Superman II

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2:22

Superman II

PG

1980

2h 7m

Adventure

Sci-Fi

Fantasy

Action

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

88%

Tomatometer

113 Reviews

76%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

Superman (Christopher Reeve) foils the plot of terrorists by hurtling their nuclear device into outer space, but the bomb's shock waves free the Kryptonian villain General Zod (Terence Stamp) and his henchmen Ursa (Sarah Douglas) and Non (Jack O'Halloran) from their imprisonment. Traveling to Earth, they threaten the planet with destruction at the same time that Superman decides to renounce his superpowers in order to live a normal life as Clark Kent with his new love, Lois Lane (Margot Kidder).

Critics Consensus

The humor occasionally stumbles into slapstick territory, and the special effects are dated, but Superman II meets, if not exceeds, the standard set by its predecessor.

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Jay Scott

Globe and Mail

Jul 1

...[Christopher Reeve's] performance, Gene Hackman's performance and the performance of the special effects team are the three pressing reasons to see Superman II.

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Ron Base

Toronto Star

Jun 29

But what gives Superman a depth and believability lacking in other movies adapted from the comics, Popeye and Flash Gordon immediately come to mind, is the attention to character.

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Meaghan Morris

Sydney Morning Herald

Jun 28

The special effects are spare but spectacular, and the delightfully showy tricks are spaced out by comic ventures into romance, tourism and human drama.

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Richard Freedman

Newark Star-Ledger

Jan 12

Against all the laws governing sequel, "Superman II" is a much better movie than the original.

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John Ferguson

Radio Times

Sep 19

4/5

The effects are equal to the first film and there's a strong supporting cast, including an irascible Gene Hackman and the excellent Terence Stamp in what, at the time, was something of a comeback role.

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Brad Cook

Flickering Myth

Jul 10

4/5

I still regard the theatrical version of Superman II as a worthy follow-up to the original, even if there are those lingering "What if?" questions swirling around it.

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Shea C

@SheaRants 19h

Pretty good but nowhere near as good as the original. the magic and overall vibe of the original is really lost here

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Bret M.

@BretM-3 Mar 20

In my opinion, this movie is better than the last movie. The dynamic between Superman and Lois is great, and I think Zod is a cooler villain than Lex. Definitely worth watching if you liked the first movie.

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Bob R

@BobRobb Mar 6

By far the best movie of the Reeves era. It's a shame his flicks didn't get better scripts. Reeves is great. And Terence Stamp and Susannah York are terrific villains.

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Kevin P

@RT55971421 Feb 16

A solid sequel that continues the general Zod plotline. Terrence Stamp is awesome as the villain General Zod. I love his calm stoic demeanor and his unhinged delivery of "KNEEL before Zod". Ursa and Non are also great as Zod's henchmen. The comedy bits drag the tone and pacing during the early scenes. It's cool watching Zod and his henchman learn how to use their new insane powers on Earth. There's a dumb dilemma where Superman's dead parent holograms pressure him to either be a bachelor or lose his powers if he gets a girlfriend. There's a lot of escalating tension as Zod takes over America and eventually the White House. Lex Luthor teaming bargaining with Zod at the White House was amusing. I love the exciting battle between Superman and Zod in the city and later at the Fortress of Solitude. It's ridiculous and downright icky when Superman suddenly can erase memories by kissing Lois Lane so she forgets his secret identity. However, it's still a great sequel!

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Spencer P.

@s_plewe Feb 12

Superman: The Movie was the setup, and Superman II was the payoff, with satisfying directions for the main love story and a fresh-for-its-time showdown between a superhero and supervillains, but badly-dated optical effects, overreliance on physical humor, and a supporting cast that still can't pull their weight (especially missing Marlon Brando in the theatrical version), this sequel just tells me I may not have needed to see it.

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Daniel C.

@Daniel_OCaisde Jan 31

Top notch. My favorite Superman movie.

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Richard Lester

Director

Christopher Reeve

Clark Kent

Margot Kidder

Lois Lane

Gene Hackman

Lex Luthor

Ned Beatty

Otis

Jackie Cooper

Perry White

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Superman II: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

Superman (Christopher Reeve) foils the plot of terrorists by hurtling their nuclear device into outer space, but the bomb's shock waves free the Kryptonian villain General Zod (Terence Stamp) and his henchmen Ursa (Sarah Douglas) and Non (Jack O'Halloran) from their imprisonment. Traveling to Earth, they threaten the planet with destruction at the same time that Superman decides to renounce his superpowers in order to live a normal life as Clark Kent with his new love, Lois Lane (Margot Kidder).

Director: Richard Lester
Producer: Pierre Spengler
Screenwriter: Mario Puzo, David Newman, Leslie Newman
Distributor: Warner Bros.
Production Co: Warner Brothers
Rating: PG
Genre: Adventure, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Action
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 19, 1980, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 15, 2008
Runtime: 2h 7m
Sound Mix: Surround

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