
@Doctor Octagon YAAASSSSS!!! x3
"Come Son of Jor-El kneel before Zod." is still to this day the most iconic & imitated line from the film. Ironically it's one of those lines that survived the Donner & Lester Cuts of the film.
"You are not the president. No one who leads so many could possibly kneel so quickly."
@@PhantomFilmAustralia phatomfill.
Mautrrt
"Why do you say this to me, when you know I will kill you for it?" is the best.
Hands down one of the best superhero movies EVER made. Zod great movie villain and had the best lines in the movie
The best. Only one I actually ever liked.
Lex Luthor wants to be ruler of Australia. That doesn't look good for Minty.
wstine79 The only difference between Lex Luther and other world leaders is Luther is intelligent so I wish he was the ruler of Australia 😬
Minty would total be his henchman and lord of video propaganda 👍
Luthor is highly intelligent but he's crooked so I think it would be bad.
Jayson Raphael Murdock Pretty much whats in place now.
Mollymoet Don’t kid yourself. Nobody becomes a world leader without being intelligent. Unless it’s an inherited title like N. Korea. 🤮
This and the first one hold a special place in my heart. I am 35 and still get excited when I get a chance to watch it.
I still like both versions of superman 2, but the 1st scene in a movie that got me wanting to make a movie and get involved in special effects is when he changes into Superman while running down an alley. I learned about ghosting and transitions due to that scene
"I'm not mad, I'm just disappointed" - General Zod
lol
My first thought lol
Superman one and two = classics! Made childhood fun
I used to always see this on HBO at my grandmas house in the 80s
Edward Sanchez ...it was on hbo 24/7 back in the days .lol
Good times! I remember running out the house after the movie ended with my superman cape..I slipped on oil and cracked my head open..haven't been the same since
Ozzy morrison ...that S2 movie beats any of the superman movies made to date. Theyve all sucked
@@robdcollector2808 absolutely! agreed..none have made me feel the way superman 2 has
Lol me to
Oh this was my favorite movie growing up 👍👍👍
Terrance Stamp's London accent came out when he shouts "Superman"
“Come to me, Supaman!!” I love it. That just makes Mr. Stamp’s interpretation all the more distinctive and definitive.
Terrence Stamps chest hair stole the show
His makeup stole the show in Priscilla Queen of the Desert. Talk about 'spectrum of roles'. He's quite the actor's actor.
@@Scottie_S good in the limey
The best cut of this movie is The Richard Donner Cut, showing alternate and deleted footage. I watched this on AMC, and it was amazing to watch.
I disagree. It's nice as an exhibition piece, but to me it felt choppy and unrefined. The performances were stiff compared to the Lester re-shot versions, and some of the creative changes that he made (like Niagara Falls) were just nicer to look at. I do enjoy the extra footage, but as a whole the Lester version wins for me.
-ohh my god… -NO.. ZOD! best scene EVER.
true
agreed.
Exactly.
That was deep. Great line.
I don't get it
Sarah Douglas was so hot!!
Who else saw Superman II in theaters back then?
Me! And, I was young enough that someone had to take me. I remember my Dad asking my older sister to take me, and she wasn't happy because she didn't really have an interest in going at the time. But she did take me and after the movie was over, she said "That was actually a really good movie!" :)
Not only did we (the family) see it, but when we were leaving through one of the hallways to the exit, my dad turned around and said “You want to see it again?” and I was ecstatic. We snuck back around the corner, sat in the middle third row and watched it again!
And it was released in Australia in 1980, yet 1981 in the USA. Strange, but true...
I saw at the state and lake theatre in Chicago
Ursa is one of the most badass chics I ever seen on my life. Those eyes and vibe can cut diamonds. Other girls wanted to be princesses I wanted to be Ursa.
*Jes she had another set of glass cutters!* 😂
My favorite Superman film. I even have the OST on vinyl.
Awesome!!!
With the four "S" symbols on each side of the record?
