Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut features some pretty big changes from the original 1980 movie. Christopher Reeves' Superman: The Movie is a classic, and given how big of a hit the 1978 film was, it's no surprise that Warner Bros. ordered a sequel; however, production on that second film was marred by controversies and other difficulties. As a result, Superman II was the product of two different directors: Richard Donner — who directed the first Superman — began production on the film, but was eventually replaced by Richard Lester.
Following the success of the 1976 film The Omen, Donner was hired to direct Superman: The Movie and its sequel, which would be filmed simultaneously; however, personality conflicts arose between Donner and the producers, father-son duo Alexander and Ilya Salkind, and Pierre Spengler. Once filming began, tensions continued to rise, prompting the producers to bring in Richard Lester to "co-produce" the film. Things got so bad that Donner was eventually told to forget about filming anything more for Superman II and just finish up the first film. When Superman: The Movie proved to be a hit, production on the sequel resumed — with Lester at the helm. Despite the fact that Donner had filmed about 70 percent of the sequel, Lester reshot much of the film and radically changed the tone and several sequences.
Although Lester's version of the film was also a hit, in the years following the release of Superman II, there was growing interest in seeing Donner's version — especially with the introduction of DVDs and the trend of re-releasing films as extended or director's cuts. In the early 2000s, a fan campaign began asking Warner Bros. to restore Donner's vision for Superman II for the 25 year anniversary. Unfortunately, Warner Bros. initially was unable to do so because of various reasons. Marlon Brando had sued the studio over royalties, so his likeness could not be used. Donner had never completed filming, and it wasn't possible at that point to film more. Furthermore, Donner had no interest in being involved [via IGN]. However, circumstances changed, and in 2006, the studio released the "Donner Cut" on DVD.
As the Donner Cut was being assembled, the attempt was made to restore as much of Donner's original vision for Superman as possible by using the footage that was already shot. Some of Lester's footage was needed to make a coherent story to fill in the gaps, as well as a screen test and even a sequence from the first movie. The end result is that Superman II: The Donner Cut is not quite a finished film. Instead, it's an interesting look at "what might have been" that features several major differences from the film released in theaters.
The Tone of The Donner Cut is Less Comedic
Richard Donner viewed Superman as modern mythology, so both Superman: The Movie and Superman II: The Donner Cut reflect that by taking a serious approach to the subject matter. While there is some humor in Donner's version — particularly from Gene Hackman's Lex Luthor — Donner mostly cuts out the funny business Lester had added in. For example, Non — the evil, non-speaking musclebound Kryptonian — is played as an overgrown baby in Richard Lester's version, but Donner's version cuts around his jokes and just gets the meat of his scenes. Also, in the big climactic fight in Metropolis between Superman and the Kryptonians, Lester inserted a bunch of humorous shots of the civilians in the city, including a guy on roller skates and another guy talking on a payphone. Donner, however, gets rid of most of that and plays the fight scene much more straight. Lester also had the Kryptonians put their faces on Mount Rushmore, which Donner replaced with a more serious toppling of the Washington Monument.
Zod and His Minions Escape in Different Ways
In Donner's version, the movie begins with a recap of the previous film, which ended with Superman hurling a nuclear missile into space. A shockwave from that missile hit the Phantom Zone prison, freeing the evil Kryptonians. In Lester's version, Superman thwarts a terrorist attack in Paris by chucking a hydrogen bomb into space, freeing the Kryptonians. While this may seem like a minor difference, Lester's version creates a reason for Superman to throw another bomb into space which he just did so at the end of the previous movie. Also, both movies begin with a recap, but while Donner's is needed to show how that film leads into the sequel, the recap in Lester's film comes off like a TV show telling viewers what happened last week.
Lois Lane Suspects Clark Kent is Superman from the Beginning of Donner's Film
At the end of Superman: The Movie, Lois Lane briefly notices the resemblance between Clark Kent and Superman, but dismisses it as a crazy idea. This thread is immediately continued in the Donner version when, at the beginning of the movie, Lois scribbles some glasses on a picture of Superman. Lois Lane then jumps out a window of The Daily Planet building to make Clark save her, but he manages to save her without being noticed, briefly convincing her that he isn't Superman. Later on, when Clark and Lois are at Niagra Falls, Lois spots Clark without his glasses and again suspects he's Superman, especially when Superman appears minutes later to save a kid from falling into the waterfalls. Later, at the hotel, Lois Lane shoots a gun at Clark and when nothing happens, he admits that he's Superman. Only afterward does she reveal that the gun only had blanks.
