This movie is the proof that the world is becoming a sick and dumb place

Really Surprised!

A film of deceptively outspoken contemporary relevance, this is cinema at its most alert, alarming and alive.

Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.

Again I say: a movie of superheroes does not have to be totally serious, but also does not have to be totally stupid. Christopher Reeve, who truly portrays Clark Kent/Superman and even an Evil Superman, is the only redeeming factor of this disgrace, along with Annette O'Toole who plays Lana Lang, Clark's high school crush. Richard Pryor may be a great comedian, but here he's just an idiot who somehow goes from vagabond to computer genius, and villains are nothing threatening. Only the beginning of the movie with a sequence of stupid scenes á là Mr. Magoo sets the tone for the rest of the two hours, which clearly is no good omen.

(Flash Review)I don't understand the script decisions made in this movie. Lois Lane is literally on vacation the whole film and Clark and some new secretary gal from his hometown get cozy together. What happened with the charming romance between Clark and Lois from the last movie?!?! Richard Pryor's character was comic relief but never made me chuckle and he is also a computer geek that the villain uses to stop Superman. And that villain is the most forgettable character in memory. Pryor was on screen much more yet it was oddly funnier to watch Superman drinking at a bar and spoiling the Olympic torch lighting. Superman gets hampered by a manufactured piece of Kryptonite and has a very interesting battle as this isn't typical Kryptonite. The movie had some OK effects but the tone and script missed the mark for me in comparison with the first two.

quite good ... a bit too much slapstick but that happens when you get the change of a director. personally I love the Clark and Lana parts and Gus redeeming himself but its strange without Hackman or Margot kidder.It's nice that this tome around reeve is fully confident compared to the predecessors.

Despite the directorial struggles that plagued the simultaneous shooting of Superman I and II (Richard Donner being ousted in favor of Richard Lester), the films did very well financially, prompting a third effort. However, instead of the epic feel and formula of the first two films, this one falls completely flat for numerous reasons:-First, the direction of Lester. After watching this film, I am now convinced that Richard Donner really was the mastermind behind the success of the Superman film franchise, as Lester's "Superman III" is riddled with stupid humor and sight gags that do nothing to enhance the film viewing experience. Ironically enough, Donner was supposedly booted from the director's seat of Superman II due to too much farcical humor, but Lester is much worse in that department in this film.-The actors also seem to be sleep-walking through their roles, or were completely miscast in the first place. The new villain is wooden and doesn't hold a candle to Gene Hackman's Lex Luthor, while Richard Pryor's "funny" antics only make the whole film seem like a farce. Even Christopher Reeve, the centerpiece of the Superman franchise, turns in a sub-par performance both as the "heroic" and "bad" Superman. Not until the last few moments of the film does he seem to snap out of his acting doldrums and become the heroic character I remembered from the first two films.-The special effects are also a big step down from the previous efforts. At one point, the wires holding Reeve in the air can be clearly seen, while Superman's landings at times are not as smooth as they were in the earlier films. Once again, in this area "Superman III" could not recapture the greatest of the majestic special effects of the first two movies.-Finally, the two main plots in the film fall as flat as the acting, casting, and special effects. The "bad Supes" thread could have been done much more effectively (think of the good Kirk/bad Kirk in the old Star Trek: Original Series), and the same can be said for the "supercomputer" angle (Captain Kirk talking a computer into submission is much more compelling by comparison).Sadly, then, this film fails in nearly ever aspect of filmmaking. Instead of sticking with the lofty ideals and walking the fine line between heroic and cheesy that Donner did in the first two films, Lester tried to make a campier version of Superman and failed miserably. The only reason I would "recommend" this film to anyone is to show them how horribly wrong a film franchise can turn. Hard-core Supes fans will watch this film regardless of what I say, but to the casual fan I say that you can EASILY skip these two hours of boredom and not miss a beat in your Superman viewing experience.