Superman III (1983)

Director:

Richard Lester

Writers:

David Newman (screenplay) and
Leslie Newman (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

17 June 1983 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

If the world's most powerful computer can control even Superman...no one on earth is safe.

Plot:

Synthetic kryptonite laced with tobacco tar splits Superman in two: good Clark Kent and bad Man of Steel.

Plot Keywords:

Kryptonite | Computer | High School Reunion | Smallville | Villain

Awards:

4 nominations

Cast

Christopher Reeve	...	Superman / Clark Kent
Richard Pryor	...	Gus Gorman
Jackie Cooper	...	Perry White
Marc McClure	...	Jimmy Olsen
Annette O'Toole	...	Lana Lang
Annie Ross	...	Vera
Pamela Stephenson	...	Lorelei
Robert Vaughn	...	Ross Webster
Margot Kidder	...	Lois Lane
Gavan O'Herlihy	...	Brad
Nancy Roberts	...	Unemployment Clerk
Graham Stark	...	Blind Man
Henry Woolf	...	Penguin Man
Gordon Rollings	...	Man in Cap
Peter Wear	...	Bank Robber

Also Known As:

Superman III (Canada: French title)
Superman vs. Superman (USA) (original script title)

Runtime:

125 min

Country:

UK | Canada | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby (35 mm prints) | 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints)

Certification:

Iceland:L | South Korea:All | Brazil:10 | Australia:PG | Canada:PG | Finland:K-12 | France:U | Norway:12 | Singapore:PG | Sweden:11 | UK:PG | USA:PG | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Company:

Cantharaus Productions N.V.

Trivia:

According to the producers' commentary on the Superman III: Deluxe Edition DVD, contrary to popular belief, this film was not a flop. While both critics and fans generally expressed disappointment with the third Superman movie, and the fact that its $60 million gross fell short of the previous two movies' $100 million+ box office business, Superman III still yielded an impressive profit; this in the wake of stiff competition during the summer of 1983, with Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983) opening three weeks earlier, and Octopussy (1983) opening just ten days earlier.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Superman "straightens" the leaning tower of Pisa and later puts it back to how it was. This is impossible since during the construction of the tower, the builders realized that it was leaning and changed the angle of construction for the remaining sections. Even if it were possible to straighten the tower, the end result would not be a vertically straight tower but a curved one.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Unemployment Clerk: Next. Name?
Gus Gorman: Gus Gorman.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Don't Let's Start (2009)

Soundtrack:

Love Theme

One of the better comicbook movies around

Cool things about Superman III:

1. Reeve gives his best Superman performance; no messing about, kick ass and take names heroics. I love it. 2. The junkyard fight scene, the best superhero movie fight sequence ever, outside the Matrix trilogy. 3. When Clark becomes Superman again after that fight scene; the way he stands up, realises who he is and then rips his shirt open to reveal the clean, fresh, heroic S symbol is awesome, and is one of the most stirring and effective Superman moments ever. 4. Best special effects of the series. 5. Richard Pryor IS funny, even though he is clearly in the wrong flick. 6. That nasty Zelda-from-Terrahawks cyborg monster that woman gets turned into at the end - SCARY! 7. Lana Lang is so much better than Lois Lane, you can actually see why Clark would go for her. 8. The way Superman outwits the computer at the climax rather than just using his power to defeat it.

Here's the ultimate cool thing: when most actors play evil versions of their characters, they just play them as 2D bad guys. But Reeve makes the evil Superman a convincingly bitter, currupted version of the Man of Steel, who realises how great he used to be and hates himself and everybody else for his fall from grace. He's a disgraced hero, a fallen angel. Ironically, he's the best villain of teh Superman series. The whole good/evil Superman thing is awesome and for me makes Superman III a very good film. I'll take Superman III over Spider-Man, Daredevil and Batman Forever.