@@dalethelander3781 It most certainly does! I found it in a thrift store almost mint. I was impressed by how they did that hologram effect of the S logo on the vinyl. I'm surprised if never seen them do that effect before and I have quite a few vinyl collection from Queen to Michael Jackson
Despite its flaws, I've always been fond of Superman II. I remember having a SUperman II sticker album when I was a kid. Could have been a collector's item! For me, the crucial point was when Superman lost his powers. Then I thought: "Actually, Lois Lane fell in love with Superman, not Clark Kent!" Anyway, good fun. Good video, too. One thing, though: at 9:41, I guess you meant General Zod, not Jor-El.
This blew my mind when i first saw it on the big screen!!! Everyone cheering and stuff. Very cool!!! 😎😎😎 (the memory wiping kiss is very funny when Robot Chicken did it)
The best thing about the Donner cut (and there are plenty of positives) - it explains how Clark gets his powers back. This is left entirely mysterious in the cinematic release.
It’s up to your imagination, but you do get a scene with Clark grabbing the green crystal.
The richard donner cut of 2 is my favorite superman film.
The one with the artic police ending? That ending was goofy.
@@christianrapper the artic police isn't in the donner cut that was a deleted scene.
Al Bundy for President the problem is that he didn’t finish the movie. We only have what he shot so far. It’s really not his complete vision. I saw one ending with the villains surviving and being arrested by the artic police which is just silly. I thought that was the donner ending.
@@christianrapper that's in the deleted scenes. Also, in the extended television version.
i will say, the Lester cut is still Donner's movie, anything with Hackman, when Lois lane isn't anorexic, that's all Donner'work. Nearly all the flying sequences are Donner's too. The big scene at the beginning at the tower and honeymoon is Lester, but for the most part, the rest is all Donner. I heard nearly 75%. When they did the donner cut, it became about 90% his adding the Brando scenes.
"The Donner Cut feels like an incomplete film"
Sorry, but obviously. Imo, I think this shows how his vision could have been superior. Alas, he never had the chance.
THANKS, MINTY!
I always enjoy your content with a cup of coffee and ice cream at 5am just before starting my shift.
I feel at home with your work.
I remember watching this on TV in the early ‘80’s , and the scene where Non throws the police car light at the kid was in it.
I remember seeing that as well.
When it comes to iconic movies superman, star wars,Indiana jones ,etc .its the music that really gives movies that spark that gives goosebumps. Music makes movies.
I hate to be “that guy” but at 9:41 you miss spoke when you said “Jor-El orders that that kid be killed.”
Should have been “General Zod orders that that kid be killed.”
Great Video none the less Minty!
NERRRRRRRRRRD!! LOL.
HAHAHAH FOR REAL!!!!!!!!!! TOOOOTAL NERRRRD!!!!!
I thought the dumb one did it himself but he ORDERED it?!! Mind blown
True, but wrong also, seeing Terence is Jor-El, just many years later in the Smallville series, so he was correct, but mis-spoke by 30+ years. LOL
Jor-El will make you an offer you can't refuse.
Yes Minty!! Yes!! That's my favorite line my from Superman 2! It was like he was saying "have u met me? have you seen what I do?". My other is "give me another plate of this garbage" 😂👏🏾 I miss Christopher Reeve so much. Great video.
The Donner Cut is fine, but wasn't it missing the "Care to step outside" line? That's the best part. And what they should've used when he returns in JL as well.
That scene was crap in the doner cut!!! Best part of the film as the theme sends chills down the spine as supes returns and then that iconic line!!! I much prefer the lester/doner version tbh
lester's film is donner's, that's the problem with this, nearly 75% of Superman 2 is Donner's work. The exception scenes are the honeymoon suite and a few scenes with the villians and that stupid scene where Superman through his superman S on the villians at the end of the movie. Whenever there was cheese, you know it was Lester. Donner wanted it darker and grim, the approach lester took did the job, remmeber, without Donner, there would be no Superman 2.
It missed many classic lines. One I liked was when Perry White was telling Clark Kent about the terrorist threat on France and Lois being there. Clark doesn't know about it, and Perry says :- "Get your head out of the clouds, Kent. Don't you watch the news?"Clark Kent:- "Well, I actually don't watch TV, Mr White. Too violent. I'm reading Dickens". I like it because I could imagine Clark Kent being nerdish like that.
