Product Details

• Actors: Christopher Reeve, Richard Pryor, Margot Kidder, Jackie Cooper, Marc McClure
• Directors: Richard Lester
• Writers: David Newman, Jerry Siegel, Joe Shuster, Leslie Newman
• Producers: Ilya Salkind, Pierre Spengler, Robert Simmonds
• Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo), French (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo)
• Subtitles: English, Spanish, French, Portuguese
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Studio: Warner Home Video
• DVD Release Date: May 1, 2001
• Run Time: 125 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (175 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000059XUJ
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #94,532 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• Learn more about "Superman III" on IMDb

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Here was a case in which the progenitors of this successful comic-book adaptation figured they had to go in a new direction--and chose the wrong one. For starters, they recruited comedian Richard Pryor, who was the kiss of death for almost every movie he was in except his own concert films. He plays a computer specialist who is hired by a criminal mastermind (Robert Vaughan) to help him take on Superman by exposing him to a new form of Kryptonite: red Kryptonite, which always had unpredictable effects in the comic books. In this film, it splits Superman in two, dividing his good self from his dark side. The special effects had gone about as far as they could, and this movie strains to hold an audience's interest for its full running length. --Marshall Fine

Product Description

Superman matches wits with an evil mastermind and a computer genius who discovers the one substance which can harm the man of steel.
Item Type: DVD Movie
Item Rating: PG
Street Date: 02/08/05
Wide Screen: yes
Director Cut: no
Special Edition: no
Language: ENGLISH
Foreign Film: noSubtitles: no
Dubbed: no
Full Frame: no
Re-Release: no
Packaging: Sleeve

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 33 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A Flawed but Fun Film October 8, 2006

By S. R.

Format:DVD

For this third installment, the producers decided to inject a more modern twist into the Superman mythos via Richard Pryor's antics and the dependence on computer technology theme. The result was met with mixed reviews but did provide Christopher Reeve the opportunity to turn his dual role into a triple. Not only does he play Clark Kent and Superman, but also an evil Superman that manifests after exposure to synthetic Kryptonite (a plot device repeated at nauseum on the 'Smallville' TV series). The fight sequence between Clark Kent and his evil counterpart plays like a scene right out a Superman comic book! As far as the supporting cast is concerned, Margot Kidder's Lois Lane is not given much screen time but Annette O' Toole's Lana Lang (another 'Smallville' TV series staple) fills the role of Clark's old love interest nicely. The flying shots are easily the best of the franchise and Reeve is definitely the most buff he's ever been making him the most realistic physical embodiment of Superman to date. Unlike the previous DVD release, there are extras this time around including a commentary by the producers, a 1983 'Making of' special hosted by Chris Reeve, and almost 20 minutes of deleted scenes! In closing, while this movie isn't quite as magical as the first two Superman films, a terrific performance by Christopher Reeve and some nice supplemental material makes it worthy of another look on DVD.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars This is not `Superman III' December 6, 2005

By C. Chow

Format:DVD

This is not `Superman III'

This is NOT `Superman III'. If you watch this DVD expecting to see `Superman III' you will be very disappointed. This is not the `Superman III' which played in theatres or was released on VHS.

The DVD is about 30 minutes short. Several scenes have been shortened or deleted altogether without explanation. Nowhere on the DVD does it mention that this is a new "shortened" version of the film.

What's wrong: Most of the missing footage is of the inner circle of the Webster villains.

For example the scene where Vera and Lorelei shack hands angrily is missing, leaving us to wonder why they are standing there is pain

The scene where Ross Webster threatens Gus Gorman with prison is shortened to only the two meeting. Leaving a huge plot hole as to why they are meeting. In the actual scene Ross introduces Gus to Lorelei as his "aerobic astrologist". Lorelei shows how she has bought the toy penguin which caught fire in an earlier scene. As Lorelei plays with the penguin Ross threatens Gus with prison is he does not destroy Columbia.

Gus's description of Superman saving Columbia is also shortened.

The Websters working out in the gym is also shortened.

Most of the edits consist of single lines. For example when Vera tells Gus to stop the oil pumps, Ross says, "Tell him the part about the pumps. I know the you love the part about the pumps." Missing!

When Gus shows his sketches Lorelei comments they are the plans to a computer. After getting odd stares she cover this up with, "A hairdryer?"

There are many other scenes as well. While the film does not rise or fall on these scenes my point is that it's very annoying that the DVD makers would simply edit out these lines thinking the audience wouldn't notice.

This is not `Superman III'.

While most DVDs boast containing bonus footage some DVDs have now started editing out footage for a shorter running time. Yet there is no mention on the `Superman III' cover box that this is any type of alternate version.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Not Great, But Not Horrible Either. June 9, 2006

By Anthony Nasti

Format:DVD

After two major hit movies, the third entry in the Superman movie series was definitely viewed as a letdown. Indeed, compared to both the commercial success of the first two films as well as the quality of the films themselves, it is indeed a weak sequel. However that doesn't mean it's outright bad.

The third entry has Supemran / Clark Kent (Christopher Reeve, once again playign the aprt to perfection even if thw writing and the film itself are less than stellar) returns to Smallville, his hometown, where he hooks up with old flame Lana Lang (Annette O'Toole). Meanwhile, a down on his luck computer geek named Gus Gorman (Richard Pryor) has used his keyboarding skills and with the help of an evil industrialist (Robert Vaughn), plans on buildiding his "Super" computer and turning it into a weapon. Of course, Superman naturally gets in their way, and now they must achieve kryptonite and get him out of the way. They do indeed achieve it, but it does not kill him. However, it splits him into two separate personalities: Clark Kent and Superman, with Supemran being the foe, Clark now must get control of his other half before it destroys him in time to stop them from destroying the world with the "Super" computer.

First of all, let me start off with the good aspects of the film. Reeve is once again fantastic as Superman. He manages to overcome the film's flaws and turn in another magnifificent performance. It's also nice to see Samllville revisited, and the subplot with him and Lana was nice.

Now for the bad. Richard Pryor for the most part wasn't all that great. He was a truly brilliant comedian, but he's just out of place in a Superman movie. With him in it, the film automatically becomes more of a comedy (take a look at the opening credits sequence) and he just doesn't make a great villian. Next, Robert Vaughn's Webster is one of the worst villians ever. I know a lot of people complained that Hackman's Luthor was campy and over the top, but Vaughn surpasses him by MILES. And his henchman are much more annoying than Luthor's Eve and Otis. The score by Ken Thorne is autrocious, and you automatically yearn for John William's truly astounding score from the first two films to swell up out of nowhere. Add to that a cheesy soundtrack of original songs from Georgio Moroder and it just adds to the film's campiness.

I can go on and on about more positives and negatives, but I'll just say that "Superman III" is worth checking out, even if you will be a little disappointed by the end.