Superman II

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2:22

Superman II

PG

1980

2h 7m

Adventure

Sci-Fi

Fantasy

Action

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

88%

Tomatometer

113 Reviews

76%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

Superman (Christopher Reeve) foils the plot of terrorists by hurtling their nuclear device into outer space, but the bomb's shock waves free the Kryptonian villain General Zod (Terence Stamp) and his henchmen Ursa (Sarah Douglas) and Non (Jack O'Halloran) from their imprisonment. Traveling to Earth, they threaten the planet with destruction at the same time that Superman decides to renounce his superpowers in order to live a normal life as Clark Kent with his new love, Lois Lane (Margot Kidder).

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Critics Consensus

The humor occasionally stumbles into slapstick territory, and the special effects are dated, but Superman II meets, if not exceeds, the standard set by its predecessor.

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Jay Scott

Globe and Mail

07/01/2025

...[Christopher Reeve's] performance, Gene Hackman's performance and the performance of the special effects team are the three pressing reasons to see Superman II.

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Ron Base

Toronto Star

06/29/2025

But what gives Superman a depth and believability lacking in other movies adapted from the comics, Popeye and Flash Gordon immediately come to mind, is the attention to character.

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Meaghan Morris

Sydney Morning Herald

06/28/2025

The special effects are spare but spectacular, and the delightfully showy tricks are spaced out by comic ventures into romance, tourism and human drama.

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Richard Freedman

Newark Star-Ledger

Jan 12

Against all the laws governing sequel, "Superman II" is a much better movie than the original.

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John Ferguson

Radio Times

Sep 19

4/5

The effects are equal to the first film and there's a strong supporting cast, including an irascible Gene Hackman and the excellent Terence Stamp in what, at the time, was something of a comeback role.

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Brad Cook

Flickering Myth

07/10/2025

4/5

I still regard the theatrical version of Superman II as a worthy follow-up to the original, even if there are those lingering "What if?" questions swirling around it.

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Thomas F

@RT70557918 1d

Zod and his entourage brought a new level to the series, but Reeve’s Superman remains the main attraction. Sadly, the kiss at the end erased a well put together Clark & Lois dynamic.

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Brendan K

@Bkeller25 6d

A bit of a step down from the masterpiece that was the original, but it's still a very good movie overall. Clark and Lois's relationship is given additional depth, and the action scenes are exciting. Definitely recommended giving it a go if you enjoyed the first movie.

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diogo13 T

@Tua_mera Jul 10

A ideia de Superman ter que abrir mão de seus poderes por causa da Lois é tão bizarra para gerar conflito, só para ser desfeita em uns 20 minutos. Eles não exploram o conceito o suficiente para que tenha impacto, parece que está ali só para encher chouriça.

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Bruce

@RT82506853 Jun 28

Best Superman movie.

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Dan K

@RT05142617 Jun 28

A great follow up to the first movie. Christopher Reeve is incredible as Superman/Clark again in this sequel. Terrance Stamp was great as Zod with so many great one liners. Great action scenes for the time and fun comedic moments.

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Daniel H.

@RT68448000 Jun 25

"Man this is gonna be good!" And it was for 1981. Or even for 2026. Reeve is still the greatest Superman and he showed it here. Still a classic, if not quite as superb as the 1978 original.

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Richard Lester

Director

Christopher Reeve

Clark Kent

Margot Kidder

Lois Lane

Gene Hackman

Lex Luthor

Ned Beatty

Otis

Jackie Cooper

Perry White

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Superman II: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

Superman (Christopher Reeve) foils the plot of terrorists by hurtling their nuclear device into outer space, but the bomb's shock waves free the Kryptonian villain General Zod (Terence Stamp) and his henchmen Ursa (Sarah Douglas) and Non (Jack O'Halloran) from their imprisonment. Traveling to Earth, they threaten the planet with destruction at the same time that Superman decides to renounce his superpowers in order to live a normal life as Clark Kent with his new love, Lois Lane (Margot Kidder).

Director: Richard Lester
Producer: Pierre Spengler
Screenwriter: Mario Puzo, David Newman, Leslie Newman
Distributor: Warner Bros.
Production Co: Warner Brothers
Rating: PG
Genre: Adventure, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Action
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 19, 1980, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 15, 2008
Runtime: 2h 7m
Sound Mix: Surround