Superman II

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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

Jul 1

...[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

Jun 29

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

Jun 28

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

Jul 10

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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Dan K

@RT05142617 5h

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 2d

"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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Jason R

@JasonR1489 4d

I think Superman II could be in the running for best Sequel ever talk... This after Superman: The Movie in 1978 cemented Christopher Reeve as the greatest Superman and that high bar hasn't been reached yet

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Nathan J.

@NathanDirector May 3

Rated: 7.7/10 ⭐️ I expected a cheesy 80s flick, but the heavy emotional weight of Clark’s sacrifices completely blew me away. What Worked: Lester and Donner’s combined blocking gives the Metropolis battle tactile weight. Through my Faith Methodism lens, seeing Clark give up his power beautifully reminds me that true grace means sacrificing comfort to serve the community. The cinematography also perfectly captures the garish comic colors, making Reeve’s shift between clumsy Clark and confident Superman pop. The Cuts: Stitching footage from two directors means the tone is all over the place; shifting from dark myth-building to goofy slapstick feels inconsistent to me. Keeping it spoiler-free, the romance resolution feels half-baked, relying on a magical trope that erases the emotional stakes. Plus, continuity errors in the third act (like changing hair and makeup from scenes shot years apart) make the visual flow super choppy. Verdict: A messy but iconic classic.

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Shea C

@SheaRants Apr 21

Pretty good but nowhere near as good as the original. the magic and overall vibe of the original is really lost here

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Bret M.

@BretM-3 Mar 20

In my opinion, this movie is better than the last movie. The dynamic between Superman and Lois is great, and I think Zod is a cooler villain than Lex. Definitely worth watching if you liked the first movie.

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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