Superman II (1980)

My Review

“Superman II” tells the story of Superman foiling a terrorist plot by hurling their nuclear devise into outer space. However, the unintended consequence is that the shock waves from the bomb frees the three criminals from Krypton from their imprisonment. The heavy drama and excitement proceed from there, well executed by director Richard Lester (“A Hard Day’s Night” 1964), from an excellent screenplay by Mario Puzo, David Newman, and Leslie Newman.

The cast includes Christopher Reeve as Superman/Clark Kent, Gene Hackman as Lex Luthor, Terence Stamp, Sarah Douglas, Jack O’Halloran as the Krypton trio, Ned Beatty as Luthor’s sidekick, Valerie Perrine as Luthor’s girl friend, Margot Kidder as Lois Lane, Jackie Cooper as Perry White, Mark McClure as Jimmy Olson, Susannah York as Superman’s biological mother, E. G. Marshall as President of the United States, and Clifton James as the Sheriff. James played a sheriff in numerous other films and television shows, including two James Bond pictures (“Live and Let Die” 1973 and “The Man with the Golden Gun” 1974).

The very watchable “Superman II” was, as expected, a big hit at the box office for producer Pierre Spengler, Dovemead Ltd., International Film Production, and Warner Bros. Pictures. It was a sequel to “Superman” (1978) with a third film to follow in 1983 called “Superman III.”