SUPERMAN 2: THE RICHARD DONNER CUT is WAY better - Movie Reaction - FIRST TIME WATCHING
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- Опубликовано: 19 авг 2024
- Hello Everybody!
This version made me love Superman 2
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Starring:
Christopher Reeve, Gene Hackman, Marlon Brando, Ned Beatty, Jackie Cooper, Sarah Douglas, Margot Kidder, and Terence Stamp
Written by:
Mario Puzo, David Newman, and Leslie Newman
Directed by:
Richard Donner
And finally another look at Superman 2! The last time I watched this movie I had very mixed feelings about everything and actually enjoyed Superman 3 more. Will this version change my mind?? Find out for yourself!!!
Thanks for watching and have a great day! :)
How about Man Of Steel?
The reason Superman 2 ends with Superman turning back time "again" is because originally Richard Donner had planned a different ending for Superman: The Movie and always intended for Superman 2 to end with Superman turning back time. The studio decided to change Donner's original ending for Superman: The Movie and use the ending from Superman 2 instead. I think that was one of the creative differences that caused Donner to be replaced. Then the new guy had to come up with something new, so we got the stupid "Memory Erasing Kiss" scene.
According to Donner's audio commentary for the first movie, it was his idea to take the time reversal scene that was originally meant to be in the third act of _Superman II_ and put it in the first film instead. The reason being that the first film was originally supposed to end on a cliffhanger, with Zod, Non and Ursa being freed from the Phantom Zone, and Donner wasn't sure that ending was strong enough to satisfy audiences. So he decided to put the time reversal scene into the first film to maximise its chances of being successful at the box office, and figured that he'd come up with a new ending for _Superman II_ when he resumed work on that film.
Unfortunately, he never got that chance, because the producers decided to replace him. And, apparently, the main reason he was replaced is that the producers wanted to cut costs on the second film by not using any of the Marlon Brando footage that'd already been shot for it, while Donner insisted on that footage being in the sequel, since he saw the first two films as a continuous arc, of which the Kal-El/Jor-El relationship was a central through line.
Just FYI: Prior to the Donner Cut, there were only rumors that such a cut of the film actually existed. Even the studio kind of dismissed this idea. However, some anonymous individuals claimed to have viewed footage from it. After decades of requests, the studio finally agreed to release it. It's a shame that it isn't the TRUE full-budget version of what Donner had in mind for Superman: The Movie and Superman 2. However, it is still a victory for those who knew that Donner had been treated scornfully by the producers and studio. I'm glad that he was able to put this together before he passed away.
The scene in the hotel room is audition footage. Richard never had a chance to go back and shoot it again, so this is what he used, which works so well cause it is an important plot point. I really like this cut quite a bit. Listen to Richard’s commentary, it’ll break your heart the stories about the struggles he had making it in 1979 and re-editing very old footage in 2005-2006.
I prefer the theatrical version because of the opening sequence in Paris.
The Richard Donner cut is good, but the awkward edits take me out of it, but even if they weren’t awkward, I’d still prefer the original.
Richard Lester has directed several good movies like The Three Musketeers and Four Musketeers in the early seventies.
Lester also directed two of the Beatles’ films A hard days night and Help! You might enjoy the first, but I’d only recommend the second if you liked the first
When Lois asks him not to forget her, it parallels what his Earth mother asked in the first film when 18-year-old Clark first left Smallville to build the Fortress of Solitude. By the way, Clark, it's called the Fortress of SOLITUDE for a reason. No baes allowed.
Naturally, the effect of turning back the world is blunted by repeating it, but originally it was supposed to be the climax of the second film to begin with; the original film was supposed to end on a cliffhanger of the Kryptonian villains being freed from the Phantom Zone, and there then there would be a continued next year burn-in or something.
Unfortunately, those plans were scrapped when the production fell further and further behind, and there was no guarantee they would be able to come back and even finish Superman II, so the ending was tacked on to the end of Superman II so no one would feel burned if the second part wasn't completed, which is exactly what happened with Ralph Bakshi's 1978 animated version of the Lord of the Rings. There was supposed to be a second film that never happened.
