Man of Tomorrow, Movie of Yesterday

Superman II - The Richard Donner Cut (2006)

In 1978 audiences were shown a side of Superman they’d never seen before, a Superman who made us believe that a man could fly. In 1981 Warner Brothers tried to make magic strike twice, but what they showed us was not the original vision of the man of steel.

In an unprecedented move, Warner Brothers hired Richard Donner to film two movies at the same time. A move we would not see again until 2002 when Peter Jackson released The Fellowship of the Ring,which was filmed at the same time as the movies two sequels. When their strategy became expensive and costly, Warner Brothers cut and ran. Filming was cut short to make sure that Superman - The Movie could be released on time, Donner’s film footage was put aside and when ticket sales showed success, a new director was hired for the eventual sequel.

Richard Donner had shot enough footage for a second film already; Warner Brothers spent more money shooting a new script under the helm of Richard Lester. Superman II was released to strong ticket sales which made up for the extra money they spent filming new scenes, but the film left many fans (including this critic) screaming “Magic Kiss my Ass!”

If Fireflyhas taught us anything, it’s that fans making a noise on the internet can change the world of film and DVD sales. When Warner Brothers saw the success of Serenitythey started to listen to the fans of Kal-El on the internet, fans who spoke of a secret hidden version of Superman II, a version that Warner Brothers had shelved years previously. Warner Brothers gambled that a restoration of this film stock and a release of a DVD version of the film would not cut into their giant profit margin, and graced fans with a new film version of the son of Jor-El.

Donner’s film showed an extremely different version of our main characters. He gave us a Superman more Kansas then Krypton, and a Lane more obsessed with discovering Superman’s identity then with the consequences of her actions. Donner’s villains were given more screen time, and his supporting characters were shown as something more than a caricature. Most importantly, Donner’s edit of the film holds its own alongside more modern films such as Batman Beginsor Hellboy. Strong characters with a realistic depth of emotion not governed by clichés and cartoonlike behavior were nonexistent in the theatrical release of Superman II. Staying in line with the belief that comic book movies should pander to 8 year olds with attention deficit disorder.

This movie is proof that comic books can be made into strong movies showing adult themes and adult level relationships. If Warner Brothers had released this movie in 1981, would we have been subjected to cinematic garbage such as Catwoman, Steel, or LXG?