Deep dive: Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut

Today I am sitting down to watch Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut. This is an alternate version of Superman II, which was initially released on DVD back in 2006.

This version of the movie differs to the theatrical cut of Superman II from 1980 and includes new scenes, a different ending and some alterations to existing sequences. In essence, it is a version of the movie closer in tone and content to what director Richard Donner originally intended.

Why does this version of the film exist? Well, in the late 1970s, Richard Donner was hired to direct Superman: The Movie (1978) and Superman II (1980). The plan was to shoot both movies back-to-back.

Donner shot all of Superman: The Movie and a significant chunk of Superman II, before he was removed from the project. The director and the movie’s producers had a huge falling out, Donner was fired and replacement director Richard Lester was brought in to finish Superman II.

The theatrical cut of Superman II (i.e. the most widely seen version of the film) is credited to Richard Lester, however, it is actually the work of two directors: Richard Donner AND Richard Lester. But it isn’t the only version of the film.

During the mid-‘00s, to coincide with the release of Superman Returns (2006), Warner Bros. asked Richard Donner if he would be interested in revisiting Superman II to finish what he started decades before. The director agreed, and using a mixture of existing material (deleted scenes, test footage, abandoned ideas etc), he compiled a new cut of the film, closer to what he originally intended.

This second version of Superman II is known as Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut. And this is the film I am watching today.

In this post I will watch, discuss and pass comment on Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut, providing a sort-of running commentary. I will be throwing out observations, musings and asides, all in real-time, to provide details about the film and how I feel about it.

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Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut (1980/2006)

*Presses play*

45secs – The film opens with an onscreen dedication to Christopher Reeve – as it should. The actor – who passed away in 2004 – was perfect in this role.

1min – The first scene in this cut of the movie takes place on Krypton and is a replay of a scene from Superman: The Movie – i.e the trial of the Kryptonian criminals, General Zod, Ursa and Non. This is then followed by more recapping of the previous film, including scenes involving two missiles which were part of Lex Luthor’s real-estate plot.

7mins 10secs – Now here’s something very important to note. In the original cut of Superman II, the Kryptonian criminals are freed after Superman throws a bomb into space, following a scene set around the Eiffel Tower in Paris. However, in this cut, the Kryptonian criminals are freed from their prison, after Superman launches one of the missiles (from the previous movie) into space. So this opening ties closely into the end of Superman: The Movie.

8mins 20secs – And now into the epic titles, backed by John Williams’ fantastic Superman score!

These are not the same titles used in the theatrical cut – they have been recreated to give Richard Donner his directing credit AND to reflect the new changes to the film. In this version of the movie, Marlon Brando gets a credit – something he didn’t get in the theatrical cut – as this film now includes lots of Brando footage (more about that shortly).

12mins – Onto the first-post credit scene now, which takes place in the Daily Planet office and includes new material, such as…

13mins 20secs – …Lois drawing a hat, glasses and suit over a photo of Superman. She suspects Clark Kent and Superman are one and the same and she is calling Clark out on it.

14min 30secs – With the film deviating from the original opening, there are no longer any scenes set in Paris. It’s a shame we lose the Eiffel Tower sequence as it is a lot of fun.

16mins 15secs – Lois is so convinced that Clark is Superman she throws herself out of a window to prove it, expecting Clark to save her. Of course, he does save her, but without her knowledge and this is an incredibly fun scene to watch. This scene should have been in the theatrical cut.

22mins – The Kryptonian criminals are free of their prison and are now terrorising astronauts on the moon.

24mins – The Kryptonians kill the astronauts and it is pretty menacing stuff. Every time I watch this film, I forget how menacing they can be.

29mins 30secs – Lex Luthor has escaped from prison and is on his way to the Fortress of Solitude. There is a little more footage here with Lex than what was used in the theatrical cut.

34mins – Lex and Miss. Teschmacher are in the Fortress, where they are joined by a holographic projection of Marlon Brando as Jor-El.

In the theatrical cut, the holographs did not feature Brando, as the producers didn’t want to pay to use his image/footage. As such, in the original version, every time Superman needs to speak to a ‘ghost’ from his past, his mother, Lara pops up instead.

38mins – Lois Lane and Clark Kent are on assignment at Niagara Falls. This now marks the second time that Lois suspects Clark is Superman, but this sequence ends very differently.

In the theatrical cut, Lois and Clark are at Niagara Falls, when a young boy falls from a ledge and plummets towards the water. Clark does a quick-change into Superman and saves the boy. Lois notices that Clark and Superman are never around at the same time, so assumes they are the same person. To test her theory, she jumps off a ledge – only to get (sort of) rescued by Clark, not Superman.