The bit at the end where Superman beats up the bully never sat well with me in either version, even when I saw the original in the theater when I was a kid. My thinking has always been that it was done to appeal to the sensibilities of the general American audience in the late 1970s and early 1980s when nihilistic, violent, revenge-driven crime dramas like Death Wish and its sequels were popular. There's no way of course that Christopher Reeve's Superman would ever intentionally kill anyone, but they let him have a moment of petty humanity in order to satisfy the audience's assumed desire for comeuppance.
By the way, your extrapolations of what Superman would have had to do to avoid Zod escaping the Phantom Zone to begin with are fairly spot-on. In the old days of the Silver Age comics that inspired this movie, it would have been true to the general format of the storytelling that they would have gone into explicit and prolonged detail about that very kind of situation, with Clark/Superman providing constant exposition via his captions and thought balloons, and occasionally actual dialogue.
The pat on the head is to let the solider holding the weapon know it is loaded and ready, and that the back-blast area is clear.
The donner Cut was put together in 2006, but filmed in 1977 and 1978 when donner also filmed superman The Movie.
The way Donner originally planned the story, the turning back time was meant to be at the end of Superman II - not the first movie. But the producers insisted that it be at the end of the first movie, so they re-wrote it to fit it in.
Hi Roly. Actually...MOST of what you just saw was Richard Donner's original film shots. When the Salkinds replaced him with director Richard Lester, in order to give him screen credit as the director, they had to have him reshoot a majority of the shots to claim sole official director status.
The Metropolis battle is still Richard Lester's footage, because Donner hadn't shot any of that.
The scene where Lois "shoots" Clark...was the audition scene(which is why his glasses fit better). Personally, I think it's way better than the "Clark trips on a bearskin rug and his hand lands in the fireplace" scene in Lester's version. This version makes Lois out to be really clever in how she proves Clark is Superman.
That's how I feel too. This version has Lois using her investigative skills as a reporter to trick Clark into revealing that he's Superman rather than it being a convoluted accident. Which, IMHO, is way better. It makes her appear way more intelligent and resourceful than in the theatrical cut.
It also implies that Superman has no sense of touch or feeling, which is kind of dumb.
@@theradgegadgie6352 Are you talking about the fire or him not feeling that no bullet hit him?
@@AWSVids The bullet.
There is also a test footage of the scene with stockard channing as lois lane.
I LOVE YOU FOR DOING THIS CUT! I feel completely vindicated!!!! I'm going to watch the reaction now!!!! I didn't realize you had mixed feelings about the second one! I know I sure did! Ok, super psyched (no pun intended!).
The fight scene in the Fortress of Solitude didn't bother me and I'll explain why in a moment.
When Zod uses "The Force" that bothered me, almost as much as Supermans new rebuild the Wall of China power did in Superman IV.
Why the fight at the Fortress didn't bother me...Superman flew off there and got there first and was waiting for the 3 Kryptonians. The expanding cellophane "S" emblem, the hologram play...even as a kid when I first saw this I put together this was Kryptonian technology and wasn't Superman's regular powers, this was gadgets the Fortress provided and assistance from the Fortress' computer tech. Superman got there first and prepared for the fight...almost like using a Batman strategy.
Only I guess Zod and the others were able to hack into it too because he lived with Kryptonian tech all his life and understood it better?
Anyway, I wouldn't have minded if that part was left in. But otherwise I pretty much agree 100% with your analysis and assessment of this movie and the other films.
BTW, what I think Jor-El is in the Fortress is a very sophisticated A.I. that Jor--El programmed with all the data he could cram into the crystals, and also with hologram technology so it would look like Jor-El when interacting with Kal-El. Jor-El only pre recorded some of the most important things he wanted to say to his son but the rest of the time it is the A.I. accessing the data to answer Superman's questions and just speaking as the Jor-El hologram to relay it. Which is why Jor-El seemed so intuitive, he didn't have to record every single answer to questions Kal-El _might_ ask, the A.I. would answer them as a reasonable facsimile of an echo of Jor-El.
Best Regard!
The hotel room/shooting scene was test footage shot prior to filming. That is why the glasses are different and Reeve looks skinnier. I believe it was part of the main audition for Reeve and Kidder.
