Dec 10th
Superman II**

The "Richard Donner cut" newly released on DVD is something of a revelation, with a whole mine of previously discarded material shot simultaneously with Superman: The Movie, but removed at the time because of creative differences between director and producers, as well as Brando's exorbitant demands for more money - his scenes add nothing to his performance that wasn't seen in the first film, although they do have the benefit of direct interaction with Christopher Reeve.

The film itself works less as a conventional narrative than as what might have been (a screen test is used for one missing scene, and parts of Richard Lester's later material are also used to fill in the gaps). Despite the unevenness, and some gaping holes in the plot (what does happen to Valerie Perrine's character?), the whole thing holds up surprisingly well, and the general tone is more satisfying dramatically speaking than Richard Lester's version.