@@GisherJohn24 The reason for the new scenes was due to Hollywood rules, Donner did not want credit when the separation occurred because he didn't want his name associated with scenes he didn't believe in, so in order for Lester to get sole credit, he had to have directed 51% of the movie. so he had to re-shoot at least 26% of Donner's footage as well as the final 25% to receive sole credit. So after they scraped Donner's original opening, with Lois jumping, they had to retool the whole Niagara falls scene which is why we got the week fall in the fire moment instead of the shooting the blank scene which unfortunately they never filmed outside of screen tests. And Brando sued the producers for more money even though he knew it was supposed to be for 2 movies so they cut him and hastily inserted Susanna York which then also didn't make sense. And Minty missed one bonus fact.................
I prefer the Donner Cut. The theatrical cut is campy. The Donner cut, although incomplete, has the same tone as the first film. It's made with care and you can tell the actors were affected by not having him there. They even say they were mad about him being gone. Left to his own devices, Lester created Superman 3. The only good part of that film is bad Superman.
I thought Ursa was sexy as hell!
The scene with the M16 is in fact, the only scene in which I smile in the entire film! 😁
When u hear the superman music comes on you kno shit finna go down lol🙏😎😂😞😣😣😞😉😍😌😎😞😞😂😣😣😣💖💖💨💤💤💤💖💖🙏💖🙏💖🙏💖🙏💖🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
Christopher Reeves Superman was my hero growing up as a small lad. I had the superman wall paper, quilt, books. In my 40s now and ill still watch these movies from time to time
When I was a kid the first time I saw Ursa I realized what evil but sexy was.😛
Although I like the new technology in CGI, I have to say that Chris Reeves played a great Superman. That's not to take away from the other actors though.
Saw this 5 times in the theatre as a kid. Loved it then and I love it now , this movie is the reason we have these super hero movies today . Superman 1 and 2 are the shit .
The greatest Superman film of them all. Sarah Douglas has a huge online following her efforts in keeping these film's legacy alive. She is amazing.
Of the two versions I prefer Lester's version for 2 simple reasons it's what came out in theaters and Donners version although very good feels incomplete or unfinished what warners brothers should do is like people behind Blade Runner they should make a Ultimate Cut combined both Donner Version and the Lester Version therefore combining both into one
General Zod is awesome! Terence stamp just steals every scene he is in!
Well, to be fair to Donner, he intended to use a different ending for Superman II because the time travel sequence got moved to the end of the first Superman, and Donner decided that he'd just figure out a new ending for Superman II once he finished the first film and got back to work on the sequel.
We'll never know what ending Donner would've come up with for Superman II, but I do know it would have ended with Lois still knowing that Clark was Superman and would also have set up the Brainiac plotline for Superman III... which also, sadly, never happened.
I grew up watching this movie. I loved it. This installment ingrained Christopher Reeves as THE Superman for me.
This is easily the best one, by far. So many great lines i watched this over and over as a kid, good times.
Talking about the Donner Cut, I want my Snyder Cut for Justice League.
Yeeeeeeeaaaaaaah, you stay warm on that, Frosty.
Why would you want the Snyder cut? He is one of the main reasons the DCU films have been failures.
@@dhenderson1810 Interesting that all the fans who were calling for Snyder's head on a pike now want to see his cut of Justice League. They're bi-polar.
@@dalethelander3781 That would make sense if they were all the same people. There's a lot of folk in the world mate. 😆
The Donner cut of the White House siege was way ahead of its time. It really underlined Superman later returning the dome and apologizing to the President for his absence.
I spent 22 years in the US Navy. Actor Jackie Cooper (Perry White) was a Captain in the Naval Reserve. It was the honor to be his driver to a Sea Cadet Dinner aboard the Queen Mary in Long Beach in 1980 where he was the guest speaker. We had small talk in the car on the way down from the Cooper home in West Hollywood. When I asked about the second Superman movie, the dam burst. He regaled me with all kinds of positive stories about making one and two. A fantastic night!
The Donner Cut was great to see and I really enjoyed it, but it can never truly replace the Lester version as the official sequel. Why? Because the Donner Cut is a sequel to a version of Superman The Movie that never existed.
