Superman II (1981)

Christopher Reeve as "Superman/Clark Kent"
Gene Hackman as "Lex Luthor"
Terence Stamp as "General Zod"
Margot Kidder as "Lois Lane"
Sarah Douglas as "Ursa" 

Directed by Richard Lester

I mentioned in my review of "Superman" that the film leaves room for a sequel.within the first five minutes or so. "Superman II" opens with a short recap of a previous event. Here, we see Superman's biological father Jor-El (played by a Brando lookalike) sentencing a trio of would-be conquerors to the Phantom Zone, a pocket universe created to house Krypton's most dangerous criminals. Already, conflict has been foreshadowed, and you can be sure that fireworks are on the way.

"Superman II" continues where the original left off. Following the opening credits sequence, Superman races to France to rescue Lois Lane from Eiffel Tower-hijacking terrorists. These terrorists have hidden a bomb somewhere in the tower, but of course, the Man of Steel locates it and launches it into space. Unfortunately, our trio of incarcerated Kryptonians happens upon the bomb, and when it explodes, it frees them from the Phantom Zone.

The evil General Zod and his Kryptonian dissidents quickly learn that Earth's yellow sun grants them super powers (just like a certain Man of Tomorrow) and they arrive on Earth, intending to seize control of the planet. Yeah, good luck, Zod. You've still got Superman to go through.

But did I mention Superman is AWOL?

Yes, Lois has finally figured out Superman's true identity (thanks to Clark's carelessness; man, first you free Zod, then you give yourself away. Zero for two, dude). The two confess their feelings for each other, and then Superman flies her to his arctic Fortress of Solitude. There, he communicates with a holographic projection of his dead mother, Lara. Lara tells her son that the only way he can be with Lois is to sacrifice his powers.

Those of you have seen it know what happens next. I'll just say that, in terms of plot, I find this movie one of the most absurd comic book adaptations I've ever seen. But overall, I believe it to be one of the best.

Thankfully, "Superman II" is not an inferior copy of its predecessor. While the first film recapped Superman's origins, this one brings the sins of his father back to haunt him, and in a big way. Kudos to the returning cast for bringing their characters back to life once again. Christopher Reeve is again larger than life as the Metropolis Marvel, but this time, he brings out a more vulnerable side of our hero. Without giving too much away, let's just say that he effectively portrays a man looking at the world with a painfully new perspective. Margot Kidder's Lois complements Reeve's Superman, as they flesh out a new dynamic in their characters' relationship. Gene Hackman returns as well, reprising his role as escaped villain Lex Luthor with slimy gusto, trying desperately to stay one step ahead of four people who could easily kill him inside half a second. Too bad three of them have the inclination to do so as well.

And speaking of the villains, let's have a hand for Terence Stamp! His General Zod is a despot simply looking for a place to rule, but upset at being unable to find a worthy opponent. His ennui disappears however, vanishing into rage as he learns of the "Superman" who won't come out to face him. At times, he drifts dangerously close to cornball villain territory, but he is great fun throughout the movie.

The special effects are something else to write home about. Improved from the original film, the effects are even more amazing in this installment, and not just flight. The Fortress of Solitude looks incredibly impressive, as do the amazing display of super powers utilized by the main characters.

But the most visually impressive aspect is the fight scene between Superman and Zod's gang. This sequence has to be the most visually impressive in any comic book movie, and the best example of capturing a battle between super-humans on film.

However, much of this movie is, as stated above, quite absurd in theory. The idea that Superman would relinquish his powers for Lois is romantic, but nonsensical. I would understand if he had to do it to save her life, but not just so he could have sex with her. Superman, as an archetypal hero character, takes his responsibilities much too seriously to do forsake his adopted world. Besides, unless I'm mistaken, there isn't a way for Superman to permanently lose his powers (unless magic was involved; Superman has always been vulnerable to magic).

My other complaint is against the powers that Superman uses against Zod in the end. By then, the film takes even greater liberties with the Superman character. He can cast hologram-like images of himself (as can the other Kryptonians), and he can throw his "S" shield at enemies. Trust me, it looks sillier than it sounds.

Despite these complaints, "Superman II" is evenly paced, excellently acted, and visually stunning. Directors Richard Donner and Richard Lester (Donner was fired during production and replaced by Lester; Lester is the sole credited director) do a wonderful job of creating an adventure worthy of the world's greatest superhero. "Superman II" doesn't trump its predecessor, but it comes quite close to matching the quality and fun of the original. Sadly, it is the last Superman movie to do so.