Just because a theatrical cut exists, doesn’t mean it’s the definitive version of the film, the one that is beloved and shines through the years.
I don’t know if you’ve watched the original
“Blade Runner” from (1982)
But if you watch it for the channel, for the love of God, do not watch the theatrical cut.
Watch the Final Cut!
That is the version of the film beloved by the fans and the vision as intended by the director.
You would do yourself a great disservice if you watched that theatrical cut first.
It is preferred by no one!
Go with
“Blade Runner” The Final Cut!!
Absolutely. The Final Cut is, far and above, the best version.
Calm down
@@christopherleodaniels7203 Word!
And the thing is, it’s not necessarily the theatrical cut that endears itself and makes the film a classic.
Blade Runner in point.
The theatrical cut was a massive flop.
It wasn’t until alternate cuts and the director’s cut began popping up that the film began being revered as a classic.
@@shawnpatrick1877 The original theatrical cut of Blade Runner was a massive bomb.
It bombed with audiences as well with critics. That is an objective fact.
The theatrical cut is the cut of the film that treats it audiences like simpletons with a horribly written voice-over that spells out and explains every single little thing. And it’s the theatrical cut that had the atrocious tacked on ending, again explaining every little thing with a they lived happily ever after ending. An ending that nobody liked.
It’s the alternative cuts and directors cut that would follow that leaves the ending with ambiguity.
You want to argue about that?
Watch any movie reaction to Blade Runner and see for yourself.
You seem more than a little confused my friend.
If you have bad tastes, to each his own. But don’t expect everyone else lap up garbage because you have an unsophisticated palette.
Thank you for your great reaction and review! It was interesting to see how you compared and contrasted the two different versions. Superman II still stands up today as a great superhero movie!
So glad you decided to come back to this one! This is how it was meant to be seen!
The original plan was to shoot SUPERMAN and SUPERMAN II simultaneously. Due to having to create all new technology to film them, they had to stop filming II when it was only 70% complete, and focus fully on the first movie. Due to going over schedule and over budget, the Salkinds, who were not filmmakers as much as they were scam artists, after SUPERMAN was completed and released and successfull, fired Donner and hired Lester for the sequel. Margot Kidder had become quite vocal against the Salkinds for the way they treated Donner after SUPERMAN II, and was therefore mostly written out of SUPERMAN III, which is why she only appears in the beginning and the end.
I loved your reactions to Superman 2: The Richard Donner Cut.
It makes me wonder if the same team behind the restoration of the Director's Cut of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, could work their magic on a restoration of the Richard Donner Cut of Superman 2?
I'm sure modern special effects and CGI could improve certain parts and make the audition scenes fit seamlessly into the movie.
FANTASTIC reaction!!! And hey: just so that we don't make the great Richard Lester a villain: he directed The Beatles groundbreaking films "A Hard Day's Night" and "Help", which are hilarious and brilliant (he basically invented the music video), and he directed the greatest version of "The Three Musketeers" (in sound) in 1973! But we do prefer the Donner cut of this film, definitely! 4:20 - You cracked me up on that one!!!! "Take that Superman 3 and 4!" lol! / I am HAPPY you are comparing it to the original! That's what I want you to do! /If you find yourself missing Reeve: he was in a really good mystery-comedy movie called "Deathtrap" with Michael Caine, as well as a romantic love story/fantasy called "Somewhere In Time". Those are the two non-Superman roles I think of for him.
Totally disagree with the title. The two best scenes that gave me chills was the "general would you care to step outside" one as well as the hand crushing scene. The music score was perfect in both. The Donner cut took that away.
As has been mentioned elsewhere in the comments, the Turning Back The World ending of II was rewritten to be the ending of the first film. When asked, Donner had said that he and Tom Mankiewicz would've come up with something else for the ending of II if they had been able to finish it...
The best Superman film only imo .
I never understood how nobody including his mother saw what the kid was doing at Niagara Falls and didn’t stop him.
In the TV version, the Kryptonians and Lex Luther get taken away by the police from the fortress of solitude.
