Rotten Tomatoes
Movies Tv shows RT App News Showtimes

Superman II

Play trailer 2:22 Poster for Superman II PG 1980 2h 7m Adventure Sci-Fi Fantasy Action Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
88% Tomatometer 113 Reviews 76% Popcornmeter 100,000+ Ratings
Superman (Christopher Reeve) foils the plot of terrorists by hurtling their nuclear device into outer space, but the bomb's shock waves free the Kryptonian villain General Zod (Terence Stamp) and his henchmen Ursa (Sarah Douglas) and Non (Jack O'Halloran) from their imprisonment. Traveling to Earth, they threaten the planet with destruction at the same time that Superman decides to renounce his superpowers in order to live a normal life as Clark Kent with his new love, Lois Lane (Margot Kidder).
Watch on Fandango at Home Stream Now

Where to Watch

Superman II

Superman II

What to Know

Critics Consensus

The humor occasionally stumbles into slapstick territory, and the special effects are dated, but Superman II meets, if not exceeds, the standard set by its predecessor.

Read Critics Reviews

Critics Reviews

View More
Jay Scott Globe and Mail Jul 1
...[Christopher Reeve's] performance, Gene Hackman's performance and the performance of the special effects team are the three pressing reasons to see Superman II. Go to Full Review
Ron Base Toronto Star Jun 29
But what gives Superman a depth and believability lacking in other movies adapted from the comics, Popeye and Flash Gordon immediately come to mind, is the attention to character. Go to Full Review
Meaghan Morris Sydney Morning Herald Jun 28
The special effects are spare but spectacular, and the delightfully showy tricks are spaced out by comic ventures into romance, tourism and human drama. Go to Full Review
Richard Freedman Newark Star-Ledger Jan 12
Against all the laws governing sequel, "Superman II" is a much better movie than the original. Go to Full Review
John Ferguson Radio Times Sep 19
4/5
The effects are equal to the first film and there's a strong supporting cast, including an irascible Gene Hackman and the excellent Terence Stamp in what, at the time, was something of a comeback role. Go to Full Review
Brad Cook Flickering Myth Jul 10
4/5
I still regard the theatrical version of Superman II as a worthy follow-up to the original, even if there are those lingering "What if?" questions swirling around it. Go to Full Review
Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View More
Kevin P 1d A solid sequel that continues the general Zod plotline. Terrence Stamp is awesome as the villain General Zod. I love his calm stoic demeanor and his unhinged delivery of "KNEEL before Zod". Ursa and Non are also great as Zod's henchmen. The comedy bits drag the tone and pacing during the early scenes. It's cool watching Zod and his henchman learn how to use their new insane powers on Earth. There's a dumb dilemma where Superman's dead parent holograms pressure him to either be a bachelor or lose his powers if he gets a girlfriend. There's a lot of escalating tension as Zod takes over America and eventually the White House. Lex Luthor teaming bargaining with Zod at the White House was amusing. I love the exciting battle between Superman and Zod in the city and later at the Fortress of Solitude. It's ridiculous and downright icky when Superman suddenly can erase memories by kissing Lois Lane so she forgets his secret identity. However, it's still a great sequel! See more Spencer P. @s_plewe 5d Superman: The Movie was the setup, and Superman II was the payoff, with satisfying directions for the main love story and a fresh-for-its-time showdown between a superhero and supervillains, but badly-dated optical effects, overreliance on physical humor, and a supporting cast that still can't pull their weight (especially missing Marlon Brando in the theatrical version), this sequel just tells me I may not have needed to see it. See more Daniel C. @Daniel_OCaisde Jan 31 Top notch. My favorite Superman movie. See more Farah R. @Farah Dec 8 If you can stand the outdated visual effects, the mediocre writing will have you questioning the odd comedic elements that feel more like a parody than a superhero movie. The film is far less serious in tone than the first Superman movie, making its narrative disjointed and look campy. See more Vincent S. @Vin_E_At_The_Movies Dec 2 Christopher Reeve gives an Oscar caliber performance with heart and wit in this incredibly entertaining Superhero masterpiece. This is the best superhero movie of all time. Adventure, beautiful visual effects, humor, excitement and a battle at the end that is grand and exciting! See more Noah G. @LobsterCrab Nov 6 This is honestly, my favorite Superman movie in general’s out is my favorite Superman villain check this movie out See more Read all reviews
Superman II

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW
Superman: The Movie 87% 86% Superman: The Movie Watchlist TRAILER for Superman: The Movie Superman IV: The Quest for Peace 16% 16% Superman IV: The Quest for Peace Watchlist TRAILER for Superman IV: The Quest for Peace Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back 93% 97% Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back Watchlist TRAILER for Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back Superman III 31% 23% Superman III Watchlist TRAILER for Superman III Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope 94% 96% Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope Watchlist TRAILER for Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Movie Info

Synopsis Superman (Christopher Reeve) foils the plot of terrorists by hurtling their nuclear device into outer space, but the bomb's shock waves free the Kryptonian villain General Zod (Terence Stamp) and his henchmen Ursa (Sarah Douglas) and Non (Jack O'Halloran) from their imprisonment. Traveling to Earth, they threaten the planet with destruction at the same time that Superman decides to renounce his superpowers in order to live a normal life as Clark Kent with his new love, Lois Lane (Margot Kidder).
Director
Richard Lester
Producer
Pierre Spengler
Screenwriter
Mario Puzo, David Newman, Leslie Newman
Distributor
Warner Bros.
Production Co
Warner Brothers
Rating
PG
Genre
Adventure, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Action
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jun 19, 1980, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 15, 2008
Runtime
2h 7m
Sound Mix
Surround
Most Popular at Home Now