| Photos (see all 42 | slideshow) | Videos (see all 9) |
| Gene Hackman | ... | Lex Luthor | |
| Christopher Reeve | ... | Superman / Clark Kent | |
| Ned Beatty | ... | Otis | |
| Jackie Cooper | ... | Perry White | |
| Sarah Douglas | ... | Ursa | |
| Margot Kidder | ... | Lois Lane | |
| Jack O'Halloran | ... | Non | |
| Valerie Perrine | ... | Eve Teschmacher | |
| Susannah York | ... | Lara | |
| Clifton James | ... | Sheriff | |
| E.G. Marshall | ... | The President | |
| Marc McClure | ... | Jimmy Olsen | |
| Terence Stamp | ... | General Zod | |
| Leueen Willoughby | ... | Leueen | |
| Robin Pappas | ... | Alice | |
| Roger Kemp | ... | Spokesman | |
| Roger Brierley | ... | Terrorist #1 | |
| Anthony Milner | ... | Terrorist #2 | |
| Richard Griffiths | ... | Terrorist #3 | |
| Melissa Wiltsie | ... | Nun | |
| Alain Dehay | ... | Gendarme | |
| Marc Boyle | ... | C.R.S. Man | |
| Alan Stuart | ... | Cab Driver | |
| John Ratzenberger | ... | Controller #1 | |
| Shane Rimmer | ... | Controller #2 | |
| John Morton | ... | Nate | |
| Jim Dowdall | ... | Boris (as Jim Dowdell) | |
| Angus MacInnes | ... | Prison Warden (as Angus McInnes) | |
| Antony Sher | ... | Bell Boy | |
| Elva Mai Hoover | ... | Mother (as Elva May Hoover) | |
| Hadley Kay | ... | Jason | |
| Todd Woodcroft | ... | Father | |
| John Hollis | ... | Krypton Elder | |
| Gordon Rollings | ... | Fisherman | |
| Peter Whitman | ... | Deputy Dwayne | |
| Bill Bailey | ... | J.J. | |
| Dinny Powell | ... | Boog | |
| Hal Galili | ... | Man in Diner | |
| Marcus D'Amico | ... | Willie | |
| Jack Cooper | ... | Dino (as Jackie Cooper) | |
| Richard LeParmentier | ... | Reporter (as Richard Parmentier) | |
| Don Fellows | ... | General | |
| Michael Shannon | ... | President's Aide (as Michael J. Shannon) | |
| Tony Sibbald | ... | Presidential Imposter | |
| Tommy Duggan | ... | Diner Owner | |
| Pamela Mandell | ... | Waitress | |
| Pepper Martin | ... | Rocky | |
| Eugene Lipinski | ... | Newsvendor | |
| Cleon Spencer | ... | Kid #1 | |
| Carl Parris | ... | Kid #2 | |
| rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
| Jean-Pierre Cassel | ... | French Officer at the White House (uncredited) | |
| Norman Chancer | ... | White House Aide (uncredited) | |
| Richard Donner | ... | Man Walking by Diner (uncredited) | |
| Jeff East | ... | Teenage Clark Kent in opening montage (archive footage) (uncredited) | |
| Harry Fielder | ... | Cop (uncredited) | |
| Glenn Ford | ... | Jonathan Kent in opening montage (archive footage) (uncredited) | |
| Derek Lyons | ... | American Soldier (uncredited) | |
| Beth Porter | ... | Football Fan (uncredited) | |
| Joe Praml | ... | Man with Dark Glasses in Alaskan Bar (uncredited) | |
| Eric Stine | ... | Secret Service Agent (uncredited) | |
| Burnell Tucker | ... | White House Aide (uncredited) | |
| Joe Walsh | ... | Sailor Baby (uncredited) | |
| Terry Walsh | ... | KFC Man (uncredited) | |
Directed by | |||
| Richard Lester | |||
| Richard Donner | (uncredited) | ||
Writing credits | ||
| Jerry Siegel | (characters) & | |
| Joe Shuster | (characters) | |
| Mario Puzo | (story) | |
| Mario Puzo | (screenplay) & | |
| David Newman | (screenplay) & | |
| Leslie Newman | (screenplay) | |
| Tom Mankiewicz | uncredited | |
Produced by | |||
| Ilya Salkind | .... | executive producer | |
| Pierre Spengler | .... | producer | |
Original Music by | |||
| Ken Thorne | |||
Cinematography by | |||
| Robert Paynter | (as Bob Paynter) | ||
| Geoffrey Unsworth | |||
Film Editing by | |||
| John Victor-Smith | |||
Casting by | |||
| Lynn Stalmaster | |||
Production Design by | |||
| John Barry | |||
| Peter Murton | |||
Art Direction by | |||
| Terry Ackland-Snow | |||
| Ernest Archer | |||
| Charles Bishop | |||
| Maurice Fowler | (supervising art director) | ||
| Norman Reynolds | |||
Set Decoration by | |||
| Peter Howitt | |||
| Peter Young | |||
Costume Design by | |||
| Yvonne Blake | |||
| Sue Yelland | (as Susan Yelland) | ||
Makeup Department | |||
| Stuart Freeborn | .... | makeup artist | |
| Patricia McDermott | .... | hair stylist (as Pat McDermott) | |
