Hey everyone!
I just got to see the Richard Donner cut of Superman II on Friday night and all I could think was thank heavens this was not the version released because it was rubbish.
Over the past few months the hype has been building up, and people have been singing its praises. But after having seen it, Richard Lester's version blows it out of the water. I was watching it with a group of friends and they were all disappointed.
Okay, so thats just my opinion, so lets get to the details of why.
1. Illogical
1a. Lois Shooting Clark with blanks and then he reveals his identity. Superman could see whether there was a bullet coming at him or not. When he saw there was not he should have just fainted.
1b. What was the point of Superman transforming into a human. He had already slept with Lois, so clearly it was safe to biologically 'love' her.
1c. The Rocky fight at the end. Given that Superman had went back in time. Superman basically beat up Rocky for something he didn't do.
2. Less Action/Excitement
2a. No Kryptonians versus the locals! That scene built up the menace nicely and got them noticed by the media in the first place. Here we just get them talking to the media with no reason for why a camera crew was there.
2b. No fight between Superman and the Kryptonians at the Fortress of Solitude. Okay, so Superman purists will roll their eyes at some of the powers and the plastic 'S', but it was a cool, interesting scene that was alot better than Superman just giving up (which he does in the Donner cut).
3. Less Fun
3a. The scene with the Sheriff and his Deputy encountering the Kryptonians for the first time was cut to ribbons.
3b. The 'bar room brawl' with the Kryptonians in the town was also cut.
4. Less Dramatic
4a. No "General Zod...would you care to step outside" line. Richard Donner cut the best line in the movie. The iconic Superman smack talk. Frankly I was sickened to the pit of my stomach that Donner cut this line.
4b. No replacing the flag on the Whitehouse. Now I am not an American, but even I felt the gravitas of that scene. Again cut by Donner.
5. Devils Advocate...was it all so bad...?
Okay, there were a few good scenes
added, but nothing removed (with the possible exception of the Brando scene) was removed for the better.
5a. The Lois falling out the window scene was a nice scene.
5b. The Lois shooting Clark scene had one good line (the one about the price of roses).
5c. I think there were some extra moments at the Whitehouse that were good (such as Zod using the M16).
5d. Lex taking the coffee from Jimmy. Jimmy being mistaken for Superman.
All of the above could have been added to the Lester cut. Its not the additions I am criticising, it is the replacements and scenes from the original that were deleted.
Overall.
To think that Richard Donner will get paid for this is the biggest insult since Bryan Singer cashed a cheque for $50 million dollars for Superman Returns.
Speaking of which, going by the Donner Cut, Superman and Lois never slept together!
The true unsung hero of all this is Richard Lester.
