Superman II (1980)

This sequel to the 1978 Superman movie had a troubled, complicated history but I knew nothing about that when I first went to see it in the theaters (this was in 1981, the year it was released in the U.S.). To me, back then, it was a rousing, amusing and successful sequel to the first film. Unknown to me, director Richard Donner had been fired before completing his work on it (it was made at virtually the same time as the 1st film) and replaced by Richard Lester.

This sequel didn't need to bother with an origin story and got into the action pretty quickly: Superman (Christopher Reeve) has to deal with a terrorist attack in Paris and flings a nuclear bomb into outer space. Unknown to him, the explosion frees the three Kryptonian criminals - Zod, Ursa, Non (Terence Stamp, Sarah Douglas, Jack O'Halloran) - who were condemned to the Phantom Zone in the first film.  The 3 super criminals fly through outer space to Earth's moon, where they ruthlessly murder the members of a moon expedition. They also realize that they have super powers (the same as Superman's) and are getting stronger the closer they get to our sun. So, they head for our planet and end up in East Houston, Idaho, where they terrorize the sheriff and the townfolk. The army soon arrives but is no match for the invulnerable villains. Zod then learns where the seat of power is and heads for the White House.
The reason that Superman does not confront these villains all this time is that he, as Clark Kent, has revealed his secret identity to Lois Lane (Margot Kidder) during a journalistic assignment at Niagara Falls and the two new lovebirds swiftly head to Superman's Fortress of Solitude to get better acquainted.  Superman then swiftly decides to forfeit his powers using special Kryptonian tech and red Kryptonite radiation, despite warnings from a computerized image of his real mom (Susannah York). He is unaware during  all this that Zod and his two cronies have taken over the U.S. government (and, therefore, the world), and have also teamed up with Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman), back for more nefarious plans involving real estate (he wants Australia in exchange for info about Superman).

One of the reasons that this sequel works and is even more entertaining in places than the 1st film is the presentation of the 3 super criminals at the forefront, especially  Stamp as Zod, who gives new meaning to the term 'egomaniac.'  Zod is pompous, elitist and too confident, but he has the power to back up all his character faults, to the point that taking over our world is too easy and he soon gets bored.  It all points to a grand battle between Superman and his three super foes in Metropolis - this doesn't disappoint and it takes the super doings of the 1st film to another level, a capacity lacking in most sequels.  In between, there are several memorable little scenes, notably a confrontation between a non-powered Clark Kent and a bully trucker, which sets up for a great little epilogue. BoG's Score: 8.5 out of 10
Super Trivia: this film set a new opening weekend record at the box office, at $14 million, slightly surpassed the next year by Star Trek II; originally, this was to have included Marlon Brando as a computerized projection of Superman's father, but all his scenes were cut out due to Brando's hefty price tag; director Donner was fired and actor Hackman refused to continue in his role, so several of Hackman's scenes involve a stunt and voice double; new director Lester had to film at least 51% material to be credited as director, so that included all the new Paris footage at the start, the scenes with actress York (replacing Brando) and re-filming some of Donner's work; it probably also includes the climactic battle scenes at the Fortress, where-in the 4 Kryptonians reveal strange new powers and Superman employs a new weapon in the form of his chest insignia. Brando's role was finally reinserted in the Donner-version cut in 2006.