| Bobbie Smith | .... | hair stylist | |
| Joan White | .... | hair stylist | |
| Nick Dudman | .... | makeup trainee (uncredited) | |
| Graham Freeborn | .... | makeup artist (uncredited) | |
| Kay Freeborn | .... | makeup artist (uncredited) | |
| Nick Maley | .... | makeup artist (uncredited) | |
| Basil Newall | .... | makeup artist (uncredited) | |
Production Management | |||
| Cecil F. Ford | .... | production supervisor: Niagara (as Cecil Ford) | |
| Tim Hampton | .... | production supervisor: Paris | |
| Allan James | .... | unit manager | |
| Vincent Winter | .... | production manager | |
Art Department | |||
| Terry Apsey | .... | construction manager | |
| Larry Cleary | .... | construction manager | |
| Peter Dunlop | .... | buyer | |
| John Lanzer | .... | buyer | |
| Jim Morahan | .... | assistant art director | |
| Paul Laugier | .... | draftsman (uncredited) | |
| Bob Sherwood | .... | dressing prop (uncredited) | |
Sound Department | |||
| Roy Charman | .... | sound mixer | |
| Mike Hopkins | .... | dubbing editor | |
| Gerry Humphreys | .... | sound re-recording mixer | |
| Archie Ludski | .... | dubbing editor | |
| Don Sharpe | .... | dubbing editor | |
| Paul Smith | .... | dubbing editor | |
| Sarah Vickers | .... | dubbing editor | |
| Jonathan Andrews | .... | front projection unit boom operator (uncredited) | |
| Peter Desbois | .... | audio playback operator (uncredited) | |
Special Effects by | |||
| Colin Chilvers | .... | special effects supervisor | |
| Robert Harman | .... | flying effects (as Bob Harman) | |
| Zoran Perisic | .... | special effects director: flying unit | |
| Jimmy Benson | .... | special effects (uncredited) | |
| Chris Corbould | .... | special effects technician (uncredited) | |
| Neil Corbould | .... | special effects technician (uncredited) | |
| John Evans | .... | special effects (uncredited) | |
| Garth Inns | .... | special effects (uncredited) | |
| Tad Krzanowski | .... | model effects (uncredited) | |
| Brian Warner | .... | special effects (uncredited) | |
Visual Effects by | |||
| Ivor Beddoes | .... | matte artist and illustrator | |
| Richard Dimbleby | .... | optical printer (as Dick Dimbleby) | |
| Dave Docwra | .... | optical printer (as David Docwra) | |
| Doug Ferris | .... | matte artist | |
| Roy Field | .... | visual effects supervisor | |
| Peter Hammond | .... | matte camera operator | |
| Peter Harman | .... | matte camera operator | |
| Derek Meddings | .... | miniature effects supervisor | |
| Cervin Robinson | .... | process stills: New York | |
| David Speed | .... | zoptic operator | |
| Peter Watson | .... | optical and special effects editor | |
| Paul Wilson | .... | visual effects photographer | |
| Janice Body | .... | visual effects technician (uncredited) | |
| Martin Body | .... | rostrum cameraman (uncredited) | |
| Stuart Freeborn | .... | special visuals (uncredited) | |
| Paul Hamill | .... | post production assistant (uncredited) | |
| Keith Holland | .... | camera operator (uncredited) | |
| John Inglis | .... | visual effects supervisor (uncredited) | |
Stunts | |||
| Vic Armstrong | .... | stunt coordinator | |
| Alf Joint | .... | stunt coordinator | |
| Jacob Rupp | .... | stunts | |
| Paul Weston | .... | stunt coordinator | |
| Bob Anderson | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Vic Armstrong | .... | stunt double: Christopher Reeve (uncredited) | |
| Vic Armstrong | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| David Brandon | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Cyd Child | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Tim Condren | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| George Lane Cooper | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Jack Cooper | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Sue Crosland | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Graeme Crowther | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Clive Curtis | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Billy Dean | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Peter Diamond | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Joe