Countdown to Superman: Superman II (1980)

Before there was a "Snyderverse," before there was a "Marvel Cinematic Universe," there were the Superman movies.

Superman II (1980) was filmed back to back with Superman (1978) and picks up more or less where the first movie left off.

This movie begins by spending a considerable amount of time revisiting the ground covered in the first movie during the opening credits. 

We get right into it in typical Superman fashion; Lois chasing a story that gets her into trouble, this time some French terrorists with a stolen Hydrogen bomb. 

Superman flies it into space where, even with what was it 27 galaxies, it was near Earth. Maybe it got dragged alone with Kal-El's pod.

Some janky animation when the H-bomb goes off to free Zod, Ursa, and Non.

I have to comment on the Artemis II moon lander. Obvious choice after Apollo, but we won't get a real-world Artemis mission for another few years.

Zod appears to possess some form of telekinesis, and Ursa is remarkably violent.  Zod is just a great villain here, and Terrance Stamp is fantastic, and my love for Sarah Douglas knows no bounds. Interestingly enough, Ursa was almost played by Caroline Munro, a regular of Hammer Films. Instead she took the role of Naomi in the Bond film, The Spy Who Loved Me. I think it all worked out for the best really. 

The third act of this movie is the best, where Superman battles the Kryptonian criminals.

There feels like more silliness in this one. The Superman duplicates (ok in the comics it would have been his robots, or just him moving really fast), and the cellophane "S" symbol is still weird. 

They fight, and Superman tricks them into giving up their powers. Of course, after their powers are taken, what happens to them? They fall into the mists and ... what?

I am disappointed in the "Super kiss." Not just that it was some new weird-ass power Superman never had before, but that he couldn't trust Lois enough to have her keep his secret.  

So I do really enjoy this movie, but I am not immune to it's issues. 

For starters, there was a huge blow-up between Brando and the producers, causing his scenes to be removed. His interactions now fall onto Lara, Kal-El's mother, played by Susannah York. 

The fighting was not limited to Brando. Richard Donner, the director of Superman and the director of this movie had a falling out with the Salkinds. They brought in Richard Lester, who they had worked with before and was a "silent" producer of the first Superman. Donner said that if Lester's name was on it then his wouldn't be and that was that. I am going to cover the Donner cut tomorrow and I'll share thoughts on which is the better version.

Cameos

There are not as many here since it was filmed alongside the first movie. There is an interesting cameo, though, of Director Richard Donner in the scene as de-powered Clark and Lois drive up to the diner. It was one of the scenes he directed that was retained for the Lester-cut of the film.