20 Reasons Why You Rock: Superman II
When Superman II flew into theaters nationwide in the United States on June 19. 1981, I was just a kid and oblivious to a lot of things. I didn’t know about the behind the scenes shake up involving Richard Donner which led to Richard Lester getting the director spot or the actors that refused to be a part of the sequel once Donner was no longer attached, nor did I care. I just wanted more Superman.
To say I was as enamored with Superman II as I was 1978’s Superman would not be an exaggeration. I vividly recall seeing Superman II multiple times in the summer of 1981 and the feeling of absolute satisfaction after watching the movie. And that’s another thing I didn’t know back then… that that would be the last time I would feel 100% satisfied after watching a Superman film.
To celebrate its 40th Anniversary, I decided to go back and watch the theatrical cut of Superman II for the first time in many years and I was reminded of just how much this sequel rocked…
#1. The iconic opening credits of Superman were back in Superman II complete with John Williams’ “Theme from Superman” (although conducted by Ken Thorne this time out). If I could only have one piece of music composed by John Williams in my Spotify library, it would be the “Theme from Superman”. Absolute audio perfection.
#2. Margot Kidder made a great Lois Lane and we get to see Lois at her intrepid reporter best as she bamboozles her way into getting as close as possible to a breaking story involving a hydrogen bomb, terrorists and the Eifel Tower. This is classic Lois Lane, putting herself in harm’s way just to get the story… also impressive was the way a regular smoker like Lois made it up all those stairs without stopping.
#3. Paris is about to be destroyed, Lois is in mortal danger… this looks like a job for Superman! I know I am not alone when I say that Christopher Reeve is the definitive Superman/Clark Kent. Reeve brought the character to life like nobody had done before him or since. The crisis at the Eifel Tower is Superman’s introduction in the movie giving him a chance to save the day, BUT it is also the catalyst for the real threat in the film…
#4. After Superman rescues Lois Lane from certain doom, he launches the hydrogen bomb into outer space and the explosion has a ripple effect that frees General Zod, Ursa and Non from what was thought to be the inescapable Phantom Zone! This is a quality inciting event.
#5. Three Words: Cliff Clavin Cameo
#6. Houston we have a problem! Having Zod, Ursa and Non happen upon an American/Russian crew of astronauts/cosmonauts on a moon mission was like an appetizer for what was to come, plus it was a great way to establish that these three Kryptonian criminals had amazing powers, just like Superman… but unlike Superman the terrible trio had no regard for human life.
#7. Terence Stamp as the pompous and power hungry General Zod was another exceptional casting choice and I’d rank Stamp’s Zod up there with the best of the best comic book movie villains EVER… Sarah Douglas’ Ursa was a head turner in more ways than one. Her looks and her actions could kill and don’t you dare underestimate her because she is a woman… Rounding out the super villain trio, is the physically imposing Jack O’Halloran as Non. Non didn’t just bring a monster presence to the proceedings, he also brought a little comic relief with him. Poor Non never could get that heat vision thing quite right.
#8. Speaking of comic relief, when Zod, Ursa and Non make their way to Earth one of the first people they encounter is the small town sheriff played by the delightful Clifton James. The only thing that could have made James’ appearance better is if they specified that his name was J.W. Pepper.
#9. I haven’t even mentioned Gene Hackman as Lex Luthor. Hackman was exceptional as Lex Luthor and as much as Christopher Reeve is the definitive Superman, Hackman is the definitive Luthor. In Superman II, we get to see many facets of the Lex Luthor character. There’s the genius side of Luthor that developed a hologram projector to help him escape from prison, not to mention the alpha wave radar he created that would lead Lex to the Fortress of Solitude. There’s the business side of Luthor as he attempts to cut a deal with General Zod for the continent of Australia. And then there’s the low down dirty scum bag side of Luthor, who will sell out his own friends without hesitation in order to forward his own agenda.
#10. While their screen time is brief, having Valerie Perrine’s Miss Teschmacher and Ned Beatty’s Otis back for the sequel is enough to give someone a warm, fuzzy feeling. You can’t help but feel for Miss Teschmacher, even though she is head over heels for a mad man. And there is absolutely nobody who could bumble to the level in which Otis could bumble.
#11. One aspect of the Superman legend that people love to call out is how unbelievable it is that nobody, especially Lois Lane, can figure out that Clark Kent and Superman are one in the same just because Clark wears glasses. But Lois finally pieces it together while on assignment with Clark in Niagara Falls and she even bets her life on it! This is one of the more memorable scenes in the movie and is a great misdirect for what is about to happen…
#12. If you want to talk about game changing scenes, the moment where Clark has no other option but to come clean and admit to Lois that he is in fact Superman, flips everything upside down and leads to one of the worst timed romances in the history of the world
#13. The Mount Rushmore Makeover never fails to amuse me.
#14. Another memorable scene from Superman II is when General Zod, Ursa and Non crash the White House… literally!
#15. Three More Words: The Green Crystal
#16. The showdown in Metropolis between Superman and the three super villains is absolutely epic, especially when you consider this was long before CGI and everything was done using practical effects. Special shout out to the dude on rollerskates.
#17. Zod’s catchphrase “Kneel before Zod” is firmly established as the movie progresses. It was a nice touch that Zod’s insistence that Superman, the son of his jailor, kneels before him proves to be Zod’s ultimate undoing.
#18. Superman using Lex Luthor’s weaseling ways to his advantage proved that Superman isn’t just super strong and super fast, he’s also super smart!
#19. It doesn’t get much more patriotic than seeing Superman flying with Old Glory as he returns it to its rightful place at the White House.
#20. Nobody likes a bully, and Superman II wasn’t going to let Rocky the truck driver slide. Rocky gets his much needed comeuppance and the movie ends on a light hearted note.
