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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed movies.

Superman II
Warner Bros. Pictures


5.0

based on 7 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

based on 72 votes
Read user comments
Rate this movie

FILM:

MPAA RATING: PG

Starring Gene Hackman, Christopher Reeve, Ned Beatty, Jackie Cooper, Sarah Douglas, Margot Kidder, Valerie Perrine, and Terence Stamp

A trio of Krypton villains threaten havoc on Earth, while Superman and Lois Lane are just becoming involved in a long awaited love affair -- an affair which may cost Superman his super powers. (Warner Bros.)

GENRE(S):	Action \| Adventure \| Fantasy \| Sci-fi
WRITTEN BY:	Mario Puzo (also story) David Newman Leslie Newman Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster (characters)
DIRECTED BY:	Richard Lester
RELEASE DATE:	DVD: May 1, 2001 Theatrical: June 19, 1981
RUNNING TIME:	127 minutes, Color
ORIGIN:	UK

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100

Chicago Reader Dave Kehr

With his perfect pacing, elegant narrative design, and depth of characterization, Richard Lester has made as good a matinee movie as could be imagined: it's a big, generous, beautifully crafted piece of entertainment, with the distinctive Lester touch in the busy backgrounds and the throwaway dialogue.

100

Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

It brings the fantastic into our everyday lives; it delights in showing us the reaction of the man on the street to Superman's latest stunt.

100

Entertainment Weekly Staff (Not credited)

It boasts a more consistent tone, better special effects (such as villains throwing buses around like paper planes), and even an affecting love story.

100

The New York Times Elvis Mitchell

A marvelous toy. It's funny, it's full of tricks and it manages to be royally entertaining, which is really all it aims for.

Variety Staff (Not credited)

Superman II emerges as a solid, classy, cannily constructed piece of entertainment which gets down to action almost immediately.

TV Guide Staff (Not credited)

Poking fun at its American mythos, but never descending into camp comedy, this sequel makes for a wonderful time.

ReelViews James Berardinelli

Superman II delivers on the promise hinted at in "Superman." Which is the better film? That's a hard choice to make, since both succeed in different ways.

The average user rating for this movie is 5.0 (out of 10) based on 72 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Erik H gave it a7:
While it's not a bad movie, it's rating is far too high. I don't think it should be included on this list because its Metascore is based on only four credited reviews, not the minimum of seven. It's a movie overrated by a loop-hole. Superman: The Movie was better.

Michael M. gave it a9:
You have to look at this movie's rating subjectively. Objectively, it's not the 2nd best movie ever made, but in the subgenre of "superhero movies," it's among the 3 best I've ever seen. Movie reviewers have to take all of this context into account. That's why it's here.

Bob Stoddard gave it a1:
This movie is horribly overrated. Terrible.

Evan S gave it a1:
Having just watched the Richard Donner cut, I don't get it. 99? The narrative is discombobulated, the acting is pure cheese, the bad guys are drab, the effects, script and character development were not as good as the first Superman movie. This movie's a mess and it's listed on this list of "best ever." How did this mistake happen?

Zachary M gave it a10:
Although Superman II had it's outlandish moments, the overall production of Lesters take on the DC comic series is phenomenal. Where this film excels is in it's direction--combining an amazing script with the momentum of the plot leave the viewer in anticipation for the climax without over analysis or explanation.

Mark T. gave it a5:
Definitely a flaw in the polling. There should be a rule that movies with less than 10 reviews do not get to be included in the ratings list of "best" and "worst" of all time. This is just kinda silly. Look at all of the others it has jumped over. A real head-shaker.

Simon M. gave it a10:
Yes it's camp, yes it's dated, but it is F__cking awesome.

Superman II Warner Bros. Pictures

Superman II
Warner Bros. Pictures