By Scott Weinberg
Here's where things get a little convoluted. Google-search "richard donner superman 2" and you'll find 600 websites that can explain where the trouble started, but the bottom line is this: The Salkinds (father and son Alexander and Ilya, producers of the 1978 film) wanted Richard Donner out, despite the fact that he'd already shot about 75% of "Superman II." So in came Richard Lester, whom the producers knew from their "Three/Four Musketeers" movies.
Lots of Mr. Donner's material was scrapped, and Mr. Lester stepped in to film a bunch of new stuff, which goes a long way towards explaining why "Superman II," despite being rather entertaining, certainly does feel like a schizophrenic flick.
"Superman II" goes like this: Three really nasty villains, who avoided being killed on Krypton because they were floating around the universe in a shiny, one-dimensional prison called "The Phantom Zone," arrive on Earth and pretty much plan to run the joint. Normally, Superman would step up and beat the snot out of these unpleasant interlopers, but wouldn't you know it? Superman just gave up all of his super-powers in order to find "mortal love" with the lovely Lois Lane. (Meanwhile, Lex has escaped from prison, only to become a rather unimportant cog in the wheel of villainy.) Will Superman return to thwart the tag-team terror known as Zod, Non, and Ursa? Will Lois Lane remember that Clark and Superman are the exact same guy, minus glasses? And, most importantly, will the backstage dramas prevent future Supermovies from sucking eggs? Well, you've seen the movies by now; I'm sure, so you know where we're headed next...
(By the way, "Superman II," which was released on June 19th, 1981, was also a big hit, grossing over $108 million and ending as the third biggest hit of the year, behind only "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and..."On Golden Pond"?!)
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