The Richard Donner Cut was already completed BEFORE the theatre version was released. But according to movie regulations in America, the director has to film 60% of a film to get credit for the movie. Thus, most of the original footage is jettisoned. SUperman - The Movie and Superman II was actually ONE movie and then split into two movies. That was illegal. The cast and crew was paid for one movie. The Salkinds were sued for this once before with The Three and Four Muskateers. Since Brando was not paid for a "second" film, the Lester film did not have Brando.
I know a lot of people say the ending with the bar scene was out of character for Superman, but I disagree.
Aside from "petty revenge," I see it as Superman protecting the little guy. The man was fully willing to physically assault someone, (a sucker punch even), so he likely has done so in the past or will again in the future, so teaching the guy some humility does well.
Having seen this version again, I like it even less. Scenes like Lois shooting Kent, jumping out of a window and surviving, things like that. I thought the time reverse business was redundant (is he going to do this every time things don't go his way?) And yes, I miss the more humorous tone of the Theatrical version! The only good thing I enjoyed about the Donner Cut was Brando! If he already shot this many scenes how was his role "too expensive"? Or maybe he resigned in support of Donner and while I admire loyalty, in this case I thought it was misplaced with this version!
Oh well, I'm happy if you enjoyed it!
Because, he was only contracted for one film, even if the footage was shot for the first, any appearance in the second film counts as a separate role. So he was paid a lot for the first film and demanded the same heavy fee. He was able to do this because the SAG had won a case saying any pre-filmed role show in a second film counts as a separate credit. The Salkinds were notorious for trying to cheat actors with the film both films at once, and count it is a single credit. They did it for Three and Four Musketeers.
16:35
Its basic knowledge even non military know that means it's clear to pour press the trigger because it's loaded and ready and everyone is safely out the back fire way of the launcher it's taught in militaries
This is not the official version of the Richard Donner Cut. It has additional scenes from the movie version (more humor from Non) and that's why it's longer. It's also not exactly the Richard Donner Cut because they originally filmed the first and second movies simultaneously. Delays, increased budget, and conflicts between the producers and the studio (and the director) caused them to stop filming Superman II and focus on finishing Superman: The Movie, and they decided to use the ending originally intended for Superman II in the first one, believing that they would do a new ending when they returned to finish Superman II which had been billed in the closing credits of Superman: The Movie as "Coming next year". Unfortunately, due to the behind-the-scenes conflicts, the producers fired Richard Donner and hired another director who shot new scenes, replaced Marlon Brando (also in conflict with the producers) and left as little of the film Richard Donner shot as possible, so he cannot be credited as a director. The Richard Donner's version could never be finalized, and what Warner did was complete a very approximate version of what his version was going to be, using scenes filmed by him, screen tests of scenes not filmed, doubles, and some scenes from the movie version to fill in missing scenes. A new ending for Superman II could never be thought of, much less filmed, so Warner's only option was to repeat the turning back. Like you, I like this version more.
Please watch Multiplicity. It's my favorite comedy. Starring Micheal Keaton and it's the same director as groundhog day and Ghostbusters. Highly underrated. Love your channel
Seconded!
Yes, please watch Multiplicity. Michael Keaton plays multiple roles in it & it is laugh-out-loud hilarious!
🕵 I do believe the Jor-El and all the Kryptonian teachers at Fortress of Solitude were the most sophisticated A.I. versions of themselves, able to think, talk, and react organically to Superman like they were real.
Superman was actually one film and the ending was turning back time. The Salkinds who had a penchant for getting two films out of one and screwing actors and directors over money wise had to be upfront about it this time. So the plan was to split Superman in two, release part one in December and part two the following summer. The ending of Superman one was Superman sends a rocket into space, rocket collides with the phantom zone, releasing the insurrectionists, they fly towards the camera shouting “Free, free!” And they head to earth. So the first film would have ended on a cliffhanger. Like what was done with The Matrix two and three. Plans changed, Donner was going to come with a new ending for Superman 2, Donner got fired, Margot stuck up for Donner, so she got shafted in 3. Superman 2: Hackman refused to do reshoots for Lester, so he got replaced with a voice and body double, John Williams refused to work with Lester, the Salkinds didn’t want to pay Brando more money so he got replaced by the mother.
