Superman II: When the Director's Cut Is Actually Worse

0:00 The Dual Identities of Superman II 2:36 Two Supermans for the Price of One 4:13 Donner Discarded 5:52 The Restored International Cut 6:51 The Donner Cut Arrives 8:04 Funny Business 11:22 Paris Erased 13:01 A Less Loony Lois Lane 16:18 Daddy Comes Home 19:20 Better Than John Williams? 23:09 If I Could Turn Back Time... 27:14 Lester Cut vs. Donner Cut 29:22 Further "Reading" Richard Donner, the original director of Superman II, never got to finish his version of the movie. He was replaced by Richard Lester, whose name is on the theatrical cut. But in 2006, Warner Bros. gave him the chance to put together his own director's cut. So, it has to be the best version…right? FOLLOW ME: X: https://x.com/ragged_write Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/Kyle_Warnke/ If you’re interested in more video essays on Superman II, check out these videos: “Sorry Guys, I Don't Like the Donner Cut of Superman II” by Michael in Lo-Fi    • Sorry Guys, I Don't Like the Donner Cut of...   “Superman 2: What Happens When You Change Directors Mid-Movie” by Nerdwriter    • Superman 2: What Happens When You Change D...   If you’re looking for where to watch the Donner Cut, see below. Be sure to confirm if these products work in your region as well. (Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, so I may receive compensation if you sign up for or purchase products linked to below. As an Amazon Associate, I can earn from qualifying purchases.) If you’re looking for the Restored International Cut, you’ll have to find that one on your own. Superman: The Movie / Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut / Superman Returns [Blu-ray] – *only Donner Cut, not Lester Cut* https://amzn.to/46av5K4 Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut [Blu-ray] [English-Dolby Digital 5.1] – *only Donner Cut, not Lester Cut* https://amzn.to/44i2S1f The Superman Motion Picture Anthology, 1978-2006 [Blu-ray] – *Donner and Lester Cut* *this is the version I own* https://amzn.to/3TNu8Ql Music: Marty Gots a Plan Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... "Minima" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... "Hiding Your Reality" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... "The Complex" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Superman II soundtrack (1981), composed by Ken Thorne. All rights belong to Warner Bros. Sources: "Making Superman: Filming the Legend" documentary. Directed by Michael Thau. "You Will Believe: The Cinematic Saga of Superman" documentary. "Superman II: Restoring the Vision" documentary. "Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut" audio commentary "Superman II: The Donner Cut. Q&A"    • Superman II: The Donner Cut. Q&A   "Superman: The Movie - The Extended Cut" audio commentary "HT Talks To . . . Richard Donner," Sound & Vision https://www.soundandvision.com/httalk... "Interview: Richard Donner," IGN via Wayback Machine https://web.archive.org/web/201812160... "Interview with Michael Thau," Superman Homepage https://www.supermanhomepage.com/movi... "Original ''Superman II'' movie gets revived by fans," Entertainment Weekly via Wayback Machine. https://web.archive.org/web/202008080... "Supe's on for Donner," Variety https://variety.com/2006/digital/news... "Anti-Heroics: The Superman Films of Richard Lester," Bright Lights Film Journal via Wayback Machine https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20... "Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut (1980," American Cinematographer, March 2007, via Wayback Machine https://web.archive.org/web/202206242... "‘Superman,’ The Inside Story," The Hollywood Reporter https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/mov... "Exclusive Interview: Ilya Salkind," Moviehole via Wayback Machine https://web.archive.org/web/200606230... "The 2006 Tom Mankiewicz Interview," Caped Wonder https://www.capedwonder.com/the-2006-... "Superman II," 80s Sci-Fi Almanac via the Internet Archive https://archive.org/details/SciFiNow.... "THE LIFE AND EXCEEDINGLY HARD TIMES OF SUPERMAN," The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/1981/06/14/mo... #superman #videoessay #dccomics #superheroes