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SUPERMAN II RECONSTRUCTION - SPECULATION
- All new introduction by director Richard Donner - Commentary by director Richard Donner and creative consultant Tom Mankiewicz - New featurette Superman II: Restoring the Vision - Additional scenes - Dolby Digital 5.1 - Subtitles: English, Français & Español (feature film only)
Special Thanks to Aaron Price for the Superman II logo. |
FAN REVIEWS Selected reviews from the fans. Jonathan Hoyle I finally got a chance to watch Superman II - the Donner Cut and the commentary, and I wanted to pass along a few of my impressions. I was only 16 was Superman the Movie came out, and I had to wait until age 44 to see the Part II I was promised. I was giddy to see it. First off, I am surprised that it was truly a new movie, with new credits and all. I guess I had imagined it essentially being the theatrical with a number of scenes swapped or added, similar to the extended versions seen on television. This has a whole new opening, new credits, different pacing style, different angles, etc; very much a different film. Even the music was borrowed John Williams (although there appeared to be some of the theatrical Thorne left on some scenes). From the commentary and featurette, you find out that original source footage was painfully searched and chronicled, and with these Michael Thau and Richard Donner were able to paste together this film. They admitted to being forced to use some Lester sequences, just so that there were no open holes in the plot, but as much of Donner material was used as possible. Donner said many times in the commentary that this film attempted to
recreate his original vision for the movie, but not its execution. He was not very happy with the Lester footage he had to keep in. His
vision of the super-villains was darker, that they represented a serious
threat to Earth and mankind. You see this in his footage (the Moon sequence,
White House and Diner scenes), but there is an air of comedy in the Lester
footage in East Houston, Idaho. The Metropolis fight is mostly the same,
trimming out the ice cream in people's faces and wigs flying off. He was
able to restored certain scenes that he had actually filmed in the fight,
such as Non punching Superman into the Statue of Liberty. To hear Donner's
excitement during the commentary when he yells "I remember that!"
brought a smile to my face. Admittedly though, I first assumed he was
simply mistaken, as i thought that fight scenes were filmed under Lester.
I The only area of debate about possibly using Lester footage was the ending:
Donner's turning back the world versus Lester's Super-Amnesia kiss. When
Donner was originally filming in 1977, the turning back time sequence
was at the end of Superman II, not in Superman I. Toward the end of filming,
they decided to move this ending to the first movie, and Donner &
Mankiewicz planned to write a new ending for Superman II later. Unfortunately,
they never got the chance. I was very impressed by the amount of filming Donner actually did, more
than I had anticipated. For example, I had no idea that he filmed the
villains breaking out of the Phantom Zone. This was great footage, why
did Lester use that lousy animation sequence? Different angles, different
music, it was quite interesting. (Dharmesh: if you decide to analyze this
cut , you'll see a much smaller percentage of Lester's footage in Donner's
film than there was of Donner's footage I loved the Brando scenes back in Superman II where they belong. However,
I was disappointed in the recreation work by Thau when Luthor & Miss
Teschmacher are in the Fortress. Jor-El was always shown as a "ghostly
head", and called for a such in the original script. In the Thau
recreation, you see a full colored Brando As a comparison? Well, the theatrical version is certainly less choppy,
and frankly I am just used to it after 25 years, flaws and all. It's like
when a favorite song of yours is resung by another artist. You know every
inflection, every beat, and the new version is just off, even if it is
a better version. Certain scenes were If between the two I had to stitch together one complete film, I would essentially keep the Lester film intact, but substituting Marlon Brando back in to the Fortress everywhere I can. I'd keep Lois sleeping with Clark only *after* he gives up his powers, but use the Donner sequence of Lois' tearful goodnight after the villains lose their powers. And just so there is no repetition with time travel, keep in the super-kiss. I am torn between choosing the Lois jumping out the window/hand gun scenes versus Lois jumping in Niagara Falls. I would probably kill the Paris opening as well, although I like the special effect scene of Clark turning to Superman in the back alley. In the end, I can't choose. I no longer have perspective. The Superman
II that I have complained about all these years has been a part of me
for so long, I can't imagine losing it. I expected to think of the Donner
cut as the "true" Superman II after seeing it, but I can't.