This must be some other edit of the Donner Cut because the one included in the home releases definitely doesn't include the scene where the boy gets killed by Non, though it should have.
There is a Superman 2: International Cut and that has ALLLLL the deleted scenes. The movie is about 2 hrs and 30 minutes long. @SprocketList
Dont you realized you were watching the extended version of the Donner Cut of Superman II due to extra scenes of Superman cooking the souffle and the little boy being killed by Non. The original Donner Cut was 116 minutes where the cut you're watching is 122 minutes long!?
Kinda funny when you said Zod had the Force. Terence Stamp played Chancellor Valorum in Episode 1
I think you missed some scenes again... The Richard Donner Cut has a bit of dialogue where the 3 kryptonians and Luthor are being taken away by authorities, and THEN they fly off and he destroys the fortress. Also i noticed at the beginning you didn't comment on how they were freed: the missile from the first movie that Superman throws into space is what breaks them out.
The reason for Lex wanting Australia is a joke/nod to the plot of the first movie, that's why he says about beachfront property
Also, also, the film is superior simply because it gives Zod more depth and allows him to express his disdain for his companions and boredom! Hilarious.
So i watched the Richard Donner cut myself the other day again and the scene in the small town where the kid rides away on a horse is not in my cut. In the Richard Donner cut I have Zod meets the sheriff on the road then the next scene in the town is where the news crew and the army arrive.
When the snake bites Ursa, she recoils and then rubs her hand (as if in pain), where the snake bit her, before she lasers it to death. BUT, the snake shouldn't have been able to hurt her at all. She's indestructible on Earth...
The scene where he beats up the guy at the end it's kind of funny because with him going back in time that guy doesn't remember beating up Clark Kent it never happened. So Superman just went into a diner at the end of this movie and beat up some guy
Sarah Douglas does not voice Ursa in this movie as she was dubbed over by the actress that played the robot lady in part 3.
Glad that you got the chance to view and contrast both versions for yourself. Somewhere between the footage for the theatrical cut and the Donner cut I feel is a happy medium all viewers can enjoy the most. And it is a bit surprising no fan edit of that exists yet to my knowledge.
If you ever decide to react to the ten season series "Smallville" (Highly recommended!!!), pay attention to Zod's actor here, he voices Jor-El on "Smallville" and doing a heck of job! (and yes, I'm aware he's also Chancelor Valorum in "Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace". The earth spinning back time was intended for this movie, not the first, but when Donner found out he's out, he used the best effect to end the first movie... The "back to the diner" scene is unnecessary here, but I was not the editor, so... Donner's "vision" for the two movies was to build a serious Superman. Lester had to reshoot good scenes and the actors were "blind" to the reason Lester took over. So the cast was not happy. Search a documentary about the "Donner Cut".
I prefer the Lester cut. Actually made more sense for so many reasons. Also Lois would never risk SHOOTING Clark to find out if he was Superman.
Actually in the comics back in the 50's she pulls out a tommy gun on Clark in the Daily Planet and opens fire, expecting if he was Superman he wouldn't duck. It is loaded with blanks, but Clark at superspeed pokes holes in the window behind him as he ducks to make her think it was loaded with real bullets and she nearly killed him.
So it's hard to explain, and I don't know to what extent, how much of Donner's original footage was used in the original theatrical release, but it was apparently quite a lot. Lester had to shoot over 50% of footage to get full credit. Any of the scenes shot with Gene Hackman was all done by Richard Donner. Gene Hackman refused to do reshoots with the new director after the Salkind producers fired Donner. The Donner cut did borrow some scenes that were originally shot be Lester. But I don't know the extent. Maybe not much. I can tell by most scenes which ones were definitely shot by Donner in the Lester cut, but I'm unable to name each one entirely. Granted, you'll know whatever you didn't see in the Donner cut that was in the Lester cut, was not shot by Donner. I believe Lester shot most of the Metropolis night battle. You'll notice in the Lester scenes, Reeve's hair looked different as Superman sometimes, because he wore a wig for the Lester reshoots.
