Hello, all!
It’s a little tough for me to say that SUPERMAN II is better than the original SUPERMAN. I recall quite fondly nights as a kid where I’d pop the ol’ soundtrack on the turntable and just jam to the fantastic score by John Williams, for example, to say nothing of the kind of feeling of marvel and awe I had when Clark’s super alter ego went
That’s probably one reason why every Seinfeld episode has some kind of reference to Krypton’s crown prince. Good as the original was, however, the sequel is superior. Cool as it was to see Kal-El become Superman in the first film, the arc is a good deal more interesting in the sequel, particularly with the unexpected twist of Superman becoming plain ol’ mortal Clark Kent. Of course, any reference to SUPERMAN II has to include this moment:
[In full disclosure, I wanted the part where the President says "Oh, God" and Zod "corrects" him by saying "Zod," but I couldn't find a *.gif of it... this scene works pretty well, though!]
As I’ve mentioned elsewhere in this “series” [he says, realizing how much like Jesse Simonton that might sound], movies of this sort are largely dependent upon the foil for the protagonist. Lex Luthor is a quality foe, of course, and Hackman plays the part superbly; however, it’s easier to raise the stakes for the hero if you’ve got not just one but three folks whose powers at least match his own. Again, the old screenwriting axiom of chasing your hero up a tree and then setting that tree on fire applies, and the writer of this installment definitely followed that advice. The result is a film where there’s a good deal more tension than the first film, where the deus ex machina moment in the film’s third act almost feels more like a cheat than a logical progression of events.
When I first watched this film, and the criminal Kryptonians effortlessly cut a swath of medieval destruction on some astronauts on the moon, I was hooked. Their encounter with elements of the US Army later on just sealed the deal for me… and it probably explains why the Henry Cavill-starring reboot borrowed so heavily from it. If you’re a fan of superhero movies, then this is the “O.G.” flick to watch. Sure, the effects are pretty dated, but since the story has a much greater human element to it, that really doesn’t make much of a difference. Personally, I’d rather watch a story with a good plot and characters that aren’t cardboard in complexity over some FX-laden action flick with boomsplosions aplenty… and I’m a sucker for those kinds of films.
Both of the first two films are good stuff, and [largely] kiddo-friendly, if that’s a concern… but they’re also solid for folks who enjoy a somewhat nostalgic cinematic trip in a movie world that’s been oversaturated with one Marvel spinoff after another. Again, I like the Marvel flicks, by and large, but these “old-school” films deserve a watch… especially the second one. Enjoy!
Other films recommended:
[Day 1 - THE DARK KNIGHT; Day 2 - DESPERADO; Day 3 - THE ROAD WARRIOR; Day 4 - X2: X-MEN UNITED; Day 5 - TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY; Day 6 - DAWN OF THE DEAD; Day 7 - DEADPOOL 2; Day 8 - HOT SHOTS! PART DEUX; Day 9 - STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN; Day 10 - THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS; Day 11 - CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER; Day 12 - ADDAMS FAMILY VALUES; Day 13 - PADDINGTON 2; Day 14 - RALPH BREAKS THE INTERNET; Day 15 - LETHAL WEAPON 2; Day 16 - FINAL DESTINATION 2; Day 17 - FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE; Day 18 - NATIONAL LAMPOON'S CHRISTMAS VACATION; Day 19 - THE RAID 2; Day 20 - THE BOURNE SUPREMACY; Day 21 - SPIDER-MAN 2; Day 22 - EVIL DEAD 2: DEAD BY DAWN; Day 23 - X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST; Day 24 - BLADE II; Day 25 - BILL & TED'S BOGUS JOURNEY; Day 26 - THE GODFATHER PART II; Day 27 - STAR WARS EPISODE V: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK; Day 28 - TOY STORY 2]
It’s a little tough for me to say that SUPERMAN II is better than the original SUPERMAN. I recall quite fondly nights as a kid where I’d pop the ol’ soundtrack on the turntable and just jam to the fantastic score by John Williams, for example, to say nothing of the kind of feeling of marvel and awe I had when Clark’s super alter ego went
That’s probably one reason why every Seinfeld episode has some kind of reference to Krypton’s crown prince. Good as the original was, however, the sequel is superior. Cool as it was to see Kal-El become Superman in the first film, the arc is a good deal more interesting in the sequel, particularly with the unexpected twist of Superman becoming plain ol’ mortal Clark Kent. Of course, any reference to SUPERMAN II has to include this moment:
[In full disclosure, I wanted the part where the President says "Oh, God" and Zod "corrects" him by saying "Zod," but I couldn't find a *.gif of it... this scene works pretty well, though!]
As I’ve mentioned elsewhere in this “series” [he says, realizing how much like Jesse Simonton that might sound], movies of this sort are largely dependent upon the foil for the protagonist. Lex Luthor is a quality foe, of course, and Hackman plays the part superbly; however, it’s easier to raise the stakes for the hero if you’ve got not just one but three folks whose powers at least match his own. Again, the old screenwriting axiom of chasing your hero up a tree and then setting that tree on fire applies, and the writer of this installment definitely followed that advice. The result is a film where there’s a good deal more tension than the first film, where the deus ex machina moment in the film’s third act almost feels more like a cheat than a logical progression of events.
When I first watched this film, and the criminal Kryptonians effortlessly cut a swath of medieval destruction on some astronauts on the moon, I was hooked. Their encounter with elements of the US Army later on just sealed the deal for me… and it probably explains why the Henry Cavill-starring reboot borrowed so heavily from it. If you’re a fan of superhero movies, then this is the “O.G.” flick to watch. Sure, the effects are pretty dated, but since the story has a much greater human element to it, that really doesn’t make much of a difference. Personally, I’d rather watch a story with a good plot and characters that aren’t cardboard in complexity over some FX-laden action flick with boomsplosions aplenty… and I’m a sucker for those kinds of films.
Both of the first two films are good stuff, and [largely] kiddo-friendly, if that’s a concern… but they’re also solid for folks who enjoy a somewhat nostalgic cinematic trip in a movie world that’s been oversaturated with one Marvel spinoff after another. Again, I like the Marvel flicks, by and large, but these “old-school” films deserve a watch… especially the second one. Enjoy!
Other films recommended:
[Day 1 - THE DARK KNIGHT; Day 2 - DESPERADO; Day 3 - THE ROAD WARRIOR; Day 4 - X2: X-MEN UNITED; Day 5 - TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY; Day 6 - DAWN OF THE DEAD; Day 7 - DEADPOOL 2; Day 8 - HOT SHOTS! PART DEUX; Day 9 - STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN; Day 10 - THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS; Day 11 - CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER; Day 12 - ADDAMS FAMILY VALUES; Day 13 - PADDINGTON 2; Day 14 - RALPH BREAKS THE INTERNET; Day 15 - LETHAL WEAPON 2; Day 16 - FINAL DESTINATION 2; Day 17 - FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE; Day 18 - NATIONAL LAMPOON'S CHRISTMAS VACATION; Day 19 - THE RAID 2; Day 20 - THE BOURNE SUPREMACY; Day 21 - SPIDER-MAN 2; Day 22 - EVIL DEAD 2: DEAD BY DAWN; Day 23 - X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST; Day 24 - BLADE II; Day 25 - BILL & TED'S BOGUS JOURNEY; Day 26 - THE GODFATHER PART II; Day 27 - STAR WARS EPISODE V: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK; Day 28 - TOY STORY 2]
