Superman II (1980)

SPOILER WARNING!!! This post spoils movie Superman II (1980).

For many this is best Christopher Reeve Superman. That meant best Superman movie before Man of Steele. Does it hold that place after Man of Steel remains to be seen. This time Superman get real challenge when three villains that were sent to phantom zone in first movie get to earth. Movie starts with re-acted scenes from first movie and then continues with scenes from first movie. Reason for re-acting seems to be that Marlon Brando didn't want to be in this movie. He was only one I saw missing from scenes. It is underlined when Superman shouts for father and mother when he lost his powers. Marlon Brando didn't want to be in this movie and it doesn't matter how much you shout.

Movie also underlines how overpowered Superman is. He gives away his powers to be with Lois Lane. After losing his powers he is eager to get into fight. He want to get first fair fight. He doesn't back down after he is hit for a first time. He needs to get more. After he sees that he could have fair fight as Superman he wants his powers back. At the end Superman gets back to guy who beat him when he was without his powers and shows him who is the strongest. Makes you wonder would he be fighting all the time if he wasn't so overpowered against everyone. Maybe Zod and co saved his life. Otherwise he would have ended up fighting everyone. As Superman he don't fight all the time because there is no challenge.

Lack of challenge is also problem for Zod and co. They get bored after no-one can do anything against them. They are just sitting in White House waiting for something to happen. They wake up when Lex Luthor tells them there is someone who can give them challenge. It is interesting how Zod and co doesn't know what to do when they get what they wanted. Was being the ruler of everyone the only goal? Was the chase better that the catch? Lex Luthor does what he does to be createst criminal master mind of all the time. He made realistic 3d holograms in prison. He could use his skills to make tons of money and that would give him almost everything that he could get by ruling Australia. He couldn't kill or steal but otherwise he could get all the life has to offer. But he seems to want to break the law. What is wrong with Superman villains?

Zod and co should have same powers than Superman.  Then why they can shoot beams from their fingers and use telekinesis? Are those powers to make them bigger challenge for Superman. Like that unreversable lost of superpowers wasn't enough? But that lost or superpowers was reversable after all. Whole thing was there to introduce magical device that helps Superman win at the end and show how much Superman loves Lois Lane. If lost of powers could be reversed, why Superman left Zod and co with Lex Luthor to place where lost powers can be gained again? Back to powers. They also include teleportation. Superman is powerful enough in comics but in these movies he have also powers on telekinesis, teleportation and he can move back in time.

Was that all? No. He can also erase people's memories and knowledge. That was needed because Lois Lane learned that Clark Kent is Superman and she couldn't take that easily. Easier to erase memory and that knowledge that trying to find solution where they can be together. Superman did this without asking Lois could he do that. Makes you wonder how good Superman is after all. That Lois Lane romance made movie good. And then they end it by removing all memory and knowledge about it. Like this movie never happened. Like scene where Lois jumps in to river and waits Superman to rescue her while Superman tries to save her without revealing his secret never happened.

First two movies are generally considered as "good ones". Next movie will be first of "bad ones". If the good ones are like this, what the bad ones are like?