Superman III

PG

1983

2 hr. 5 min.

Adventure

Sci-Fi

Action

Fantasy

List

29%

59 Reviews

Tomatometer

23%

100,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Computer programmer Gus Gorman (Richard Pryor) is hired by financial tycoon Ross Webster (Robert Vaughn) to seize control of a weather satellite and annihilate Colombia's coffee crop. When Superman (Christopher Reeve) manages to thwart the plan, Webster commands Gorman to use the satellite to locate kryptonite, the Man of Steel's mortal weakness. But a missing unknown element in the kryptonite -- replaced by Gorman with tar -- causes an unintended side effect when presented to Superman.

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Critics Consensus

When not overusing sight gags, slapstick, and Richard Pryor, Superman III resorts to plot points rehashed from the previous Superman flicks.

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Chris B

The one thing I really like is the battle between Clarke and evil superman. The start of the movie was a little corny. It develops quite good with an unrealistic ending. I enjoyed it up to the fight. For that making it not the greatest movie but worth the watch.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/27/24

Full Review

Jeff M

Probably the most underrated superhero movie of all time. This lives up to the Saturday-morning/comic-book legacy set before it. Some argue that it might be a little too juvenile, but that is what it's meant to be--a movie for the average 10-year-old boy; and it hits that target well.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/19/24

Full Review

Rami A

Superman III completely ruins the point of the first two. Having Richard Pryor in your movie automatically turns your movie in a joke. Nothing against Pryor, but did the studio and Richard Lester really have to go in this direction?

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

11/11/23

Full Review

Gabriel P

The worst film from the Reeve saga thanks to the unnecessary introduction of cheap comedy in a superhero movie.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

10/29/23

Full Review

Kazall R

Even for a PG movie, Superman 3 is the bear-minimum in superhero sequels with Richard Pryor almost being the star of Superman's own movie. While admittedly the whole jerk Superman was funny and should have been the main focus on the movie, it's not enough to save Superman 3 from it's dumb concepts, confusing plot, generic villains and underwhelming story.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

10/24/23

Full Review

Moshekaykay 7

NO SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW: This movie is actually so terrible that it's beautiful. It deserves an award and I believe that everyone should watch it simply just to see how GOD awful this is. It's actually so hilarious and is the definition of delicious garbage. GO WATCH IT.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

09/18/23

Full Review

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Richard Lester

Director

Christopher Reeve

Clark Kent

Richard Pryor

Gus Gorman

Robert Vaughn

Ross Webster

Jackie Cooper

Perry White

Margot Kidder

Lois Lane

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James Berardinelli

ReelViews

The plot is nonsensical, as if different scenes were written in isolation without any conception of how to connect them together.

Rated: 1.5/4

Nov 30, 2021

Full Review

William Thomas

Empire Magazine

The action is good but this doesn't move the audience in the same way as the first two.

Rated: 3/5

Aug 13, 2020

Full Review

Linda Deutsch

Associated Press

Superman III may be the saddest dissappointment of the summer movie season.

Mar 4, 2019

Full Review

Don Shanahan

Cinephile Hissy Fit Podcast

Somehow, through all the Lester muck, the compelling Christopher Reeve sells the melodrama.

Jun 21, 2023

Full Review

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

While hardly a disaster, it still qualifies as a massive disappointment.

Rated: 2/4

May 13, 2023

Full Review

Danielle Solzman

Solzy at the Movies

Neither Christopher Reeve's performance nor the VFX are enough to make up for Superman III being a very unwatchable film.

Rated: 1/5

May 9, 2023

Full Review

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Synopsis

Computer programmer Gus Gorman (Richard Pryor) is hired by financial tycoon Ross Webster (Robert Vaughn) to seize control of a weather satellite and annihilate Colombia's coffee crop. When Superman (Christopher Reeve) manages to thwart the plan, Webster commands Gorman to use the satellite to locate kryptonite, the Man of Steel's mortal weakness. But a missing unknown element in the kryptonite -- replaced by Gorman with tar -- causes an unintended side effect when presented to Superman.

Director: Richard Lester
Executive Producer: Alexander Salkind, Ilya Salkind
Screenwriter: David Newman, Leslie Newman
Production Co: Cantharus Productions, Major Studio Partners, Dovemead Films
Rating: PG
Genre: Adventure, Sci-Fi, Action, Fantasy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 15, 2008
Sound Mix: Surround

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