Dunne | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Stuart Fell | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Tex Fuller | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Tom Hegarty | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Billy Horrigan | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Arthur Howell | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Alf Joint | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Wendy Leech | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Mark McBride | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Peter Munt | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Valentino Musetti | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Terence Plummer | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Greg Powell | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Terry Richards | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Doug Robinson | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Colin Skeaping | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Stuart St. Paul | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Johan Thorén | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Chris Webb | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Paul Weston | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Terry Yorke | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
Casting Department | |||
| Debbie McWilliams | .... | casting: England | |
Costume and Wardrobe Department | |||
| Betty Adamson | .... | wardrobe supervisor | |
Editorial Department | |||
| Nick Gomez | .... | assistant editor (as Nicolas Gomez) | |
| Peter Holt | .... | assistant editor | |
| Bob Mullen | .... | assistant editor | |
| Colin Wilson | .... | assistant editor | |
| Russ Woolnough | .... | assistant editor (as Russell Woolnough) | |
Music Department | |||
| Robert Hathaway | .... | music editor (as Bob Hathaway) | |
| John Richards | .... | music mixer | |
| John Richards | .... | music recordist | |
| Ken Thorne | .... | conductor | |
Other crew | |||
| Frans J. Afman | .... | financial consultant (as Franz Afman) | |
| Trudie Balen | .... | secretary to producer (as Trudy Balen) | |
| Joy Bayley | .... | production assistant | |
| Chris Coles | .... | coordinator: New York (as Christopher Coles) | |
| Pamela Davies | .... | continuity (as Pamela Davis) | |
| Quinn Donoghue | .... | promotional consultant | |
| Sue Hausner | .... | secretary to the executive producer | |
| Geoffrey Helman | .... | production executive | |
| Graham Henderson | .... | accountant | |
| Bobbie Johnson | .... | assistant accountant | |
| Katya Kolpaktchy | .... | assistant continuity | |
| Harry Lange | .... | consultant: astronautics | |
| Tom Mankiewicz | .... | creative consultant | |
| Doris Martin | .... | continuity | |
| Maria Monreal | .... | executive assistant to producers | |
| Douglas Noakes | .... | production accountant | |
| Pat O'Reilly | .... | promotional assistant (as Patricia O'Reilly) | |
| Mahesh Rajguru | .... | accountant | |
| Armand Rubin | .... | sales consultant | |
| Christine Samways | .... | assistant accountant | |
| Elaine Schreyeck | .... | continuity | |
| Robert Simmonds | .... | production executive | |
| Michele Tandy | .... | assistant accountant | |
| Betty Williams | .... | accounts secretary | |
| Allan James | .... | location manager (uncredited) | |
| Sarah Lucraft | .... | junior assistant accountant (uncredited) | |
| Craig Miller | .... | marketing consultant (uncredited) | |
| Paul Tivers | .... | production assistant (uncredited) | |
| Marc Wolff | .... | helicopter pilot (uncredited) | |
Thanks | |||
| Howard R. Schuster | .... | special thanks | |
|
|
|
|
|
| Superman | Superman Returns | Supergirl | Watchmen | Superman III |
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
| Full cast and crew | Company credits | External reviews |
| News articles | IMDb Adventure section | IMDb UK section |
| Add this title to MyMovies |
(I just couldn't wait for the director's cut, so anything I say here might soon be outdated.)
