World Superman II Not Worth it?

[myway]

This post is to suggest the idea Superman II, in either the Donner or Lester incarnation, is simply more trouble than it's worth as far as the Superman series goes. I don't know about everyone else, but I like to have a definitive story line in my head and so I'm suggesting that maybe either cut of SII should be excluded all together. I mean, both have redeeming qualities don't get me wrong, but maybe both are FUBAR and there's nothing gonna change that. To be more specific, we all love the idea that the prisoners sentenced by Jor-el come back for revenge. However, in the Lester cut we have slapstick comedy during the fight in Metropolis, no Brando, Gene Hackman stand in, ridiculous powers and most of all the hypno-kiss. Not only is hypno kiss a completely out of nowhere power, it screws with the story in SR. Now the Donner cut, while better in some of these areas no doubt it not problem-free either. First of all, I know a lot of people like it, but I don't like Lois jumping out the window to prove that Clark is Superman; I don't care how bad his disguise is, no one would be that sure of the themselve's that they would jump out of a window to prove it. Most of all however, the time-reversal. It's a combination of uninspired, considering they wound up using it in S:TM, as well as plot holes galore because in SR Lex knows where the Fortress is, Lois knows they had sex, etc. Not to mention, it worked so much better in S:TM because there it had dramatic effect, ie he did it to save Lois because he loved her and he only did it for a matter of minutes. Going back days/weeks in time just to make her forget seems like overkill to me, plus it leaves you feeling cheated; I can't help but feel that after 2 hrs of excitement, to have someone say "gotcha" is kind of a punch in the face.

So, after this whole rant, what I'm basically saying is, maybe the canon should just go S:TM and then SR. Lester's version is camp mixed with nonsense and Donner's is an unfinished masterpiece.

 

[Franklin Richards]

Where'd the kid come from?

 

[myway]

I'm satisifed saying that Jason's existence is evidence that they slept together at some point before Superman left to find Krypton.

 

[Jochimus]

Eh, Lois throwing herself out the window is no worse than when Byrne had her drive off a bridge to get Superman's attention in MOS. The character's always been somewhat less-than-rational given how often she has to be rescued from mortal peril, especially pre-Crisis when the film was made.

Either version of SII is worth it to me (though Donner's outweighs Lester's just for being more consistent with certain of the themes of the first movie) up until we go through whatever it is that's done at the end to erase Lois' memory of Superman's true identity. IMO they'd have done better to just leave their relationship with an uncertain future now that she would know.

 

[myway]

What can I say, in true fickle fan fashion, I'm back on the "I Love SII bandwagon." As always however, it's only the Donner Cut that I consider to be part of the canon. The way I see it (as I've posted before), the ending of the Donner Cut shows that Superman can't just turn back time any time he wants because it doesn't undo everything. The reactions of Lois and Mr. White, especially Lois, show that turning back time doesn't undo everything; not to mention, the bar scene and I would argue, SR.

 

[myway]

What can I say, in true fickle fan fashion, I'm back on the "I Love SII bandwagon." As always however, it's only the Donner Cut that I consider to be part of the canon. The way I see it (as I've posted before), the ending of the Donner Cut shows that Superman can't just turn back time any time he wants because it doesn't undo everything. The reactions of Lois and Mr. White, especially Lois, show that turning back time doesn't undo everything; not to mention, the bar scene and I would argue, SR.

 

[Catman]

myway, you're taking the Donner Cut too seriously. For starters, there is no such thing as a Donner Cut. Donner never finished his version. That DVD we got was basically just giving us an idea of what his version would have been like. And, NO, had Donner completed the movie there would NOT have been an Earth turned around ending. Donner wasn't going to use that twice. They just used it for the DVD cause the Lester hate is strong.

Well, anyway, with that being said...Lester's version is the ONLY one thats canon with the series.

As for Superman Returns that was a loose sequel. Not a direct one.

 

[batman strikes]

Yeah I thought when Bryan Singer was talking about Superman Returns and how it fit with the other two movies, he said that all the events in Superman: The Movie is still canon except for the turning back time sequence. But not everything in Superman II is canon like the amnesia kiss, but the Kryptonian villians still came to earth.

 

[Kevin Roegele]

And Lex has been to the Fortress of Solitude before, and knows all about the crystals and the Jor-El projection.

 

[matthooper]

So, after this whole rant, what I'm basically saying is, maybe the canon should just go S:TM and then SR. Lester's version is camp mixed with nonsense and Donner's is an unfinished masterpiece.

Actually the better canon should be S:TM, S:II (Regular Cut) and that's it. SR doesn't exist to me. It's so bland and boring it's virtually disapeared from existance.

I only prefer Lester's version because it's finished. Donner's is just a mess.

 

[myway]

I'm up in the air with regard to the ending, depends on when u ask me. The thing I don't like about amnesia kiss is that it goes down the road of inventing new powers for Superman in any situation possible, like a magician. At least time travel was established in STM and there's some scientific plausability to it (even if it's psuedo-science).

 

[mego joe]

More like SR- not worth it.

 

[mego joe]

I'm up in the air with regard to the ending, depends on when u ask me. The thing I don't like about amnesia kiss is that it goes down the road of inventing new powers for Superman in any situation possible, like a magician. At least time travel was established in STM and there's some scientific plausability to it (even if it's psuedo-science).

Actually, super-hypnotism has been around for a while.