Superman II - The Richard Donner Cut
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Christopher Reeve, Margot KidderBrand: Warner Brothers
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 5.1; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1
Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Director's Cut, Dolby, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: Widescreen, 2.40:1
Running Time: 116 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2006-11-28
Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Model: 86851
Studio: Warner Home Video
Product features:
- In the year of Superman Returns, Superman II starring Christopher Reeve also returns - with a totally different beginning and resolution. With Jor-El (Marlon Brando in recently discovered footage) in key scenes that amplify Superman lore and deepen the profound relationship between father and son. With different Lois Lane (Margot Kidder) schemes to unmask Clark Kent as Superman. With.well, with s
Movie Reviews of Superman II - The Richard Donner Cut
Movie Review: Redemption for Donner, the way Superman II was supposed to be...
Summary: 5 Stars
**Spoiler Safe**
Thanks to people like us and finally with cooperation from Warner Brothers to make this a reality, we finally can see Superman II the way it was intended, in Donner's vision! Fans of the Superman market have been pushing this forever (it seems) to make it a reality mainly due to the help of the world wide web. Countless web sites pushing, pushing to get this movie out. The problem has always been problems with Warner Brothers, but the main issue was trying to find the footage that has been locked up for decades.
With extensive assistance from Warner Brothers and the hard working people to find and salvage every last bit of Donner's film, it's all been put together and finally completed for a whole new Superman II movie like you've never seen before. People have to understand Donner filmed nearly 85% of Superman II and yet the final release was still credited to Richard Lester. One of the reasons for Donner's dismissal was that Donner clearly aruged with the producers that Superman II was becoming "more campy," than he wanted and he wanted it to have the same realistic tone as the original Superman conveyed.
After Donner was removed from his job, "Richard Lester" finished the job and was credited as the Director (so wrongly). Be that as it may, we finally got redemption for Donner.
I finally watched it last night, and I clearly prefer Donner's cut over the theatrical release of Superman in 1979. It's amazing how it feels like a whole new movie. They even redid the opening credits, it was great to see Brando and "Directed By Richard Donner" fly onto the screen. Donner's cut is clearly the best version in my opinion. The music scores are all redone, mainly the same toned music from the original Superman and having it in 5.1 Dolby Digital is the icing on the cake! The funny bits from the theatrical release of II has basically been taken out of this Donner version although you will see some scenes from the theatrical version in-tact. No offense to "Richard Lester" but his quirks in II made it feel too much like a comedy in so many instances. And him reprising is directing duties in Superman III didn't help either. Donner was right when he described as part II becoming too "campy" as most of his footage was removed after he got the boot. Donner's cut shows a better more realistic vision as the original Superman did so well.
During Donner's Superman II, there is a more involving focus on Superman and Lois Lane's relationship and Lane's constant chase to get Clark to admit he's Superman. And for the first time ever, you'll see Marlon Brando back into the mix. As you know, Brando is not seen at all in the theatrical release of Superman II, even though he did finish scenes for the film while Donner was filming. The reason Brando was not in the final release was because he filed suit over his percentage of the first film's profits, so his scenes "filmed all by Donner" were removed from the cut. So it certainly was a big downer for many as Brando was basically eliminated from the story all together. So he basically wanted more money. Warner Bros said no, so he said, fine, take me off the film. But never fear, we now have the footage of Brando back into the mix, the way Donner intended. People said that the newly found Brando scenes are overdone and that Brando himself did not look to be sincere. I think otherwise. I really enjoyed the new scenes with Brando involved in the storyline, it really made the movie for emotional for me.