See, when they were filming 1 and 2 back to back, Superman The Movie was going to end with the cliffhanger of the criminals being freed from the Phantom zone by the missile. There was no death of Lois, and no turning back time. Notice in the Daily Planet scene at the start of the Donner Cut, the earthquake is in the headlines, as it was never undone by the time reverse. The time reverse was always intended for Superman II's finale.
When the decision was made to focus on the first movie only, the expensive effects shot for turning back time was already completed and the Salkinds wanted to use it here just in case Superman II never happened, so it was worked in to the finale of the first film. Had Donner returned, a new ending would have been created for Superman II since the time reverse was already utilized.
After all of these many years, it was not possible to film a new ending, so Donner stuck to that original plan of time travel. So, if you replace the theatrical cut with the Donner Cut, then using time travel twice makes the entire thing pretty lame.
The Donner Cut will always be an awesome glimpse at what could have been. Now, what I would like to see is a new cut of the film that uses everything possible from both directors to present the best version. Imean, the Donner Cut as it exists today...unfinished...could really use some Lester scenes to fill it out and make it run better, and yes, we would stick with the magic kiss ending because it is the only ending to use without repeating time travel.
I have the Richard Donner DVD of Superman 2.
It's either before the film starts, or in the Bonus Material on the DVD, Richard Donner gives a speech about the film & he does in fact point out that it may feel incomplete, but that's because the reel of film that contained some scenes that he had filmed went missing & was never found. Richard Donner also points out how he had to use Screen Tests & tried to blend them into the film. It really is worth watching the Bonus Material.
One of the best villain lines in movie history took place in the Superman 2 White House Oval Office scene. General Zod looked at the America Eagle Zeal on the Carpet and said, "I see you are practiced in worshiping things that fly.... Good." That General Zod character is still mesmerizing till this day.
Please do Heavy Metal (1981), and I'll send you some plutonium nyborg.
Love that movie
@@Cheprock83 It was shit
Hell yeah
"STERRRNNN!!! STERRRNNN!!!"
I love these rare pics in your doc!!!
Let's take a moment to recall that, in _Superman The Movie,_ Lex Luthor purchased land on the Nevada/California border with a plan to detonate nuclear bombs in the San Andreas fault line. Cutting California adrift from the US, and turning his Nevada holdings into beach-front property. In truth, Lex isn't the hero we deserve, but he is the hero we need right now.
Is anyone really surprised that Sarah Douglas would smile at a child getting killed? Hell, she tried to sacrifice her _own_ niece in "Conan The Destroyer." The lady's cold, dudes. =)
If I could turn back time....
Love all the Superman gear the stars are wearing in the photos.
There's better be a "Kneel before Minty!" in this video. Or I will be sorely disappointed.
Holy Shit!!, I just realized that Superman 2 has the same plot as Spider-Man 2, they both loose their powers in a time where crime is everywhere and then they both eventually get their powers back.
Ursa: Let’s take his Favorite!
If you love the line so much, get it right. It’s “Let us take her favorite!”
Terence Stamp has had such a varied career from Pasolini, to Star Wars, Superman and Priscilla Queen of the Desert. Just love him.
Nothing like seeing him run though that Ally as Clark and changing into Superman.
Crazy to think that the love scene is still controversial. Did he not use super protection?
Superman is a legend
Of course Jor-El was gonna have his wife on the green crystal along with himself! If I recorded myself on a green crystal I'd let my wife be on it too!
Yes. It was her son, too...
Sir, you are quite the gentleman.
Yeah, it's his mom. Makes total sense to me, she wanted to help her son. 🤷
I'm actually related to Terence Stamp, true story, he is brilliant in this, his stand out role
Christopher Reeve's departure só early from this plane still hurts. He really looked like the real hero.
Superman didn’t turn back time, when he flew around the world repeatedly. He was going back in time. Everything going backwards is how things appeared from his POV.
After I watched this as a child I ran around telling people “kneel before Zod” I loved that guy
I love this movie! Very well done Minty. Nice closing statement lol ✌🏻✌🏻
So Richard Pryor was supposed to be Mxyzptlk? Why the hell wasn't that turned into a movie?!