Lois’s theory doesn’t pan out, but a short while later at the hotel, Clark accidentally reveals his secret identity when he trips and puts his hand in a fire. When Lois takes a look at his hand she can’t see any burn marks, leading to the revelation he IS Superman.

In this Richard Donner Cut, only the scene with the boy takes place. Lois’s fall, as well as the entire fire sequence have been removed. These scenes have now been replaced with a sequence in which Lois pulls a gun on Clark, when they are back at the hotel. She fires the gun, leading Clark to reveal he is Superman.

It sounds pretty harsh – and it is! But the gun was firing blanks, so Clark wouldn’t have been harmed anyway.

So, the big question is: Is this a better scene? In all honesty, no – and it is largely because the scene wasn’t finished.

For this cut of the film, the whole ‘gun’ sequence has been recreated using a mixture of different test footage. Test footage that contains inconsistencies. Clark’s hair changes, as do his glasses, and both Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder look much younger here than they do anywhere else in the film. So, it kind of sticks out like a sore thumb!

It’s a shame really, because had this scene been shot as intended, then it could have worked fine. But as it stands in this release, it looks a little odd.

55mins – The Kryptonians are on Earth and are demonstrating their new found powers for all the world to see. There are a few tweaks in this version of the movie, to make the Kryptonians appear more threatening. The scene where the criminals deface Mount Rushmore has also been replaced. 

56mins – More Brando footage.

59mins 30secs – After revealing his secret identity, Superman decides to give up his powers to be with Lois. This is all very dramatic and this cut of the movie plays out much better than the original. Want to know why? Because it includes a number of scenes with Marlon Brando.

As Lois and Jor-El watch Superman become stripped of his powers, Jor-El (aka Brando) gives Lois a disapproving look. In that one, very brief expression, Brando is able to convey to the audience a great deal of emotion about what he is feeling for his son, and the decision he is making.

1hr – With Superman busy at the Fortress of Solitude, the trio of Kryptonians storm the White House. This scene has been tweaked for The Donner Cut to once again show how deadly this trio is – and once again it works much better.

1hr 3mins – I feel it is important to note that one of the main differences between the theatrical cut and The Donner Cut is the tone. Some of the gags/lighter moments in Richard Lester’s cut have been removed, to add more tension and drama. It’s a subtle change by Richard Donner, but one which really alters the way scenes play out. 

1hr 4mins 15secs – Heading back from the Fortress, Lois and Clark pull into a diner. Richard Donner gets a quick blink and you’ll miss it cameo.

1hr 6mins – Clark gets into an altercation with a diner, leading to a scuffle. This is the first time in Clark’s life he has seen his own blood.

1hr 7mins 14secs – This whole diner scene is very powerful. Clark is bruised and battered, and once he learns that the Earth has been invaded by evil Kryptonians he begins to understand the ramifications of giving up his powers.

1hr 8mins 30secs – Clark Kent: “I have to go back.”

1hr 12mins – Lex Luthor bargains with the Kryptonians. 

1hr 15mins 45secs – Clark is attempting to get his powers back. He is able to make them return, BUT it means giving up his link to Jor-El. This is Brando’s final scene and it is very touching. Again, this SHOULD have been in the theatrical cut. Clark is giving up his connection to his father in order to save the world.

1hr 17mins 20secs – Jor-El: “Farewell forever, Kal-El. Remember me, my son.”

1hr 18mins – Jor-El gives up the last of his energy to restore his son’s powers. This is an epic scene.

1hr 21mins 40secs – With his powers restored by Jor-El, Superman arrives in Metropolis for a showdown with the Kryptonians. This cut of the movie uses an alternate take, with Superman goading General Zod with a different line to the one delivered in the theatrical cut. 

• Theatrical cut: “General, would you care to step outside.”
• The Donner Cut: “General, haven’t you ever heard of freedom of the press?”

I actually prefer the line from the theatrical cut.

1hr 27mins – Another epic scene, as Superman battles Zod, Ursa and Non in the streets of Metropolis.

1hr 29mins 30secs – Another powerful moment now. The citizens of Metropolis believe Superman to be dead, so they arm themselves with junk and discarded items from the street as they prepare to fight the Kryptonians. They know they are severely outmatched, but they are taking inspiration from their fallen ‘friend’ and fighting the good fight regardless. Bravo!

1hr 30mins – The Kryptonians use their collective super breath to disable the crowd. This scene has been tweaked slightly to reduce some of the comedic touches.

1hr 35mins – Into the finale, with a scene set in the Fortress of Solitude. General Zod gets a little more dialogue here and once again, it makes him appear more threatening.

1hr 39mins 40secs – One of the best scenes in any Superman movie now. Superman uses Lex Luthor to get the drop on the Kryptonians.

