Which Is Your Favourite Superman Movie?

[Guest Passenger]

The general consensus amongst people I've asked is that the first Supes movie is the greatest. When I was younger I used to enjoy '3' the most. I was fascinated by the 'baddy' Superman....Now however in my old age I seem to rate '2' as the superior film in the series. It may not be technically the best, in regards to staying true to the Superman character, but it's currently my favourite and has been for a while now. My main beef in the first movie, was that Lex Luthor doesn't seem like a threat at all...whereas in Superman 2, the 3 Kryptonian criminals do seem like they might actually cause a bit of a problem for Superman. Also I love the scene in Superman 2, where Clark goes back to the bar (where he got beaten up while he had given his powers up) and kicks some ass (slightly out of character admittedly, but i love it). I know there are some flaws with it...but purely from an enjoyment standpoint I'd take Superman 2 everytime...

[Guest red_file]

Favorite? Superman IV: The Quest For Peace. It's so pathetically bad that it's more entertaining than any of the others. From Luther's idiot nephew ("Oh no, oh no, oh no") to the nonsensicle preaching towards global peace to the laughable villain, it's a movie that's almost impossible to hate. Unless, of course, you're judging it on the merits of actually being a good movie, but still. Unlike any of the other Superman movies, whenever I catch IV playing I have to watch it.

 

Best? Superman II has to take it. The attempts it makes to give more complexity to Superman was a refreshing change from the rather one dimensional Supes we got in the first one (and not so over the top as the dark Supes in III). No cop-out ending like in the first. Extremely memorable villains. And thematically it works the best; to change who you are is to entreat folly.

[Guest Passenger]

Yeah, I love all the Superman movies. I dont really care if '4' is considered bad, because I enjoy watching it. There are parts from all the movies that I love...there are just so many 'mark-out' moments for me in the series. Whether it be...Clark flying away from the Fortress of Solitude for the first time in his Superman outfit in the first movie...the aforementioned 'bar scene' in '2'... or the fight between clark and the evil superman in '3'. I haven't seen '4' in a long while but I do remember enjoying it for some reason...heh when I was little I always thought 'Nuclear Man' was Dolph Lundgren...

[The Dames 0]

Oh, this is begging for an EQ cameo.

 

Years ago, I thought 2 was the best, but after repeated viewings, its the first one, no question.

 

Dames

[Guest Passenger]

I think '1' has suffered from the amount of times I have seen it. I've seen it way more than the other 3 put together, simply because it seems like it's ALWAYS on...I've been waiting for '2' to come on Sky Movies for months..but no...constant repeats of '1' instead...I don't know if my opinion would be altered had it not been overkilled...

 

Number 3 also gets shown a hell of a lot for some reason, but 2 and 4 are always overlooked it seems.

[Guest EQ]

It's definately between Superman and Superman II. The original Superman got so many things right, but at the same time, I think they spent too much time on Krypton and in Smallville. When the movie finally gets to Metropolis, it picks up a lot of steam, and it's just great till right about the very end. I can't help but complain at the ending though. Come on, rotate the Earth backwards and turn back time? Gimme a break.

 

Superman II was also great all around. I love the battle between Superman and the other Kryptonians. I mark out for how he played the three of them at the end, and yeah... I'll admit... I love seeing Clark kick that guy's ass in the bar at the end. My major gripe with Superman II is the fact that they blatantly pulled powers out of their asses! The characters in the movie aren't supposed to be able to point at shit and move it! WTF?!

 

Superman 3, well... ok. It wasn't great, but at the same time, it was still good. Why they threw Richard Pryor in there, I'll never know, but it's not like he made the movie suck. Evil Superman is awesome.

 

Quest for Peace? All right, all right. Overall, it was proabably a bad movie. Definately the worst of the series, but I still like it. My favorite part is the double date with Lois/Superman and Clark/Lacy. Nuclear Man was incredibly lame, and the character of Lex's nephew should have never existed. He was horrible.