In Lester's version, the first time Lois Lane suspects that Clark is Superman is at Niagra Falls, which ignores the fact that she suspected it in the first movie. After Superman saves the kid, Lois throws herself into the water, but Clark saves her without being noticed. Later on in the hotel, Clark drops his glasses into a fire and retrieves them without burning himself, thus revealing the truth that he's Superman. Both takes work, but Lois is a bit savvier in Donner's version. Lester's version looks better though as Donner never actually filmed the scene in the hotel. Instead, test footage of Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder (Lois) is cleverly repurposed in the scene. While it works fairly well, the sound and performances are slightly off and the continuity doesn't always work.
Marlon Brando's Jor-El Returns in The Donner Cut
In the Donner Cut, Marlon Brando returns as Jor-El and he plays a similar role to what he did in Superman: The Movie by offering guidance to Kal-El from beyond the grave. In Lester's version of Superman II, Jor-El was replaced by Superman's mother, Lara, played by Susannah York. The reason for the change was that when Superman: The Movie proved to be a hit, Marlon Brando sued the producers because he was owed 11.75 percent of the box office revenue. Not wanting to pay him any of the box office take for the sequel, Brando's scenes were reshot with Superman's mother instead. Fortunately, Warner Bros was able to work out a deal with the Brando estate to put the acting legend back in Donner's version.
Donner's Cut Better Explains Why Superman Gives Up His Powers
In both versions of the movie, Superman gives up his powers to be with Lois. In Donner's version, Superman admits to himself and Jor-El that he's being selfish and that he should be allowed to be happy, while Jor-El argues that he can't favor one human over the rest. Ultimately, Superman decides to give up his powers because he can no longer serve humanity in an objective way. In Lester's version, Superman talks to Lara instead, but the conversation is much shorter and all she says is that if he wants to be with a mortal, he must become one, and no further explanation is offered. The visuals are a bit different too as the crystal chamber used to depower Superman looks a bit different in each version and, in the theatrical release, the depowering sequence features some bizarre animation where Superman's skin melts away.
There's More Lex Luthor in The Donner Cut
Gene Hackman refused to do any reshoots without Donner, so Lester could only use what Donner already did with Lex Luthor. Because of this, Lester used just enough of Lex to tell the story and no more. In the Donner Cut, however, more of the funny business surrounding Luthor is included. The end result is that, in the Donner Cut, each of Luthor's scenes is a few seconds longer.
Lester's Cut has a Final Showdown in the Fortress of Solitude
Both movies have the big fight in Metropolis between Zod, his minions, and Superman that ends with Superman running away and luring them to the Fortress of Solitude. From there, Superman tricks them into depowering themselves by reversing the effects of the crystal chamber. Donner's version cuts right to this, but in Lester's version, there is an additional fight scene in the Fortress of Solitude first. This battle has since become famous for the strange and downright silly powers given to the characters. For example, the evil Kryptonians can suddenly teleport and shoot energy beams while Superman is now able to create holographic duplicates of himself. The most famous of these bizarre powers though is when Superman peels the "S" off of his costume and hurls it onto Non like a big blanket.
Superman's Magic Kiss is Gone in Donner's Version
Lester's version famously ends with a magic kiss that erases Lois' memory of Superman being Clark Kent. While the magic kiss has gotten a lot of guff from fans, Donner's version is arguably worse. Just like at the end of Superman: The Movie, Superman flies around the world at the end of Superman II to rewind back before Lois figured out he was Clark Kent. The problem is that this is not only repeats the ending of the previous Superman film, but also it renders the entire movie irrelevant since it erases everything that happened. Even Zod and his minions return to the Phantom Zone to potentially break out again later.
Lester's Cut is More Polished
Superman II: The Donner Cut is an interesting look at Superman II, but it doesn't come off as a finished product. Had Richard Donner completed the Superman sequel back in 1979, it very likely would have been a better film than what Lester ultimately made — but 2006's The Donner Cut is simply the best one could do 26 years later. Much of Lester's footage remains in the film because it was needed to tell the story, so strange tonal changes occur in the movie. It's also a bit jarring to see test footage in the middle of a movie. Finally, having both Superman: The Movie and Superman II: The Donner Cut end the exact same way is hardly exciting. Lester's film feels more like a finished product even with its flaws, and, ultimately, it may be the stronger film simply because it's actually complete.