Superman must deal with three trouble-makers from his home planet.A very hard to film to review as there are two versions, this one and the Richard Donner Cut, both have good points...don't know which movie is the best????The Donner Cut has all that wonderful stuff with Brando that is missing here, but this one begins with that mighty music (with great images playing at the same time) that really gets you in the right frame of mind for what is to come. Also, the mini-disaster-movie in Paris at the start is missing in the Donner Cut.I can't tell you which one to watch, I can only suggest that strong fans of Superman watch both films.

The villains make the difference here, and succeed in making this one of the very rare times I can think of when I prefer part 2 over the first film. Terence Stamp clearly relishes his role as the ruthless, yet (mostly) calm and collected General Zod, who, with his two cohorts, were banished from Krypton shortly before its destruction in the early stages of the first film. Freed by shock waves from a blast in deep space, the trio head to Earth to wreak havoc, and gain control of the entire planet. Meanwhile, a love story between Superman and Lois Lane is playing out. A few scenes require a suspension of disbelief, but it's a comic book superhero adventure, and a great one at that, and can be forgiven.

The original "Superman" was revolutionary and set the bar pretty high. This sequel is nowhere near as good, but it's still great on it's own right and a worthy continuation of the Superman story.The film isn't nearly as well-paced as the first film and the special effects are even more dated. Also, the humor, while not as over-the-top as in the 3rd and 4th films, can occasionally be too cheesy. However, there isn't much else to complain about.Christopher Reeve is still magical in the role of Superman, and Margot Kidder is also great as Lois Lane. I love that this film further explored their relationship.Zod, Ursa, and Non are really fun villains, and their battles with Superman are very exciting and epic. We also get the return of Gene Hackman's spot-on portrayal of Lex Luthor.The legendary music score by John Williams is as invigorating as ever, and the sets are once again great.It doesn't hold a candle to the first film, but it's still a more than worthy follow-up. It's a shame that this was the last "Superman" film that was any good.RATING: B+

I'm glad this movie is actually good, although I would have liked it if Richard Donner had stayed on for this. That's why Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut is better than this. Positives: Christopher Reeve is Awesome, General Zod is a great villain, Terence Stamp nails it, and this movie has 3 PEOPLE TO FIGHT SUPERMAN. Negatives however: It's a teeny bit more campy, it's trying to be MORE like a comic book than the first one, and Richard Lester and the Salkinds Booted Donner off of the set. For the most part though, I like it. I'm gonna give Superman II a B. 7/10. 3.5/5, etc. If you loved the first movie like I did, you'll have less fun with this, but fun nonetheless. Go break a leg with Superman II.