 

In my opinion, the best one was the first one. My personal favorite though, would have to be Superman II. The struggle that Clark must go through to get his powers back, Lois discovering his secret, it's all great. Well, maybe with the exception of Clark wiping out Lois' memory with that super-kiss, but I guess that's forgivable.

[Guest Passenger]

' Excuse me sir, you seem to be sitting in my favourite seat...'

[Guest Passenger]

Superman Remastered

 

Click for the trailer of the remastered original Superman movie...

[Guest tpww7]

I like Superman II and III the best.

[Guest Youth N Asia]

I liked the first the best. Although I love evil Supes flicking peanuts at the bar in III, and I saw IV at the theatre...I was too young to know how bad it sucked.

[Guest NaturalBornThriller4:20]

I figured i'd post this here.

 

Please don't shoot The Messenger, but it seems that Josh Harnett will most likely be cast as the next Clark Kent.

 

He did his Screen Test last week, and they haven't focused on anyone but him.

[Guest EQ]

BOO!

 

I want an unknown!

 

*Shoots NaturalBornThriller4:20*

[Guest TheZsaszHorsemen]

The best Superman is the First Five Fleishcer cartoons.

[Guest NaturalBornThriller4:20]

BOO!

 

I want an unknown!

 

*Shoots NaturalBornThriller4:20*

::Made sure he wore a Bulletproof Vest before posting::

[The Dames 0]

*Shoots him in the head, Vic Mackey style*

 

Bulletproof THAT, NBT.

 

Dames

[Guest TheZsaszHorsemen]

Dames... Say hello to my little friend!

 

 

::Destroyes the room with granade launcher::

[The Dames 0]

WHO DO JOO THINK JOO ARE, MENG!

 

*Shotgun blast to the back*

 

Dames

[Guest IDrinkRatsMilk]

Forgive me interuptiing this orgy of blood to answer the question, but my favorite is Superman II.

 

Zod is the coolest guy ever.

[Guest TheZsaszHorsemen]

::Rips off shirt to reveal Batman costume and body armor. Holds Dames over a balcony::

 

D: Who do you think you are?

 

Z: I'm Batman

 

::Drops him back on the floor and jumps off the roof. Dames looks over the side... but there's no one there!"

[Guest NoCalMike]

Did you guys hear that when Superman 2 was being filmed they changed directors after almost half the movie was filmed and they started all over again. So Half of an ALTERNATE "superman 2" is floating around there somewhere, but they couldn't get the rights for the DVD. So here is hoping they make it happen in the future.

[Guest NaturalBornThriller4:20]

"Ah, Dames. You shot my Stunt Double in the Head"

 

::Chases Dames down 161 St with THE ALMIGHTY CHAINSAW~!::

[The Dames 0]

Did you guys hear that when Superman 2 was being filmed they changed directors after almost half the movie was filmed and they started all over again. So Half of an ALTERNATE "superman 2" is floating around there somewhere, but they couldn't get the rights for the DVD. So here is hoping they make it happen in the future.

EQ bitches about that to me ALL THE TIME when discussing Superman 2. Zod does indeed rule though.

 

Dames

[The Dames 0]

Zsasz, you're the George Clooney Batman.

 

NBT...there's no chain on your chainsaw.

 

*Dames pulls out glock and shoots him in the sack*

 

Dames

[Guest EQ]

Dammit! I want Richard Donnor's SUPERMAN II!

[Guest Lethargic]

I rewatched the Superman movies when they were released on DVD. I couldn't believe how friggin stupid part 2 was. Firstly, every single time I heard "KNEEL BEFORE ZOD!!!!" or something like it I just immediately burst into laughter it was so damn retarded. Then of course it had the old SUperman gives up his powers to be with Lois. It says right there in the movie that if he gives up his powers he can NEVER get them back but he gives them up anyway. He goes through ONE scene of not having powers and then suddenly he gets them back with no explanation. Say what you will about the reversing time trick in the first one, but it was nowhere near as stupid as this. The first one was far and away the best solely because of the fact that I never once thought "what the hell are they doing?" like I did during parts of the next three.

[Guest IDrinkRatsMilk]

How dare you mock "KNEEL BEFORE ZOD!"? OMG WTF?!?

