Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987)

The Man of Steel crusades for nuclear disarmament and meets Lex Luthor's latest creation, Nuclear Man.

Director:

Sidney J. Furie

Writers:

Christopher Reeve (story), Lawrence Konner (story),

Stars:

Christopher Reeve, Gene Hackman, Jackie Cooper

1 win & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Christopher Reeve	...	Superman / Clark Kent
Gene Hackman	...	Lex Luthor / Nuclear Man (voice)
Jackie Cooper	...	Perry White
Marc McClure	...	Jimmy Olsen
Jon Cryer	...	Lenny
Sam Wanamaker	...	David Warfield
Mark Pillow	...	Nuclear Man
Mariel Hemingway	...	Lacy Warfield
Margot Kidder	...	Lois Lane
Damian McLawhorn	...	Jeremy
William Hootkins	...	Harry Howler
Jim Broadbent	...	Jean Pierre Dubois
Stanley Lebor	...	General Romoff
Don Fellows	...	Levon Hornsby
Robert Beatty	...	U.S. President

Storyline

Superman does a lot in his newest adventure. Archvillain Lex Luthor, determined to make the world safe for nuclear arms merchants, creates a new being to challenge the Man of Steel: the radiation-charged Nuclear Man. The two super-powered foes clash in an explosive screen extranvaganza that sees Superman save the Statue of Liberty, repulse a volcanic eruption of Mount Etna, rebuild the demolished Great Wall of China and perform many more spetactular feats.

---

Plot Keywords:

sun | hair | explosive | museum | great wall of china | 

---

Taglines:

Nuclear Power. In the best hands, it is dangerous. In the hands of Lex Luthor, it is pure evil. This is Superman's greatest battle. And it is for all of us.

---

Genres:

Action | Adventure | Family | Fantasy | Sci-Fi

---

Certificate:

PG

Details

Official Sites:

WB Home Entertainment - DVD site

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English Russian French Italian

Release Date:

24 July 1987 (USA)

Also Known As:

Superman IV

Filming Locations:

Aldwych Underground Station, Aldwych, Holborn, London, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$17,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$15,681,020 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cannon Films, Warner Bros, Golan-Globus Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

134 min 90 min (theatrical) 134 min (original cut) 93 min (1987)

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The movie's original budget was $36 million. Just before filming was to begin, Cannon Pictures, which was experiencing financial problems, slashed the budget to $17 million. As a result, the filmmakers cut corners by doing things like reusing special effects.

---

Goofs

When taxicab that 'drives' toward Nuclear Man has its front end crunched, the cab's tires are a few inches off the ground, but they spin as if they are in contact with the pavement.

---

Quotes

[first lines]
Cosmonaut Captain: [in Russian] You can sing later comrade Sinatra.
Cosmonaut: [in Russian] Back at home they told me to sing in space.

---

Connections

Referenced in Justice League: Secret Origins (2001)

---

Soundtracks

"Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On"
Performed by Jerry Lee Lewis

User Reviews

The Last Nail in the Superman Coffin.

SUPERMAN IV: THE QUEST FOR PEACE pits the Man of Steel against Nuclear Man, Lex Luther's newest creation while ridding the world of nuclear weapons. This is easily the worst of the SUPERMAN movies, and it was doomed to fail right from the start. Cut from its original 134-minute version, it is full of plot holes resulting in a movie with some scenes that just don't make any sense, but even with the extra 45 minutes intact, the movie still wouldn't work because the special effects are cheap and ridiculous, and it shows. Unless you are a diehard fan of the Superman genre, this movie should be avoided.

1 out of 5