"Superman II," directed in 1980 by Richard Lester, is probably the best sequel of the first wave of superhero movies. "Superman II" is big, goofy fun, with a sense of action, romance, and humor that wouldn't quite be seen again in the genre until last year's "Fantastic Four." "Superman II" is one of the great sequels, despite its sloppy editing and a controversial back-story worthy of a movie of its own.
We know that "Superman" (1978) director, Richard Donner, was originally supposed to direct the sequel but was fired under highly suspicious and (to this day) unknown circumstances following a dispute with that film's producers, the Salkinds. Supposedly, it began with issues over creative direction. Compounding that, Donner had gone over the originally planned budget for "Superman," and the Salkinds had been rushing the poor man to complete the film. Conversely, Marlon Brando (Jor-El in "Superman"), didn't want to be in the second movie and filed suit over his percentage of that film's earnings. Simultaneously, Donner had also been shooting footage for "Superman II" and had completed somewhere around 75% of it between 1976-1978 before he was fired. But of course, the lore is well-known to those who pay attention to this film's history, and what I just described were probably the biggest reasons for Donner's removal.
Lester was brought in after Donner, scrapped most of Donner's footage, and replaced it with his own material that was filmed between '79-'80 (to the untrained eye, the different footage appears seamless but to those aware of "Superman II's" history, it'll be a lot like a shooting gallery for continuity errors). Only about 25% of the original scenes Donner filmed are in the movie we know today, with jarring transitions between scenes since nearly three years had passed between the two directors' filming of scenes. This all caused a near-mutinous insurrection on the set, and many of the actors (Gene Hackman, Christopher Reeve - R.I.P., Margot Kidder, and Terence Stamp) were quite vocal about this; Hackman refused to appear in any of Lester's new scenes and it's easy to tell when a body double is being used.
Original composer John Williams also walked away from the project following Donner's removal, and was replaced by Ken Thorne, who takes material from Williams's score and merely covers it with his own in much the same way Lester did with Donner. Lastly, cinematographer Robert Paynter gave a comic book look to the film that conflicted with the sparkling, epic cinematography of the late Geoffrey Unsworth. What we get, to paraphrase another viewer, is "sloppy seconds," but still an enjoyable and moving experience in its right. "Superman II" still made a box office killing in 1981, so it couldn't have been that bad (?). (Hopefully, this will all be cured by the new Richard Donner cut that's due out on Nov. 28 later this year, which should include more of Donner's original material, more Hackman footage, Marlon Brando, more violence and story dealing with the three Krypton villains' task on Earth, more scenes with Reeve and Kidder, completed special effects, a new opening and ending - ?, and Lester footage to fill in the gaps.)
In "Superman II," the Man of Steel, as Clark Kent (Reeve), is getting serious with Lois Lane (Kidder), and considers giving up being Superman. If he were to do this, however, he will become a normal human being, with no way to restore his powers, and no way to stand up to a diner's bullying customer. This romantic infatuation probably could not have come at a worse time because a nuclear explosion in outer space shatters the Phantom Zone, the eternal prison of three outcasts from Superman's home planet Krypton. The blast frees the traitorous head of Krypton's military forces, General Zod (Stamp), the man-hating Ursa (Sarah Douglas) and the brutish Non (Jack O'Halloran), who then make a bee-line for Earth in a bid for world domination. Once on Earth, they discover they have all of Superman's powers, and then some. Meanwhile, Lex Luthor (Hackman) manages to escape from prison (with help from Miss Teschmacher, played by Valerie Perrine), leaving a hapless Otis (Ned Beatty) behind, and sets out on a quest to the North Pole to find the Fortress of Solitude using a device he constructed while incarcerated.
What this all climaxes in, is an action-packed (if not somewhat slapstick) special effects bonanza that takes place in the skies over Metropolis, with Superman and the three Krypton villains going head to head. It's really exciting stuff to see Superman grappling with the new experience of fighting three adversaries of his power level.
Is "Superman II" a failure? Yes, because it betrays what was originally laid out by a great director and is probably one of the great, early examples of Hollywood "chopping & screwing." "Superman II" is still highly regarded as a cult classic, and director Sam Raimi makes a few nods with "Spider-Man 2" (2004). I can see that DC Comics is making a comeback; if original Superman co-creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster could see these films, I bet they'd be proud.
P.S.: R.I.P. - Marlon Brando
10/10