Superman: The Richard Donner Vision

As a kid, I would seek any enhanced ABC TV or KCOP cut of Superman from EBAY. This cut really makes me feel like a kid again. Pacing is great and the quality superb. Great job! Wonderful version of a classic film.

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.

This is clearly a labor of love and the care put into each frame is evident. Although I respect the desire to put every last bit of Donner's footage in there, I don't think that necessarily makes for the best movie. Stuart Baird cut a lot of these scenes for good reasons. They slowed down the pace too much or were redundant. Unfortunately, that's the case here. Also, while I understand that this wasn't the original intention, the death of Lois makes for a far more compelling reason for Superman to change history than doing it to clean up his mess at the end, and causes confusing continuity problems in regards to the bully at the dinner and the Tower of Pisa.

Overall, I would absolutely recommend this to anyone who loves these films. I particularly appreciated the clever fixes for the Phantom Zone criminals inexplicable powers that Lester introduced. Well done.