He tells Luthor there is a way to strip the trio of their powers, if only he can get them into a special chamber in the Fortress. Luthor then betrays Superman by revealing this information to Zod, who in turn forces Superman into the chamber.

But it is a trick! Superman is safe in the chamber, while the trio are stripped of their powers outside! Hurrah! Powerless, the Kryptonian criminals then appear to die after they fall to their deaths in the Fortress.

And here’s where things begin to change for this cut of the movie…

1hr 44mins – In the original, theatrical cut, Superman II starts to wrap up now, with a scene in which Superman kisses Lois and she loses her memory. She forgets that she knows his secret identity, restoring the status quo between Lois and Clark.

But in the Donner Cut, things play out differently. In this cut, Superman travels around the world and turns back time, reversing all the problems caused by the Kryptonians and making Lois forget what she knows (while essentially rehashing the same ending from Superman: The Movie).

Confusing? Yes – if you don’t know why this ending is being used.

So, back when Donner was hired to direct Superman: The Movie and Superman II back-to-back, the original plan was for the first film to end with Superman stopping two missiles from causing the earthquake orchestrated by Lex Luthor. Superman would have achieved this without the need to turn back time.

The film would have concluded with Superman tossing one of the missiles into space, accidentally freeing the Kryptonians in the process – as seen at the beginning of this cut of the film.

The plan then was to use the ‘turning back time’ plot device at the end of Superman II to reverse all the death and destruction caused by Zod and Co. The audience would know it happened, but the human race would be oblivious to it.

However, during production of Superman: The Movie, Donner felt the ending wasn’t epic enough so he brought the ‘changing time’ plot device forward to use in the first movie. The ending of Superman II was then changed as a result.

1hr 49mins – And now for the coda – which is my favourite scene. Clark returns to the diner to get even with the guy who roughed him up earlier in the film. Now technically, this scene doesn’t make sense, as Clark just altered time in this cut of the film, so the diner scene never happened… but it’s still fun to watch. I’m going to let it slide.

1hr 51mins – As the credits roll, I have a huge smile on my face. There is just so much to love about Superman II – I really like this film, regardless of what cut I watch.

*Presses stop*

Thoughts?

Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut is a fascinating curio. It presents a window into what could have been, had things played out differently between Richard Donner and the Superman producers. 

Is this cut of the movie perfect? No. As noted previously, due to limitations with the footage, one scene in particular looks a little out of place and the ending just doesn’t sit right. But on the whole this cut works very well.

Donner’s approach to Superman has a more serious edge than Richard Lester’s, so it is interesting to see how the material can change with a different set of eyes. And this change is arguably better.

Some of the changes Donner made are subtle, some less so, but in most cases, the changes are significant enough to alter the tone of the film and make it a stronger piece – which is pretty remarkable, considering how good the theatrical cut of Superman II is.

So, the question remains: Is this the definitive cut of the movie – i.e the one that everyone should watch? Erm… I would argue no.

The theatrical version of Superman II plays out just fine and works well as a sequel to Superman: The Movie, so for general audiences, that is the version to watch. But for fans of the Superman movies, those who really love the films, Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut is certainly a film to have in their library.

This cut doesn’t replace the original version, but it sure does make for a great companion piece to watch from time-to-time.

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And before I sign off, I should also mention that more footage was shot for Superman II that wasn’t used in either cut of the film. There’s one scene in particular which gives fresh details to what happened to the Kryptonian criminals. And you might be surprised to discover, there is footage of them surviving the events of the film!

So, as a quick recap:

• In the theatrical cut of Superman II, General Zod dies during the movie’s finale, as does Ursa and Non. After having their powers removed, all three Kryptonians fall to their death in the Fortress of Solitude.
• In the Richard Donner Cut of Superman II, Superman defeats the trio in the same way, but then he turns back time to ensure the events of Superman II never take place, meaning the trio live, because technically they never escaped the Phantom Zone.

What’s interesting to note is a third outcome also exists, in which the Kryptonians not only survive the events of Superman II, they are also arrested! This rather bizarre outcome does not feature in the theatrical cut or the Richard Donner Cut, but can instead by found amongst Superman II’s deleted scenes.

The scene takes place shortly after the Kryptonians fall into the depths of the Fortress of Solitude. In the scene, Superman’s enemy, Lex Luthor is trying to bargain with Superman to escape jail.

While Luthor is talking to Superman, the US Arctic Patrol arrive to arrest all of the villains – this includes Luthor AND the Kryptonians. All three Kryptonians have survived the fall, and as they are now depowered, they are arrested and driven away to pay for their crimes.

This scene was cut from the theatrical release of Superman II because taking the Kryptonians into custody seemed like an odd thing to do. But yeah, the scene was shot and could have easily been included in one of the cuts of the movie.

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