This is not the "true" version either. The "true"
Thanks for your time, Jonathan Hoyle
Tom Lobascio: I must admit, the first time I popped the Donner Cut of Superman II into the DVD player, I got a few goosebumps as things got under way.... The basic story of the film is the same as it is in theatrical version. It's the way Donner gets from points A to B and so on that's different... Some examples: Gone: The entire post credit Paris sequence in which a bomb, detonated in space by Superman (Christopher Reeve) releases the three villains from Krypton...Replaced with a scene from the first film of the Man Of Steel disposing of one of the missiles hijacked by Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman)--causing the trio's escape. Gone: Scenes between Superman and his biological mother Lara (Susannah York) are replaced by scenes between Supes and his biological father Jor-El (Marlon Brando) Gone: The scene in The Honeymoon Haven in which Lois (Margot Kidder) discovers Clark Kent is Superman with him tripping over a (pink) bareskin rug. Replaced with Lois pulling a gun on our hero--forcing him to reveal his secret... The ultimate question of which version is better is a toughie though--Watching the Donner Cut made feel like kid again and that I had traveled back in time to some alternate reality--there's some really great stuff here...But I actually think the theatrical version paces better. I'm sure that Donner would have addressed this issue had he been allowed to finish the film...I know this may sound like a cop out--the 2 versions each have things that work in them and some things that don't. For example, the Jor-El scenes are much more meaningful to me than the Lara theatrical stuff. It's the whole Father/Son dynamic. The whole Clark is Supes reveal put into motion by Lois is much stronger as well. The Phantom Zone villains seem more menacing. The battle over Metropolis is more streamlined--Gone is Lester's campy schtick and sight gags in that sequence... The biggest issues I had with the Donner Cut has to do with some of the editorial choices made: (Beware Spoilers!!) DC producer Michael Thau and Donner chose to score this version by laying in music from the first film. While I love John Williams' work. I have to admit it was a bit of a distraction hearing music that fits the first movie so well, used for this cut. At times the score sounded out of place and disjointed I wish they could have found a way to use more of Ken Thorne's arrangements. I think that would have worked better. The Donner Cut has Supes sleeping with Lois before he gives up his powers...While this solves a major plot issue I had with Bryan Singer's Superman Returns--but only till the end if the film. Still, it begs the question, why does he need to give up his powers at all? If he can have his abilities and be with Lois anyway--Why bother asking for Dad's permission. Folks have complained that the DC lifts the time travel ending of the first film--Supes turning back the world, to undo the damage done by the villains and to make Lois forget that Clark Kent is Supes. At face value, that criticism is a valid one. And indeed, Lester's Super smooch ending was considered as the ending for the DC, but remember, Donner never had the chance to finish II the way he had wanted or could have. Therefore, I can see them reusing the concept again, since Superman The Movie would have originally ended with the Zoners escape cliffhanger...I think using it save Lois in One packs more of an emotional wallop though. I'm fine with our hero turning back the world again in lieu of using the kiss from Lester's cut Given that, Superman does reverse time in this version though...Why does Clark go back to Ron's Diner to give Rocky (Pepper Martin) the bully a taste of his own medicine--if their fight never happened? Yes it's still funny but it makes no narrative sense. All of that said, I am thankful for the chance to finally see this stuff, and that Donner is finally getting to close the book on a very painful chapter of his career. The DC, while far from perfect, is still a must see. After you see the DC you may never look Ar Superman II the same way again... The bonus material on the DVD includes a touching intro from Donner, 8 minutes worth of deleted scenes, most of which, I've seen before in various TV cuts of the film. There's an alternate prison escape for Luthor though that's "new" and a lot of fun. Restoring The Vision is a 13 minute featurette that discusses the restoration process of Thau and his team. The most worthwhile extra on the disc is the audio commentary from Donner and Mankiewicz. It's obvious that Donner is still very hurt by what happened between him and the producers, The duo get pretty quiet whenever Lester's footage appears on screen to help fill in some of the gaps. Otherwise it's filled with some great production tid-bits Some of which are repeated from their 2001 track for the first film. Still, the track is solid Donner says he was fired without reason. Ilya Salkind maintains in the audio commentary for the theatrical cut that Donner was invited to finish 2 but refused as long as "Spengler was still on the film"--via an interview in Variety. Assuming Salkind is telling the truth--why have Lester on the set to mediate during the first film (as stated on the other DVDs) if they weren't thinking of replacing Donner at some point --that was before the Variety story? What a shame... At least some of that "wrong" has now been put "right"
By Robert Gillis, Superman fan since 1964: In the end, after seeing “Superman II: The Richard
Donner Cut,” die-hard Superman films have to make a choice –
which is the “official” Superman II? Which is canon? For some,
it’s easy—the film they grew up with or the film they have lobbied
for. Period. But for many of us, myself included, there’s plenty