One and three were my personal faves Minty. Thx for the video.
Kneel before minty
SNOOGANS 😁👍
snoochie boochies !
Wolverine!!
RIP Christopher Reeve. What a handsome man!
The Donner Cut is interesting, but he goes to the same snow-beaten diner like 3 times to beat up some old trucker who called him names. The whole Mortal/Immortal thing is just a crazy, as if you were the one person in the world who can fly and save people, you'd be unlikely to give all that up just to bang Margot Kidder. What? Was he pissed they never released a Superman Soup? I have a soft spot for both cuts, and some bright spark even mashed up both for a seamless 4 hour movie. Its fun to see the saga develop, until we got to film 3 at least.
I remember watching this when it appeared on the ABC network.
the first two Supermans are so good
Hey Minty, I think you need to do some more digging on this movie. I always love your facts, but I think this one merits some further investigation. So here is what I had learned about Superman II in the late 90's early 2000's, and I'm not sure if you can find the facts, or if they have been updated, but it's worth digging if you can:
Donner was not shooting 2 movies. He had intended everything you see in Superman II to be in Superman I. The begining seen of Superman one sets up the General Zod as the main antagonist of the movie. If you look at it, it does seem very strange for them to put this in, if it was always intended for these super criminals to be in a second movie, that no one would have known would be being made.
Gene Hackman did not shoot any scenes for Superman II: Gene Hackman was hired on for Lex Luthor for Superman I, He did all of the scenes you see in Superman I and II all under the idea this was 1 movie. So when Superman II came out, and he was not only in the movie, but Top Billing on the credits he was surprised, and also a bit upset as his contract was for Superman I, and half of his performance was put into another movie. So there was a legal suite brought forth as Gene was Staring in a movie he had never signed a contract to be in, even though he had technically been paid for the work he did. The studio tried to shoot arround the footage they already had and even put in a Gene Hackman Double for the scenes they needed, most notably the Majority of the Prison Scenes, and the scenes of Lex Luthor Discovering the Fortress of Solitude.
The Studio was very upset about the production costs of Superman I. When the first movie was done, and they realized they had 90% of the footage it would take to make a second movie, it was decided to try and recoop their loses, and put together a second movie. I am not certain why they chose another director, I believe it was because they didn't want Donner to be in charge of another project with a runaway budget.
After learning that the film was shot 90% by Donner, fans started petitioning for a cut of the movie to be released that was done by him.
The two films being shot simultaneously was reported by Starlog magazine in 1977. The "two films out of one" applied to The Three Musketeers. The Salkinds and Pierre Spengler got caught on that, so they were above-board with Superman.
@CareBare Hair Also, by the time it was all over, creative consultant John Mankewitz has overhauled the script to the point that everything written by Mario Puzo, David Newman, Leslie Newman, and Robert Benton was, for all intents and purposes, thrown out and a new story written.
But...WGA rules.
You're wrong on all accounts. Where did you read this? Gene knew there were two films, and even filmed two different prison scenes. He didn't finish some of his scenes in pt 2 because he was upset they they fired Donner and had no obligation to finish those scenes at a later time. His time frame for filming Superman 2 was up.
I love that this guy is trying to pass the idea that the two movies...nearly FIVE HOURS in length...were meant to be one movie.
Crsunlimited Games I hate to beat a dead horse, but everyone knew it was 2 movies, including Brando. Donner only shot 75% and they were forced to stop 2 because they needed to get the first film out, as it was originally due June of 78 and later pushed to December and the Salkinds and the studio could not push it back anymore. Then when the separation happened depending on who you believe(the truth is always in the middle) Brando balked saying he only agreed to one film, Hackman gave permission for them to use a body double and Lester really only took the job to get the money the Salkinds owed him(on a funny note, Lester actually told Donner in 76 not to work for the Salkinds)
Had Richard Donner finished Superman 2, he was not gonna use the time travelling ending as it was already used in the first movie.
Marlon Brando can be seen reading his lines off cards, one of the greatest actors in history, imagine if he gave a crap what hed of been capable of
Facts
It wasn't about being bothered. He felt it added to the spontaneity of his performance.
