Superman III (1983)
January 25, 2015 5:34 PM - Subscribe
The Man of Steel has a new love interest and a new nemesis.
Richard Pryor builds an AI. Clark Kent dates a woman with a kid and gives her a sparkling diamond. Superman is interested in sex only when he's evil. There's a sexy blonde bombshell who turns out to be (mostly) smart. A rich brother (the inestimable Robert Vaughn) and sister duo manipulates the coffee and oil markets for fun and profit.
Richard Pryor builds an AI. Clark Kent dates a woman with a kid and gives her a sparkling diamond. Superman is interested in sex only when he's evil. There's a sexy blonde bombshell who turns out to be (mostly) smart. A rich brother (the inestimable Robert Vaughn) and sister duo manipulates the coffee and oil markets for fun and profit.
People hated this when it came out, but I think it is a perfect filmic representation of the Silver Age Superman where he was always a dick and the plot never made sense.
posted by maxsparber at 8:42 PM on January 25, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by maxsparber at 8:42 PM on January 25, 2015 [3 favorites]
I don't remember the general reaction at the time but I liked it then and now. I understand the criticism of the gags. At any rate, it's way better than that Superman reboot where he was Christ, or something.
However, I started looking into the background of this one and found out about the Salkind family, the producers, and their alleged disagreements with Margot Kidder and Gene Hackman (hence the bit part for Lois) and their habit of trying to make several films from the cuttings of one movie. There's a legal clause named after them. Fascinating stuff.
posted by Ik ben afgesneden at 5:43 AM on January 26, 2015
However, I started looking into the background of this one and found out about the Salkind family, the producers, and their alleged disagreements with Margot Kidder and Gene Hackman (hence the bit part for Lois) and their habit of trying to make several films from the cuttings of one movie. There's a legal clause named after them. Fascinating stuff.
posted by Ik ben afgesneden at 5:43 AM on January 26, 2015
FYI SPOILERS: Robot Lady=Stuff of nightmares! This came out when I was a kid, and I could never look at the screen when the woman turns into a robot. Re-watching as an adult, it looks pretty cheesy (she reminds me of Dot Matrix from Spaceballs) but the look on her face as the computer assimilates her is still pretty chilling.
ComicsAlliance review of Superman III, Part One.
Part Two
posted by cottoncandybeard at 6:56 AM on January 26, 2015 [2 favorites]
ComicsAlliance review of Superman III, Part One.
Part Two
posted by cottoncandybeard at 6:56 AM on January 26, 2015 [2 favorites]
Starring the rounding error embezzlement scheme, also seen in Office Space.
posted by Chrysostom at 7:08 AM on January 27, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by Chrysostom at 7:08 AM on January 27, 2015 [3 favorites]
I just saw Richard Lester's A Hard Day's Night and enjoyed it so much that I want to go back and see if this movie isn't actually a lot more fun than I remember. Especially since I first saw it when I was a kid whose desires for a Superman movie were the sort that the Hollywood monkey's paw twisted into Man of Steel. Sorry about that.
posted by straight at 11:28 PM on December 8, 2015
posted by straight at 11:28 PM on December 8, 2015
So... summer of either 82, I was on a trip "out-west" to see my father - I would have been 9/10 at the time - and at one point we happened to be in downtown Calgary - and there was a crowd on the street - and I got an autograph from Richard Pryor - it was immediately after (or before) the rooftop skiing scene - he was dressed for the part. Later in life, I actually worked in the same building.
When it finally came out - I was both entranced by the computer-hacking/AI plotlines and traumatized by the extreme (at-the-time ... or at least for me...) body-horror.
posted by rozcakj at 10:56 AM on December 7, 2022
When it finally came out - I was both entranced by the computer-hacking/AI plotlines and traumatized by the extreme (at-the-time ... or at least for me...) body-horror.
posted by rozcakj at 10:56 AM on December 7, 2022
Was inspired to re-watch this, and whoa, what a ride. The computer-hacking stuff is hilarious; they don't even bother to try to make it realistic. Pryor's first amazing hack is to type two numbers into a computer, press enter, some lines of code appear, and then it goes blank and nothing happens. "I just did it!" Later, he subverts the payroll system by typing in something only barely more complicated than "Send .05c to this account." Whoa, how did you ever think of that? And then the computer in a WHEAT FACTORY requires nuclear missile launch security protocol just to turn on. Ultimately, I sorta love the pseudo-Braniac at the end. It's like, sure, why not? The roboticizing of the evil Sister... *shudder* That's creepy.
Richard Pryor is clearly just having a blast, like they told him "go out there and ham it up." I think I'm in camp "love it!" Although I think they are a bit intentionally contrarian in their negative reviews of Superman: The Movie and Superman II, they make a good case for III's strengths and for just enjoying it and going with the absurdity (and again, even though they are a bit inconsistent since they knock The Movie & II at times for their absurdities, but whatever).
posted by Saxon Kane at 9:53 PM on April 30
Richard Pryor is clearly just having a blast, like they told him "go out there and ham it up." I think I'm in camp "love it!" Although I think they are a bit intentionally contrarian in their negative reviews of Superman: The Movie and Superman II, they make a good case for III's strengths and for just enjoying it and going with the absurdity (and again, even though they are a bit inconsistent since they knock The Movie & II at times for their absurdities, but whatever).
posted by Saxon Kane at 9:53 PM on April 30
You are not logged in, either login or create an account to post comments
posted by Ik ben afgesneden at 5:35 PM on January 25, 2015 [1 favorite]