[Guest NaturalBornThriller4:20]

::Ties Dames to a Chair, forces him to watch sImone over and over::

[Guest red_file]

It says right there in the movie that if he gives up his powers he can NEVER get them back but he gives them up anyway. He goes through ONE scene of not having powers and then suddenly he gets them back with no explanation. Say what you will about the reversing time trick in the first one, but it was nowhere near as stupid as this.

A matter of opinion, I suppose. I found the time reversal far more grating than the giveth-taketh of the powers.

 

The time reversal seemed to exist only so that they could kill Lois to make Supes cry, but not really have to go through with it (the old, "we blew up the Enterprise, but not really" schtick). It appeared to have no real link to the rest of the movie plotwise or thematically. And every time I see the scene I keep wondering why reversing the spin of the earth didn't cause everything to fly off into space, but that's just me.

 

I always figured the NEVER business was more a fatherly threat or something, which seems to factor well into the theme of a person can't change who they are; Supes ultimately can't, Luthor can't, the Kryptonians can't. Plotwise it worked as well, as the only way Supes could've bested the three of them was if they were less than he was. But I suppose it was cheating on the part of the filmmakers. It certainly could've been handled better, but it never bothered me much.

 

Was any info leaked as to how Donner's version would've been different?

[Guest DrTom]

It says right there in the movie that if he gives up his powers he can NEVER get them back but he gives them up anyway. He goes through ONE scene of not having powers and then suddenly he gets them back with no explanation.

Absolutely, 120% agreed. That was hellaciously lame, and doomed the second movie to be inferior to the first, IMO.

 

The first movie wonderfully captures the essence, character, and story of Superman. The spin-the-earth-backward thing at the end, while silly, was understandable: Lois had died, and Superman was PISSED, not only at Luthor for doing it, but at himself for not being able to prevent it. Also, keep in mind that Superman's powers in the comics were virtually limitless around this time (1978; he wasn't reigned in until John Byrne came along in 1986), so it makes sense in the context of what the character can do.

 

Superman II betrayed its main character, and that's the main problem with it. Big Blue is the ultimate boy scout, and wouldn't shirk what he perceives as his duty to frolic with Lois. He certainly wouldn't give up his powers to live with her as mortal man. (It irritates me when people "lose their powes" in general, since they're NOT really powers, but innate abilities. Anyway.) Then, after he gets his powers back despite being explicitly told he can't, he manages to trick the Kryptonian villains by relying on Luthor's reputation as a "poisonous snake." It was very intelligent, showing Supes isn't just about thud and blunder, but it lost its luster considering the process was supposed to be unreversible to begin with. Then the bar fight at the end betrayed the Superman character even more. He's not petty like that. Getting revenge in such a childish fashion (and showing off his abilities at the same time, mind you) is a human trait. ZOD~! was cool and all, but the movie sold its hero's integrity down the river, and that's what dooms it in my eyes.

 

Superman III isn't great, but if you take away the silly elements of the movie, it's really not so bad. The fight between Clark and Evil Superman is probably the highlight of the movie. The special effects, which worsened from I to II, were worse still here. Richard Pryor added nothing to the movie.

 

Superman IV is definitely the worst of the lot. Is it just me, or did his cotume look to be a different shade in this one? Either way, the SFX continued their slide, and the plot was just laughably bad. Reeve agreed to do one more movie if it had a "message," but it was terribly heavy-handed throughout. I'm pretty sure the production company was different for this one, too. What annoys me the most is that Superman, who's far from an idiot, never realized he could defeat his farcical opponent by simply covering him in a big blanket.

 

I don't expect the franchise to do much of a recovery with the upcoming movie. All the scripts I've seen look TERRIBLE, and are in need of revision by someone who loves comics and understands the character of Superman. They had their chance with Kevin Smith, but Jon Peters and Tim Burton pushed him out the door. And Josh Hartnett as Superman indeed.

[Guest C.H.U.D.]

Stupid, schmupid. Superman II owns the original. Zod is one of the best villains ever.