@@darthmong7196 hey I'm not trolling everyone copies off him a bit hes the master, however he didnt take it seriously like say De Niro, I mean he turned up to apocalyse Now 100 pounds overweight when he was meant to be playing a seriously bad ass super soldier
I have an impression of Brando as a total narcissist, with a surly attitude towards fellow actors and film crews
@@thedys70 didnt like Dennis Hopper, they had film their scenes separately, because Hopper was off his face on drugs. I dunno, definitely difficult and a bit eccentric, today he'd probably be pigeon holed into some kind of spectrum
Terrence Stamp, Sarah Douglas, and Jack O’ Halloran are all amazing. Those people terrified me as a child. But, I watched the movie constantly.
Only Christopher Reeve made us believe a man could fly....I listen to you out here in the middle of Texas, especially the boring trip between Corpus Christi and San Antonio.....it's a boring 2 hour trip. Thanks for keeping me entertained on my road trips. I have Lex Luther to thank to helping me discover Australia when I was a kid in early 80s.......kneel before Zod!!!!
Yeah but what was up with the big plastic "S" he throws in the fortress of solitude...
We'll never truly know; just make it go away...
"S" for Saran wrap!
@Daniel Appleton yup! m.ua-cam.com/video/j_zRBULj_PU/v-deo.html
I wouldn't even use that cellophane wrap on my leftovers!
Zod was the Vader of Superman.. Iconic lines..
Too bad it went to absolute $h/t after this.
I just realised that I've only watched this film once: on a VHS pirate in the 80's; around the time it came out. I remember pretty much every detail of the film.
Gareth Oneill how do you know if you’ve only seen it one time on a “VHS pirate”?
@@evilsWa What?
I still wonder how Zod and his minions could talk clearly on the moon if there are no atmosphere there?
Suspension of disbelief helps.....
@@Tralman1965 the answer is simple,it takes breath to speak which air is needed in the lungs,and the moon is close enough to the sun so that the Criminals have their powers,or a much simpler answer would be that it was written in the script!
They were really on the moon and they couldn’t speak , so we dubbed over their voices in post production
Lol
Mister K-rad dude, shh! No one is supposed to know that.
They obviously had their powers the moment they were released from the Phantom Zone, as they _flew_ to the Moon (as opposed to experiencing explosive decompression)
One can say they were communicating telepathically, so the “voices on the Moon” was for the audience’s convenience, much like Superman “making the Earth go backwards (when traveling back in time)” wasn’t supposed to be literal.
Also keep in mind that it’s a movie about _SUPERMAN_
Excellent video dude. I like both versions of Superman II.
Minty I want to thank you for these videos I really enjoy them.
Getting back to The Donner Cut the only real problem I had with it was the ending. IIRC Richard Donner said that after reversing time was used in the first movie they were intending to have written a new ending. But that never happened because Donner never returned to Superman 2. While they used the original reversing time ending again it felt like a non-ending because it was already said they were going to use a different ending and because we just saw that in Superman 1.
Please Escape From L.A. 😅
After it's failure at the box office it's planned sequel was modified into John Carpenters ghosts of Mars
@@eyesofnight I know 😁
Thanks for these videos. After watching your 10 facts about Superman the Movie I was compelled to watch all four movies on HBO Max.
Admittedly the Donner cut did feel a bit pieced together, but I'm glad it exists. In particular the scene where Lois shoots Clark; it shows us, if nothing else, how good an actor Christopher Reeve was; he practically transforms from Clark to Kal-El by standing a little taller and removing his glasses - even in the more casual clothes, he BECOMES Superman.
“And over the last few years we have heard a lot about something called ‘family values’. And like many of you, I have struggled to figure out what that means. And since my accident, I've found a definition that seems to make sense. I think it means that we're all family. And that we all have value.”
Christopher Reeve, speaking at the Democratic National Convention in 1996.
What a Super Man.
Damn, Reeves was and still is and will always be Superman on film. As good as others are, they're just caricatures of him.
Margot & Christopher RIP ⚘⚘⚘