Superman II: Donner Cut DVD Reviewed

[lordsmurf]

See http://dvd.ign.com/articles/746/746452p2.html


November 16, 2006 - As the benefactor of one of the most talked-about 'lost cuts' in Hollywood history, Superman II's success has always co-existed with a palpable atmosphere of controversy: original director Richard Donner was replaced by Richard Lester, and his footage was either reshot or discarded outright. Notwithstanding the relative merits of Supermans III and IV, a fan-community following rallied around this reported 'lost cut' and asked for its overdue release; after all, just how bad could Donner's version be? An online petition, a new editor and some six tons of found footage later, they're about to find out.

In conjunction with their expansive slate of Superman releases debuting November 28 in remastered form, Warner Home Video is finally premiering Superman II (The Richard Donner Cut). The single-disc release, available on its own or in the forthcoming Superman Ultimate Collector's Edition, offers a remarkable and invigorating alternative to the Lester version that has existed for many years, and finally restores the vision created by Donner when he joined the series back in 1978.

The film itself is a remarkable artistic accomplishment: using Donner's previously discarded negatives, which were discovered after an extensive search, the director and his editor carefully reworked the movie using the original shooting script. The film is a radically different vision of Superman that not only holds true historically to the conception of the franchise but to director Donner's approach to the material; in addition to helming both of the movies back-to-back, he tackled the comic book source material from a sincere rather than cynical or detached perspective - which is readily apparent from the very first frame.

Indeed, Superman II as directed by Donner, is a funnier, scarier, and more compelling picture. Much of Marlon Brando's scenes were jettisoned when A Hard Day's Night filmmaker Richard Lester took over, and here they are gloriously restored: after Jor-El sentences General Zod (Terence Stamp) and his minions to an eternity in the Phantom Zone, they are released when they accidentally collide with a rocket Superman sends into space while saving the world from Lex Luthor's latest evil scheme. Back on Earth, meanwhile, Lois makes a curious discovery when she doodles a pair of glasses and a fedora over a picture of Superman, and proceeds to accuse co-worker Clark of being the big blue boy scout.

Despite his staunch denials, she leaps out a window of the Daily Planet; and while technically speaking Superman does actually save the day, he does so with just enough subtlety to leave the reporter wondering if she shouldn't have checked her facts more closely.

Many of the theatrical cut's most famous scenes have been removed completely, including the Eiffel Tower sequence that opens the movie (which provides Zod and co. with an escape from the Phantom Zone) and the scene where Lois leaps into Niagara Falls in order to force Clark to reveal his true identity. But the ones that replace them are no less interesting, and in fact enhance the conflict Superman feels about telling Lois who he is, and ultimately, making the choice to give up his powers for the woman he loves. A post-coital scene where Lois wears Superman's shirt is particularly fascinating, but it's indicative of the more mature and sincere tone that Donner took with the story.

Additionally, two key scenes between Christopher Reeve and Marlon Brando highlight the struggle that Superman faces by remaining anonymous, and are truly reason enough to see this cut. In the first, Superman argues that he deserves the same kind of life that he fights to protect, and wonders how many sacrifices will be enough to make his own happiness worth pursuing; in the second, the father cowers the son and forces him to make a difficult decision after observing that there are some mistakes that cannot be unmade. The raw emotional energy of these scenes is all but completely absent from the theatrical cut, and t