SUPERMAN 3

US, 1983, 119 minutes, Colour.
Christopher Reeve, Richard Pryor, Jackie Cooper, Margot Kidder, Annette O'Toole, Annie Ross, Pamela Stephenson, Robert Vaughn.
Directed by Richard Lester.

While this film was in production, a tentative title was Superman vs Superman. It was an example of the hero and his dark side (as in Spiderman 3).

Some synthetic kryptonite is laced with tar product and contaminates the man of steel’s power. Clark Kent emerges as the authentic person. Superman himself is the dark Superman. This is interesting, psychologically speaking as well as dramatically, for the inner conflict of Superman/Clark Kent.

Robert Vaughn is the villain, wanting to take over the world economically. He chances on a computer geek, played by Richard Pryor, who is able to be his instrument of destruction. The regular cast is back including Jackie Cooper as Perry White, Marc McClure? as Jimmy Olson and some glimpses of Margot Kidder as Lois Lane. However, the romantic interest this time is Annette O’Toole? as Lana Lang, a school sweetheart of Clark Kent.

The film is humorous, perhaps not as serious as the earlier films, although the underlying theme of the split in Superman’s personality is serious enough. This was the culmination of a trilogy of Superman films. However, Superman 4 was released about five years later.

The franchise was reinvigorated in 2006 with Superman Returns, directed by Bryan Singer.

1. An enjoyable Superman entertainment? Comparisons with the first two films? Expectations? Differences?

2. The opening tone - the Pink Panther style pratfall comedy? Relationship to the plot? The focus on New York, city streets, accidents? The lower key than the previous cosmic openings? Superman in an American domestic situation? In Metropolis? The film as a piece of Americana - New York, Smallville? multinationals, the growth of the computer industry? The American dream and greedy control? The psychological background - the confrontation with the evil and shadow self? Stunt work? A satisfying blend for entertainment? Panavision photography, locations. special effects and stunts? The musical score? New songs?

3. The background of the Superman comic strip? How many dimensions for characters and situations in this film? The issues, their importance? Matters of life and death? Comic strip characters and situations? Christopher Reeve as Superman - giving an added dimension to his portrayal?

4. An entertaining plot - the focus on Clark and Lana, the emphasis on small-town American romance? The complications with Webster and multinational greed and control? A personification of evil? The American black comedy style with Richard Pryor as Gus? Gus and computers? Good. evil. clash? The vindication of good?

5. The portrait of Clark Kent - at work in the office. his skill as a newspaper reporter, the meek cover for Superman? The attraction towards Lois Lane - the initial encounter, her holiday, her jealous reaction at his introduction to Lana? Clark as a product of Smallville? His friends at home, the re-acquaintance with Lana and her son, his enjoying their company? The clash with Buddy? Clark always on the alert for Superman situations? His opportunities for saving people, for putting out fires? Clark's awkwardness as a cover? The more human touch with his response to Lana - and the ending?

6. Audience expectations of Superman to save people - the car and the drowning, the boy, the factory - and moving the dam? The bringing up of these points later when he changed personality? The speeches about Superman and his prowess? His becoming evil and turning,in the middle of his patriotic speech? Pamela Stephenson as the comic villainess - and Superman refusing to rescue her? His seduction by her wiles? His shifting the Tower of Pisa, blowing out the Olympic Games torch, breaking the tanker and spreading oil in the ocean? Superman as a boozer and a down-and-out? His fight with his evil self - and Clark Kent winning? The return of Superman, the confrontation of enemies, the giant computer? And his saving the world?

7. Richard Pryor's comedy style as Gus - his being out of work, the comic situations of unemployment and the '80s, the dole, his getting a computer job, his innate success, his taking the half-cents and embezzling Webster, Webster finding him out, his spending, the confrontation, his power with computers, his being asked to control the weather in Colombia and destroy the coffee crops - and his success? His going to Smallville, the comic sequence of his opening up the computer? The encounter with Buddy? The control of the weather, the tankers? His change of heart? Antagonism towards Webster and his sister? The visit to the Grand Canyon, the donkey ride? His confrontation with Superman - and his unwilling flight at the end? Gus and his final patter and his incorrigibility? Richard Pryor's comic verbal style and clowning?

8. Webster as the personification of evil, his reputation for philanthropy, his offices and apartment and their decor, his intense language and its self-centredness, Robert Vaughn's stern ironic style? The plausibility of his greed? His household, his valet, his relationship with his sister? With his mistress -and her being a closet intellectual? The control of coffee, the control of the ships, the giant computer? The comic touches for h-is wealth - his ski run on the top of the city apartment? His disappointment with Gus, the final confrontation, his greed and comeuppance?

9. The contrast with Vera - her masculine approach, toughness, evil, her being possessed by the computer?

10. Pamela Stephenson's comic style as the dizzy blonde, her reading Kant and his philosophy, her knowledge of computers, the attempt to seduce Superman?

11. Jimmy as reporter, the factory story, his covering it? Perry White and the paper, the Bingo and the drawing of the numbers, the computer going berserk - and the couple winning their prize, have terrible time in the bad weather in Colombia?

12. The glimpse of Lois Lane - the comparisons with her role in the earlier films? Her love for Superman? Regard for Clark?

13. Lana as the attractive hometown girl? Her story, marriage, son, separation? The reunion, the party, the organisation, Buddy and his attentions? Her relationship with her son? The picnic with Clark and Superman saving her son? moving out of Smallville, going to New York? In the subway when the lights went out? The happy ending with Clark?

14. The background of computers and their popularity, their taking control of people's lives and their management of lives? The control of cities, weather, satellites? Data and information? The giant computer as a machine 'personification’ of evil?

15. The background of the coffee crops, South America, the presentation of the poverty, the wedding, the religious rituals - and the intrusion of, not an act of God, but an act of the computer?

16. The oil, the ships - and the British refusing to give in? Superman's breaking the tanker - and his later repentance and repairing it?

17. The portrait of Smallville U.S.A. - the Mid-American? town and the memories of the growing up, school, parties? The careers of the middle American adults?

18. The psychological theme of Superman confronted by his evil self, his shadow? The use of Krypton? His degeneration as a person? The humour of his malice and disrupting things? The ultimate fight with Clark and his winning? The finale with making the Tower of Pisa lean again?

19. The popularity of comic strips, the '70s and '80s with comic strip heroes brought to life on the screen? Embodying the aspirations and ambitions of the period?