Movie:
Superman II, originally released in 1980, was directed by Richard Donner and, later when he was replaced, by Richard Lester. Much of the film was shot during the filming of Superman, and as a result, the two feel much more connected than do any of the following sequels. The film begins practically right after the first one ends; the opening credits are used to highlight some of the first film. Starring in Superman II are Christopher Reeve (Superman/Clark Kent), Gene Hackman (Lex Luthor), Margot Kidder (Lois Lane), Ned Beatty (Otis), Jackie Cooper (Perry White), and Terence Stamp (General Zod).

In order to save the hostages in the Eiffel Tower and the people of Paris, Superman flies a hydrogen bomb, which threatened to kill them, into space, where he lets it denote. Unfortunately, the blast frees the three Kryptonian criminals imprisoned in the Phantom Zone. They soon fly to Earth, where they find they have super-powers, a result of the yellow sun. Their leader, General Zod, is determined to rule Earth and, with the help of a recently escaped Luthor, to defeat the son of their jailer – Superman. With the odds stacked against him, Superman must find a way to defeat them before they kill more innocent people.

It has been quite a while since I last saw Superman II, but it has always been one of my favorite films, along with the first. Superman II develops the characters of Lois and Clark to a greater degree, and builds on their relationship. The villains in the film rival Superman himself, giving him a run for his money and prompting him out of early retirement. However, the film left me a bit confused on exactly how Superman got his powers back – one minute he doesn't have any, and the next, he's flying back to Metropolis. Aside from that, Superman II is great fun and fans of the character who've never seen the original or this sequel should definitely give them a try.

Picture:
Superman II is presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen. The transfer used has some problems, but it does look better than I remember ever seeing on video or TV. The picture appears soft throughout some of the film, which detracts from the detail. Colors are a tad muted and tend to be a tad too dark, while blacks are merely decent. There is also some grain and a few instances of edge enhancement. A few marks and specks also appear.

Sound:
Superman II is presented in Dolby Surround Stereo 2.0 in English and Dolby Mono 2.0 in French. While I can only imagine what it would've sounded like in 5.1, the 2.0 track Warner has provided is decidedly average. Dialogue sounds a bit thin in places and isn't as crisp as I would've expected, though its always understandable. Surround use is decent, but without the rear surrounds, effects that could have enveloped the audience, such as Superman flying, are lacking. Subtitles are also available in English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese.

Extras:
Extras include four cast and crew bios and the film's trailer. Given the wealth of deleted material that has surfaced over the years on TV, I would've expected a few of them to appear here, but no luck.

Summary:
The DVD for Superman II is a bit of a disappointment; 5.1 sound and deleted scenes would've been nice for starters, but fans will just have to keep hoping Warner re-visits this title in the future. For now, the DVD is adequate, and for a relatively low MSRP, it's worth picking up. Recommended!