Love the leaning Tower Of Pisa model! Haha
World's biggest island so it has loads of coastline. Island so Lex doesn't have to share a land border with their territories. Speaks English. It looks smaller than it is on a map, so he thinks they won't argue, and that they will throw in NZ for free. Australia is the obvious choice. Running a country against the wishes of its people is a huge hassle, especially if you are forcing them to use a new language just to please you. So I'd probably choose France.
I still like the theatrical version. It’s just the one I always grew up with and only in the last 15 years has it suddenly been retroactively shit on smh. The Richard Donner Cut, as much as I appreciate it being (rightfully) put together, its still just too haphazard for my tastes lol. Btw, the scene where they kill the boy on the horse was always included in the television version. I always remembered Ursa’s line about never becoming a man as being such a cold blooded thing to say hahaha.
I LOVE the Donner version, but I remember seeing the theatrical version in the theater when I was 7 years old. I was mesmerized! I also actually own the large Mount Rushmore President Lincoln head from the theatrical version, so it’s sorta sad to see it replaced with the Washington Monument. Great reaction!
This version is immediately and decisively better the second Brando is back.
Lex wants Australia for his love of costal properties. We are just one big island.
I disagree about the Bully at the end Superman never touched the bully the Bully breaks his own hand by punching Superman and then Clark just spins the chair and pushes him into the pinball machine also if Richard Donner had actually finished the movie he never would have done Turing back Time thing again nor he would done the kiss but for the Donner Cut all he had was deleted footage from Superman the Movie
This version is what I watched on HBO growing up, it drove me nuts to watch any movie really on basic network t.v. to many commercials, AND it cut down for time
You could watch the 1984 film, Supergirl.
Too bad that film was butchered beyond belief, i heard most of that movie was laying on the floor of the editing room.
Any plans to do alien and aliens, thanks
Didn't like it myself. The theatrical version is much better and was very successful anyway so there's really no need for another cut. My opinion.
I Prefer the Theatrical Cut just because 1 that's what came out in the theater and it has a more polished feel to it Now with that being said there are things in the Theatrical cut I like better and theres stuff I like in the Donner cut better I really hope they have a Ultimate Cut and Keep stuff from both versions the only question is what do keep from the Theatrical and What do take from Donner one thing from the Theatrical Cut I think you have to keep is the Kiss because turning back the Word Again makes no sense also I like stuff in Paris also in Donner keep all the stuff with Jor- El and there's more but give us the Ultimate Cut
I'm glad you watched this version! Thank you for doing it.
While I prefer, like you, this version over the theatrical cut, I do think the whole experience is incomplete. I would recommend trying to watch the fan edit called "Superman: The Wraith Epic Cut" of Superman 1 & 2. It cuts both films together into one long epic 4 1/2 hour experience. It is, in my opinion, the definitive story of superman 1 and 2. Only ONE time reversal ALL the way at the end of the story... all the goofy Theatrical stuff is removed (as it primarily uses footage from the Donner Cut for Superman 2)... and yet retains a few of the moments of the theatrical cut that elevate the work as a whole... like the scene where Lois and Clark discuss the emotional aftermath of everything at the daily planet towards the end (just minus the date rape roofy super kiss). He also adds some unused John Williams music cues to scenes weirdly devoid of music in the Donner Cut that make some of the film feel a bit hollow, emotionally. Oh, and he also cuts out the petty superman revenge scene at the end where he beats up the guy at the restaurant... which really sours the ending of the Donner Cut for me. There's a laundry list of really nice touches in it that I cannot list here otherwise this post will be way to long, but suffice it to say that is VERY enjoyable and everything this story SHOULD HAVE been. Once you watch it... the themes become clearer... the vision feels complete... and you won't want to experience it any other way.
So glad u did this version, and yes lester re shot alot and added slapstick, the reson supeman 2 feels like the first is they were shot mostly at the same time. Same story just different footage put them side by side u can spot the difference. Also superman(the 1st one) has new hi tech for the time effects for flight that had never been done before.
This version is WWWAAAYYY BETTER.
Somehow I missed this. I'm glad you saw the dick Donner cut. Remember, this is assuming super man 1 ends with a cliff hanger where rhe 1st nuke is thrown into space and the detonation shatters the phantom zone mirror prison. The time travel ending wasnt supposed to happen until the end of superman 2.