of room for both – and logically, both CAN co-exist in Superman movie
canon…
By Robert Gillis
Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut - A Botched Masterpiece For many, a decades long wait has finally come to an end with the release of Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut. Those fabled, almost mythical lost Donner scenes have now finally seen the light of day and the verdict is in. However, far from being a lost masterpiece, the film can far better be described as a botched masterpiece. The new scenes are great, or at least could be great had they been edited a little better - the same goes for the film in general. For many Superman fans, the release of the Richard Donner Cut represents anything from a major joy to a major anti-climax. Forget the use of the screen-test in the film (which could also have been handled better) or the re-use of the time-reversal trick (perhaps ditto), there are far greater problems that plague this release. In almost equal measure, the film combines inspired choices with utterly stupid ones. Ultimately, so much that is good about this film is cancelled out by so much that is bad. Much of the new Donner footage is excellent, but certain new scenes should clearly have been shortened for dramatic reasons. Equally, several crucial Lester scenes have been truncated in a way that defies logic. The result - the Richard Donner Cut is just as many critics have described - a collection of scenes, rather than a true film. A Collection of Deleted Scenes By far, the Donner Cut's greatest weakness is the way the film's scenes have been re-structured and shuffled around. Scenes essentially play unto themselves, with no real cohesion between the three threads (Sup/Lois, Luthor, super-villains). The theatrical Lester version interwove the three plot threads much more effectively, giving each thread time to play itself out. In the Donner Cut, certain scenes have been shortened to such an extent that the viewer really has no time to immerse oneself in the story. Curtailing the first Lester Niagara Falls scene to several lines is simply an abominable choice that only serves to jolt the viewer away from being immersed in the film. In fact, some of the Donner Cut restructuring is to the absolute detriment of narrative cohesion or dramatic effect. For example, not staying with Clark after he is beaten up in the diner and following him through his trek to the Fortress is just plain wrong. Strangely, many of the trims made to the non-Lois/Clark/Superman Lester scenes are very effective. A shorter first encounter between the villains and the sheriff is far more effective, and the removal of all the inappropriate Lester humour and silliness was absolutely the right thing to do. However, the trims made to several Reeve/Kidder Lester scenes often feel as arbitrary and even vindictive as what Lester once did with Donner's material for the theatrical cut. Clearly, the decision to attempt to stick to the original Superman II Mankiewicz script as closely as possible may not have been the wisest. When films are assembled in the editing room, at first you stick to the script, then you cut and restructure what works (just read the Superman: The Movie script and compare it to the finished film). For the Donner Cut to have worked, it would have had to be a compromise. Instead, we have the opposite. An uncompromising approach to much of Lester's material, that only really harms the finished product. Finishing an Unfinished Film If anything is clear both from the history of Superman: The Movie as well as from the Donner Cut, it is that had Donner had the chance, the Superman II script would have undergone a significant overhaul. Certain scenes would have been re-shot (particularly Reeve's earliest scenes) and Hackman (and even Brando) would have been recalled for additional filming. Nonetheless, that is not to say that there isn't a great film in the available material - it's just that it hasn't really been done right. There has been a lot of talk of restoring the so-called neglected "villains rule the world" scene." However, those advocating its restoration arguably miss the point. Such a scene would neither make nor break this film, but bad structuring, bad editing and bad music cues will. The Good with the Bad The newly extended Donner scenes at the White House, at the prison and on the moon are, for the most part, wonderful. The new climax at the Fortress is equally great. By far the best new scene in the film is the little talked about penultimate one at the Daily Planet. It has all the energy and style that made the first movie so special. But restorationist Michael Thau's clear inexperience as an editor often mars many of the new additions. Not giving Lois Lane (clad in Superman's top) a close-up in the Fortress de-powering scene is nothing less than criminal. The same applies to the opening scene at the Daily Planet, with Daily Planet editor Perry White's face remaining largely invisible until several minutes into the scene. Some of the edits (both audio and visual) during the fight scenes are appalling (there is even an accidental, unforgivable and totally out of place punching sound in the shot where Superman flies away from the Statue of Liberty). Some of the new Lex Luthor humour is as inappropriate as the much maligned Lester humour, given the gravity of the events in the film, and should also arguably have been shortened. Indeed, many of the new scenes fall short of being classic, simply because they go on too long. The beginning of the scene in which Clark shouts for his father at the Fortress is often cringeworthy - why use such a botched squeaky take of the word "Father!!!" when the one in the Lester cut would have sufficed? In fact, the entire scene should have been trimmed. Again, a compromise could have been to use the beginning of Lester's re-powering scene at the Fortress, cutting to Donner's footage once Clark sees the crystal. If this restoration proves anything, it is that Donner, who oversaw the project, is still far too close to the material - despite almost thirty years. In or Out? In the DVD world, deleted scenes have often gained the status of lost treasures. 