Superman II (Movie)

{{DC Database:Movie Template
 * Image                  = Superman II.JPG
 * Aliases                =
 * Universe               = Donnerverse


 * Directors              = Richard Lester; Richard Donner (uncredited)
 * Producers              =
 * Writers                = Mario Puzo, David Newman and Leslie Newman
 * Musicians              = Ken Thorn
 * Cinematographers       =
 * Editors                =
 * Distributors           = Warner Bros.
 * Running Time           =
 * Rating                 =
 * Budget                 =
 * Release Date           = June 19th, 1981


 * Previous Movie         = Superman
 * Next Movie             = Superman III

Featured Characters: Supporting Characters: Villains: Other Characters: Locations:
 * Appearances            =
 * Superman
 * Jimmy Olson
 * Jor-El (Richard Donner Cut)
 * Lara El (Original Theatrical Version)
 * Lois Lane
 * Perry White
 * Eva Tessmacher
 * General Zod
 * Lex Luthor
 * Non
 * Otis
 * Ursa
 * President of the United States
 * Rocky
 * Earth's Moon
 * Metropolis
 * Great Wall of China

Items: Vehicles:

Superman II was released as two somewhat different movies with similar actions going on in their storylines. The original theatrical version released in 1980 was "ghost-directed" by Richard Lester, with material originally filmed under the direction of Richard Donner. In 2006, a "Richard Donner cut" version was released with material that he originally intended for the release of the movie, including some Richard Lester-filmed scenes for story cohesion.
 * Plot                   =

Basic Storyline
In both versions of the movie, Superman deals with the exposure of his secret identity to Lois Lane, his growing relationship with her in the light of this exposure, and the threat of the three Phantom Zone criminals who have been loosed from imprisonment by a nuclear explosion shattering its gateway. As they now have powers that equal Superman, General Zod along with Ursa and Non use them to terrorize the world and to force the President of the United States to surrender all governmental control to Zod. Meanwhile, Superman is temporarily stripped of all his powers and abilities and attempts to live the life of a normal mortal human being, only to realize what danger he put his adopted world into with the appearance of the Phantom Zone criminals. Lex Luthor escapes prison and becomes an ally to the rogue Kryptonians to help them find and destroy Superman. With Kal-El's powers restored, a massive battle takes place in Metropolis between him and the three criminals, who end up endangering the humans that Superman protects. He moves the fight into the Fortress of Solitude where he strips Zod, Ursa, and Non of all their powers and sends them plunging into the abyss. Luthor is again turned over to the authorities, and Superman and Lois Lane are left figuring out how they are going to handle this revelation and the relationship they have together.

Original Theatrical Version
A year or so after the events of Superman: The Movie, Lois Lane goes on assignment to cover the story of a terrorist threat in Paris to detonate a nuclear bomb on top of the Eiffel Tower. Being the kind of reporter that she is, Lois hides herself underneath the elevator car as it rides up to the top of the tower to overhear what the terrorists are planning to do when an incident causes both the car to plummet and the bomb to start ticking away. Superman comes to the rescue at the nick of time, saving Lois and then flying the elevator car with the bomb deep into outer space where it detonates safely. However, the shock waves of the explosion causes the gateway to the Phantom Zone to shatter as it passes toward that direction, freeing the three criminals Jor-El had imprisoned in it.

Richard Donner Cut
From a scene in the last part of Superman: The Movie, Superman is chasing after the nuclear missile that has been programmed to head toward the East Coast, catching up to just in time to push it into outer space where it will detonate harmlessly. As it does, the shock waves of the explosion causes the gateway to the Phantom Zone to shatter as it passes toward that direction, freeing the three criminals Jor-El had imprisoned in it.
 * Cast                   =
 * Christopher Reeve as Superman
 * Margot Kidder as Lois Lane
 * Gene Hackman as Lex Luthor
 * Terrence Stamp as General Zod
 * Sarah Douglas as Ursa
 * Jack O'Halloran as Non
 * Marlon Brando as Jor-El
 * Jackie Cooper as Perry White
 * Marc McLure as Jimmy Olsen
 * Valerie Perrine as Eve Teschmacher
 * Ned Beatty as Otis
 * E.G. Marshall as the President of the United States
 * Pepper Martin as a Rocky
 * Clifton James as the Sheriff
 * Peter Whitman as Deputy Dwayne
 * Notes                  =
 * Trivia                 =
 * Richard Donner makes a cameo appearance as a man walking past a diner.


 * Actor John Ratzenberger has a small role as a NASA controller in the beginning of the film. Ratzenberger is more popularly known for playing the role of Cliff Clavin on the television series Cheers.


 * The original DVD cover art, as well as several shots from the film itself show the World Trade Center towers and the Empire State Building, indicating that the Metropolis of the movies is analogous to New York City.

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 * Links                  =
 * Superman II entry at the Internet Movie Database (IMDB)