Excellent reaction/review!
Not sure which director shot the Niagara Falls scene.
You should also watch the special edition and 3 hour tv cut from Superman the movie.
Not sure if this is covered in the comments already, but the "turning back time" part of this version also meant Lex never went to the fortress - which is why he didn't answer when Kitty said "you act like you've been here before" in Superman Returns 🙂👍
Great video though, much prefer this version of the film
The Donner Cut is better, in my opinion. Lester put too much slapstick in his films. But, more importantly, the films were originally envisioned to play strongly on the father-son relationship and mythic basis for many legends of the father as a mentor, and then sacrificing himself for his son, and the son who must learn responsibility and becoming the father. Along with well known mythic trope of the sins of the father being revisited on the son. It is the mythic "Heroes Journey." Jor-El is the guide, and when Superman loses his way, his guidance brings him back to the path, and his second, and final sacrifice for his son empowers Kal to finally fully assume the mantle of the protector of his people (compare this to Luke and Obi-Wan's relationship in A New Hope). When the Salkinds fired Donner, they also decided to skimp on salaries with Brando, and the result is a giant part of the narrative cohesion of the first and second film, the actual engine of Clark's journey, was lost. I know a lot of people say they prefer the Lester version, because it is more polished (but only because WB skimped on the Donner Cut), or because it is the film they saw as kids, but I can never properly say that the Lester cut can be superior when a giant, major part of the narrative structure, intent and HEART and soul of the films as a Duology was amputated for venal and parsimonious reasons; and was replaced with eye-rolling schlock. It's wholesale butchery of the story. Also, ANY time someone decides to remove an actor like Brando, especially because they were being cheap-asses, it is incredibly detrimental. The Donner Cut has FAR more gravitas than the Lester version.
Excellent insights!!!
GREAT reaction! I definitely prefer this version to the theatrical release -- and, like you, I was very disappointed that Donner included the bit where Superman kicks this poor jerk's butt just because he can. It's beneath him. Supes plays fairer than that.
RolyPolyOllie Reactions please can you watch the donner cut again but with the commentary? Donner and Tom explain things why they did what they did etc.
so Superman in animation next? or maybe a bio pic?
Can I point out to all you numptees. The Donner version, doesn't exist. it never went into cinemas. This version is just a grumpy director, who was fired.
The Donner's cut seals the biblical comparison between Jesus and Clark. God sends his son to earth to protect them. He dies and comes back. ❤
supergirl next
Boring movie
@@voodoochile333 i disagree
It looks like you watched an oddly cropped version for this reaction also. I don't recall any of your other reviews having those thick black bars around the edges. I believe you commented on the odd framing in the theatrical (TV-ified) version also.
The thick black bars are actually for copyright sake as this video kept getting blocked by RUclips so I added the bars to stop them taking it down (for now) :)
@@RolyPolyOllieReactions Thanks for the info. I've had some issues with their definitions of "fair use" myself.
this is the one i have.
Donner version is NOT better due to the deletion of a KEY scene in which Superman regains his powers and comes to the window outside the Daily Planet and says “would you like to step outside”. This and multiple other messed-with scenes or ultimately good deleted scenes make the Donner cut way less palatable.
Seriously go watch Superman 2 RESTORING THE VISION on RUclips. It's only thirteen minutes. Itll explain a lot
YES, YES, YES !!! Please ???
i love you i love you i love you
Fun Fact: NONE of Richard Lester's footage is in this version of the film. The Lois and Clark scene at Niagara Falls was a screen test and a script read, during auditions.
False. There's about 25 minutes of Lester footage
That is complete nonsense. Donner didn't have the chance to shoot any of the Niagara Falls footage, for instance. All of those exteriors were Lester. There are innumerable other examples of this in the film.
I disagree it's better. It needlessly rehashes the going back in time from the first movie. Once was enough.