Along with seeing Marlon Brando back as (Jor-El) You'll experience as much as half of the film containing never-seen material. All new, all by Donner and never seen before by movie buffs. You'll experience a whopping 15+ minutes of restored footage of Marlon Brando scenes well as tons of new Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder scenes throughout the movie. Because Donner's cut was not finished since they fired him about 85% through, you'll witness one scene where it's basically a "screen test" for Kidder and Reeve, but the scene was so well done and so important to the storyline of their relationship, it had to be included in the movie. The screen test is out of place, and you'll notice Reeve's hair and glasses changing from one scene to the next during it, but it's a great scene no matter how you look at it! Many of the scenes with Gene Hackman are also new and you'll notice many of the funny liners are all but omitted to give the movie a darker tone. Because Donner did not get to finish the movie, you will have to sit through some Lester footage from the original. Additionally, some of the other scenes from Donner's footage was not completely finished (special-effect wise) so you will notice some newly-filmed shots with new enhancements with modern day computers. The biggest addition of them all is the alternate ending which is totally different from the original release which I will not give away to you.
The movie's picture is excellent and the for the first time ever, you can watch Superman in 5.1 Dolby Digital. The disc includes a little 15-20 minute "making of Donner's cut" and how it came be and about 7 deleted scenes from Donner's footage. All good stuff.
I think Christopher Reeve would have been proud to see this movie if he was still alive today. You'll get to see just more of him and what a wonderful serious actor he can be. Donner's cut will be a big seller, and for big reason, Donner is one of the best directors of all time and I only see fit that Warner Brothers finally gave us, and Donner what we wanted, the real Superman II, the way it was meant to be.
Summary of Superman II - The Richard Donner Cut
Synopsis:Item Type: Unknown Type
Item Rating: PG
Street Date: 11/28/06
Wide Screen: yes
Director Cut: no
Special Edition: no
LanguageENGLISH
Foreign Film: no
Subtitlesno
Dubbed: no
Full Frame: no
Re-Release: no
Packaging: Sleeve Please note: This supplier will be closed on 11/24, 11/25, 12/26, 1/2 for the holidays. The shipping cut off is 12/10 to try and have the products delivered by Christmas.
The Richard Donner cut of Superman II is an infamous legend come to life. Director Donner shot most of the sequel at the same time as his first blockbuster film, but somewhere along the line, the producers and studio lost confidence and brought in Richard Lester (The Three Musketeers) to rework the film, and receive sole credit. For years fans speculated on how different the final film was from Donner's original until an underground copy appeared showing a fully formed feature. In an unprecedented move, Warner Brothers officially embraces this alternate version. For those who have not been part of the rumor mill, know that Donner shot all the footage with Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman). You can find blow-by-blow descriptions of what is new/changed elsewhere, but most of the changes deal with Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder as the comic-book couple. Donner's cut provides alternate scenes for how Lois tests her hunch that Clark is Superman, the moment he reveals his identity, and how Lois unlearns that truth. Thing is, Lester's reshots are stronger, adding weight to the romance between the two, lifting the picture's stature. Lester also added the dandy Eiffel Tower opening. Donner's chief additions are in the Fortress of Solitude, where Marlon Brando returns to teach (Susannah York, as Superman's mom, appears in the Lester cut). The producers cut Brando's footage so they wouldn't have to pay him millions. The Brando/Reeve scenes continue the father/son dynamic of the first film. There is a great lesson in editing--Lester's less is better than Donner's more--when you compare how Kent turns back into Superman after losing his powers. The Donner cut is completely formed but does use some rehearsal footage, new effects, and some pieces shot by Lester. The history of cinema has many of these stories of movies reshot, hijacked, and changed from the original version, but here the underdog wins and Donner gets his chance to change history, even adding a note in the end credits about the use of fur and smoking as regrettable choices of the time.
Director Donner and creative consultant Tom Mankiewicz have a jolly good time revisiting their past on the commentary track. You get a clearer picture of who shot what, but the two have nothing good to say about Lester's edition. Donner doesn't go much into why he was dropped, just a difference of opinion and the need not to pay Brando. He also explains why the déjà vu ending of this edition was used in the first movie and a new ending would have been thought up for part 2. A quick featurette looks at how Michael Thau and a small crew reconstructed the film and compares several scenes from both versions. Also added are additional scenes shot by Donner but not used, most with Hackman. --Doug Thomas
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