Superman-0II - The Richard-Donner Cut

***Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut*** is a 2006 superhero film directed by Richard Donner. It is a re-edited "director's cut" of the 1980 film *Superman II* and serves as the only Donner approved sequel to ***Superman: The Movie***. It makes use of footage directed by Richard Lester to make a complete story.

## Plot

On the distant planet Krypton, Jor-El condemns criminals General Zod, Non, and Ursa to the Phantom Zone. The scene now follows the three super villains as they witness the destruction of Krypton from inside the Phantom Zone. The resulting explosion bumps their floating prison, and changes their trajectory, so that they set on the same course as the ship that is sending Kal-El to earth. **The film then shows flashbacks to the first film, the launching of the two XK-101 missiles; Superman being trapped in the swimming pool with the Kryptonite necklace by Lex Luthor, being rescued by Eve Teschmacher and Superman diverting the missile into outer space. The Phantom Zone drifts towards Earth and the missile hits it, freeing the villains, who upon seeing Earth, fly towards it. After a successful escape from jail, Lex Luthor finds and infiltrates the Fortress of Solitude, learning of the impending doom brought by General Zod. He resolves to meet up with Zod, and begins to track his approaching alpha wave signal using the same tracking device he used to locate the Fortress.** At the Daily Planet, Lois Lane suspects that Clark Kent is Superman. She tests Clark by jumping out of a window, but Clark uses his powers to save her while appearing to have done nothing. Perry White sends Clark and Lois to Niagara Falls. Superman's rescue of a small boy renews Lois' suspicions, and she tricks Clark with a gun loaded with blanks into admitting that he is Superman. Meanwhile Zod, Non and Ursa, arrive on the moon and ruthlessly attack some US astronauts and Soviet cosmonauts, learning of their superpowers. They fly towards the 'Planet Houston', where they intend to rule as 'Gods'. They destroy a small town, then travel to Washington to force the President to surrender to General Zod on behalf of the entire planet. When the President pleads for Superman to save the Earth, General Zod demands that Superman come and kneel before him. **Superman, unaware of the arrival of General Zod, takes Lois Lane to his Fortress of Solitude. After spending the night together, Superman decides to transform himself into a human by exposing himself to red Kryptonian sunlight in a crystal chamber. The two return to society and learn of Zod's conquest of the world. The pair stop at a truck stop on their way home and Clark, without his powers, is beaten by a trucker named Rocky. Realizing that humanity is helpless, Clark returns to the Fortress to reverse the transformation. Having anticipated this decision, Jor-El's artificial intelligence reveals it has been programmed to deal with this situation by sacrificing the remaining Kryptonian energy it needs to continue operating. Thus to restore Clark to his superpowers, it must be joined with him (by taking the physical form of Jor-El and touching him on the shoulder), making a reality of the Kryptonian prophecy concerning "the father becoming the son" and rendering the Fortress of Solitude obsolete.** Lex Luthor arrives to the White House informing General Zod that Superman is Jor-El's son, and that he has the ability to find him, in exchange for control of Australia. He takes the three Kryptonians to the Daily Planet where they abduct Lois. Superman arrives and a fight ensues in Metropolis. After he is almost killed, Superman realizes he can't win and flies off towards his Fortress, with Zod, Ursa, and Non in pursuit. At the Fortress, General Zod forces Superman to again undergo the transformation process. The three villains realize too late that Superman has altered the process to expose everyone outside the chamber, removing the Kryptonian criminals' powers. He defeats Luthor, Non and General Zod with ease. Lois gets her revenge on a powerless Ursa by decking her, forcing her to join Non and Zod underwater. Superman now turns his eyes on the unnecessary Fortress of Solitude and destroys it with his heat vision. He then repeats the time-traveling flight from the end of the first film, so that the Kryptonians never escaped the Phantom Zone, Lois never found out he was Superman, the Fortress of Solitude was never destroyed, and Lex Luthor never escaped from jail. He then returns to the truck stop, whit his powers and easily beats the obnoxious trucker.

## Cast

* Gene Hackman as Lex L Luthor
* Marlon Brando as Jor-El
* Christopher Reeve as Clark Joseph Kent/Superman
* Margot Kidder as Lois L Lane
* Terence Stamp as General Zod
* Jack O'Halloran as Non
* Sarah Douglas as Ursa
* Jackie Cooper as Perry White
* Valerie Perrine as Eve Teschmacher
* Marc McClure as Jimmy Olsen
* Ned Beatty as Otis
* E. G. Marshall as the President of the United States.