I think you would enjoy Man of Steel
It's been a while since I watched the Donner cut. Initially, I didn't like it, as it feels like a rough cut, which it is. While several scenes in the film are far superior than the Lester cut, I still prefer the Lester cut as a whole. I didn't like the recap opening, nor the way the film simply started with just Lois instantly suspecting that Clark was Superman in disguise. Dry opening. It didn't really set up the story very well for me. There should have been a Superman sequence somewhere in the beginning, yet Superman doesn't actually appear until that boy falls down the falls. (The one thing the Donner cut couldn't redeem itself from) The Lester cut has so many cheesy/cringe moments that I hated. Donner's tone felt better, and more serious, but ultimately, the ending...that was God awful. Reversing time back to the beginning of the movie, meaning Superman II never even happened. So what was the point of the movie then? This ending was originally written for Superman II while subsequently filming both movies, then was later added to Superman: The Movie before its release. Superman II's ending would have been changed by Donner. Honestly the mind erasing kiss, as bad as it was, looks ingenious next to the idea of reversing the world back in time to the beginning of the movie.
The version I first saw must have been the TV cut. I seemed to be a mix of both. I thought it was a much better film than what we see now. It had the souffle scene instead of the mains jumping into bed together, and also had the honeymoon scene. it just seemed like a better balance, and also the swearing was cut out. I didn't want to see all that sex and violence and swearing when I was a kid. Still dont.
He wanted Australië because he loves Beach property
I’m not a fan of the Donner cut as I saw the theatrical when it came out, and those scenes where Lois shoots Clark are like everybody has said are from screen tests, and clearly Reeves is not fully in shape yet and the sets are shonky. And Donner used the same ending as the first film. It’s not great.
1. I saw this when it first came out it's better than the first one but didn't have the desire to see it again. So, there's that.
2. It's a shame Superman gave up so much for Lois Lane but never got anything out of it.
3. Regarding Superman III, Richard Pryor (who was in it) on the Johnny Carson so said that
Superman III sucked, and I agree with him. Do that one at your own risk.
4. Comparing them constantly was a little much. I did give a thumbs up. 👌
Regarding #2...he *did* lose his virginity, so there's that...
@@justinplayfair4638 I didn't catch that. Maybe I should have watched it again.🙄
PS: Dude, are you wearing a Velvet Underground t-shirt? The Andy Warhol cover? VERY COOL!!!!
Still good Mr Reeves flicks to see are Somewhere In Time & Noises Off just sayin
I like the Lester cut better. I guess if Donner completed his movie it would have been just as good as the original.
Thank you, Oliver! 🦸 It would've been so interesting to see both I & II presented as a single tale with a singular directorial vision. ❧ Judging by your t-shirt, you'd enjoy THE ANDY WARHOL DIARIES (2022)... I certainly loved it.
I watched Superman 1 and 2 in theatres I was almost 4 and remember Superman 1 like it was yesterday , part 2 I was 5 i think? and they were both amazing . Part 3 not as much bit still fun . Part 4 blahhhhhh garbage.
I respectfully disagree this movie is incomplete and ruin the story of the first Superman movie and the all point of Superman reversing time in the first move. we don't need the extra scenes with Marlon Brando. Not to mention the all scene with Lois shooting Clark which is beyond horrible. I am glad we did not get the Donner Cut because I think that would suck.
I agree also the Lester final version is superior . Although Donner did shoot most of the film , and all the scenes with Gene Hackman . The Paris scenes Lester did was better imo . And the scene he did with Lois at Niagara Falls was more serious and fit better .. than the silly scene of Lois jumping out the window to be saved . Also think the way he edited the scene of Clark finding the crystal was more fitting .. then the Brando scenes where you know how he gets his powers back . The Donner cut is just not up to the level of the final version .
@@SJ-ty5rw I love the scene where Clark find the green crystal in the fortress after he lost his powers and the music is so epic. That is worth to me more than ten scenes with Marlon Brando
I think the Donner cut should be destroyed. it is stupid having 2 film versions. The Lester film went into cinemas,
No.
We said it then and we will say it again. The version of the movie you watched the 1st time was absolutely not representative of the movie, it was completelyI cut butchered chop down and left out massive amounts of even the theatrical release.
Nah. This is just for a collector. Not a great cut.
Donner cut is awful!!!