Superman III

Starring: Christopher Reeve, Richard Pryor, Jackie Cooper, Margot Kidder, Annette O'Toole, Mark McClure, Robert Vaughn
Directed by: Richard Lester
Rating: PG
Genre: Action, Adventure, Science Fiction
1983

Times Seen:
Tim: 2

Summary: A computer genuis (Richard Pryor) works for a criminal mastermind to disrupt world economies for their own gain. When Superman (Christopher Reeve) gets in the way, they devise a kryptonite scheme to get rid of the Man of Steel for good.

Review:

Tim: I vacillated quite a bit on how I thought about this movie. At certain points, I was convinced this was another terrific superhero film. On others, I thought this movie was terrible. In the end, I probably liked this movie more than I should have. It is, without a doubt, the weakest of the original Superman trilogy. However, it also has some excellent scenes.

My favorite part of the movie involves the battle between Superman and Clark Kent (if you haven’t seen the movie, this obviously doesn’t make sense). This scene is absolutely terrific. It represents everything the Superman movies are about. I also loved seeing how Superman descended into evil and became a villain. I will mention Christopher Reeve’s performance later, but I want to mention that these scenes work solely because of his amazing performance. I also really enjoyed the scenes of Clark returning to his hometown and rekindling the romance with Lana Lang. I actually needed a break from Lois Lane, and this worked for me.

I didn’t enjoy the nearly nonsensical plot about a Lex Luthor wannabe and some dimwitted computer expert and their plot to ruin Superman. None of this worked at all (especially the film’s forgettable climax) and represents the silliest and dumbest plot yet in this franchise. This really hurts the movie.

Christopher Reeve really saves this movie. His performance, especially when Superman turns bad after kryptonite exposure—is amazing. For him to pull off both roles is simply astounding, especially when you consider Reeve had to have been fairly comfortable in the role at this point. It was refreshing to see something like this from him. Annette O’Toole was terrific as Lana Lang. I actually prefer her to Margot Kidder’s Lois Lane (who is conspicuously absent from most of the film). Kidder more often than not annoys me, and it was a great change of pace to see O’Toole on screen instead. Surprisingly, I didn’t really miss Gene Hackman as Lex Luthor. While he’s a far more compelling villain than the ones we’re stuck with here, I thought the movie got along fine without him. Richard Pryor adds some comedic relief to the film, but he gets tiresome far too soon.

Superman III is the weakest of the first three Christopher Reeve films, but it has just enough juice to make it worthwhile. Reeve’s portrayal of the evil Superman saves the movie, in my mind. It is worth sticking with the clumsy plot, simply to see these scenes. Still, while I liked the movie, it was a bit of a disappointment. The first two films are clearly superior.





Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend:
Superman, Superman II, Superman IV: The Quest for Peace