9 times out of ten, this is just plain wrong. With Donner's Superman II, things were different. Many quality scenes really were lost needlessly. But a definitive cut of the film is as good for what it leaves out as what it keeps in. A movie can never contain each and every word of the original script. The golden rule is always "Less is more." Nowhere is this more evident that in the restored scenes between Brando and Superman. Much of Reeve's dialogue is simply superfluous (Don't have characters describing emotions and situations that speak for themselves.) Actors that struggle with delivery of dialogue is usually an indication that the dialogue is not appropriate. Some of Reeve's performance in the Brando scenes is slightly off the mark, and instead of excellent tightly-edited scenes which remove these problems, we have scenes that don't quite work. Grumbling about what was in the Restored International Cut but not in the Donner Cut is simply not fair. Both of Lois and Superman's post-villains scenes are cut the way they should have been in the Donner Cut (an example of those inspired choices). In fact, it is hard to find a single extended Donner scene from the RIC that should have been in the Donner Cut but wasn't. The arctic police made no sense. Risking Lois's life with that energy field outside the Fortress would have been pretty silly too. A Bad Start The entire new (pre-Daily Planet) opening and credit sequence is a horrible mess: Poor CGI, bad editing, and pointless new angles. There is even a subtle fault in the opening seconds of the film that again underlines Thau's inexperience as an editor. The opening title that dedicated the film to Reeve should (according to all the rules of sound mixing) have had a separate piece of music or silence rather than bleeding into the opening of the film itself. This immediately serves to throw the viewer off, with the subconscious sense that they don't feel that they are watching a true film. Indeed, poor music editing is another huge problem throughout. Ken Thorne provided a cohesive and very effective tone to the whole theatrical Superman II, despite a far smaller orchestra than John Williams had been given. Here we often have a mess of cobbled-together music edits, effectively ruining scenes that already had far better scores in the theatrical version. For example, Thorne's score over the scene where Superman and Lois land in the Fortress for the first time was fine the way it was. Not only did Thau change it, but he actually did this by cutting into one of the most famous film melodies of all time. Sometimes music is truncated, other times it is completely mismatched. That (now famous) appalling music edit when Zod comes out of nowhere and kicks Superman during the fight scene is something no self-respecting music editor would ever do. You generally hide music edits through sleight-of-hand. Putting them over a picture edit is just plain wrong. The Donner Cut also contains some appalling dialogue looping. Superman's line during the fight scene "I'm not a coward, Zod." is inexplicably and inexcusably sped up by several percent, ruining the delivery completely. Why? A clear voice (and body) double is used at the end of the scene where Lois jumps out of the Daily Planet and says "Lois, what have you done?" Would it not have been more logical to use a far wider shot of the Planet with Clark smaller in the frame and steal Reeve's "Lois!" from some other part of this or the other films? It may sound picky (and even ungrateful to poor Mr Thau), but these are things that anyone with a PC and a bit of basic audio-visual software could fix. As for changing the voice of the general in the East Idaho scene…if it ain't broke, don't fix it! Another sign of Thau's lack of experience is the number of dissolves he has added into the film. Earth: Dissolve to Metropolis: Dissolve to another shot of Metropolis. Luthor in the snowmobile: Dissolve to another shot of Luthor on the snowmobile. As an editor, you learn that dissolves must be used with restraint and must carry some sort of meaning - usually to convey the passage of time. Here, they are used in a slipshod amateurish way. Over the reprise we have Miss Tessmacher and Superman in the pool with several appalling dissolves serving to compress the scene. Yuck! Again, for any self respecting editor, this is an absolute no, no. The same thing goes for fades to black. An example of this is when the villains head towards the moon. Instead of the music building up and ending on a hard cut, we get a smoothing off of the music and a gentle fade to black. Thus, a pre-credits scene that was supposed to convey menace and tension is turned into a "happy ever after" non-event. Again, yuck! Superman II: Redux? Thau must be thanked for his restoration of the film. But looking at his CV, it is clear that as an editor of both sound and music, he was out of his depth. Sadly, he will now spend the rest of his career having to fend off criticisms about the numerous flaws in Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut as well as his role in Superman: The Movie's controversial (and far inferior) extended cut with its "restored" sound mix. Poor guy! Meanwhile, fans not content with Superman II, Superman II: The Restored International Cut and Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut, may well have to create the definitive version for themselves.
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