Review Detail

Just like the previous review indicates, this is hardly an edit for casual viewers. The pacing inevitably suffers, and it's very unlikely that if Donner had gone ahead and told the story of Superman I and II in one single movie, the result would be over four and a half hours long (in comparison, Ben-Hur is 3 hours and 32 minutes long, Lawrence of Arabia is 3 hours and 38 minutes long, Gone with the Wind is 3 hours and 58 minutes long...). It would most probably end up being more like Jelio & L8wrtr's "Superman: Son of Jor-El" than like this. So, for this edit it definitely helps if you are a huge fan of the source material (I am definitely one) and want to experiment it in a way that feels more like a binging marathon. And from that point of view, it works fine.

Flaws in logic have been pointed out, but it's something that the editor itself does acknowledge, and are retained because they were in the Tom Mankiewicz shooting script(s). Now, as much as I love these movies, I won't pretend they are perfect (particularly II) nor that the Mankiewicz drafts are the Holy Grail of Superman film writing. There are parts I dislike in the script and movie, parts that I think Richard Lester actually did better (most notably "General, would you care to step outside?"), and parts of the script I am VERY glad were never filmed (Lois: "Superman... ooohhhhh, Superman...!!!" - if you've read the script, you know). But this edit does fulfill its intentions admirably.

Technically, it's a tremendous job. How much so? The editor even typed the WHOLE end credits scroll from scratch. Yes. Word by word. If that is not a labor of love, I don't know what it is. Throughout, new FX shots have been implemented. Necessary? No. Well done? Definitely. I particularly enjoyed the new heat vision effect, and the clever way the Lois car rescue from the earthquake was solved. I had the opportunity to see the final draft of the edit blossom in front of my eyes, and the quirks from the first version I watched were masterfully fixed.

Does it become my preferred version of the movies? Not really. But it's a very enjoyable alternate, and I for one am awaiting the upcoming Superman III/IV sequel edit. Much to recommend here if you're a fan of the Donnerverse.