The Battle of Two Icons in King Kong vs Godzilla (1962)

By 1962, the Godzilla franchise had been dormant for 7 years. Meanwhile, Toho had given the world Rodan and Mothra to great success. But reviving Godzilla wasn’t an immediate thought. Instead, it came about after a rather long series of events that began in 1960.

Willis O’Brien, the stop-motion animator behind the original King Kong in 1933, had long wanted to do a new Kong flick. His idea involved a giant Frankenstein monster. He took his idea to RKO Pictures, who he believed owned the rights to King Kong. They initially liked the idea but were concerned about using Frankenstein’s monster since they believed Universal Pictures owned the rights, which they did not. Producer John Beck became involved and began morphing the story around but it soon became apparent that stop-motion would prove too costly. Beck approached Toho with the idea and Toho was interested as they had wanted to do a new version of King Kong. This coincided with their desire to revive the Godzilla franchise and, by 1962, the story had become King Kong vs. Godzilla. Sadly, Willis O’Brien never received credit for his initial storyline as the deal was done without his knowledge or consent. O’Brien would die in November 1962 at the age of 76.

Toho forged ahead with King Kong vs. Godzilla with Ishiro Honda taking the director’s seat. By 1962, Toho was producing all of their films in color so the big guy was to finally make his colorful debut. This would also mark King Kong’s return to the big screen for the first time since 1933. Sadly, the suit made for Kong is far less convincing than the stop motion version done almost 30 years earlier. Personally, while I have fond memories of this movie as it was my first Godzilla experience, King Kong looks rather cheaply made. The general thought is that not only it is it one of the worst-designed creatures Godzilla faced, it’s also one of the worst filmed ape creatures of all-time.

Our story centers on a pharmaceutical company in need of boosting profits. Mr. Tako (Ichiro Arishima), an incredibly over-the top owner, is looking for a way to increase sales and sends two men to a mysterious island in search of a mythical giant beast. Meanwhile, we follow the exploits of an American submarine that crashes into the same iceberg that Godzilla has been frozen in since the end of Godzilla Raids Again. Godzilla returns with mass destruction on his mind, getting all the press, which infuriates Tako. Meanwhile, on the island, there is indeed a giant ape creature known as King Kong. In a truly fun sequence, a giant octopus emerges from the sea to terrorize the villagers, forcing Kong to arrive and defeat the sea creature. This scene was filmed with a real octopus as well as a brief animated sequence where the octopus grabs one of the villagers. Surprisingly, it holds up rather well, despite the poor Kong costume.

Kong drinks a red juice the natives make and falls asleep, allowing the pharmaceutical company to capture him and bring him back to the mainland. Of course, it’s only a matter of time before Kong awakes and confronts Godzilla. Initially, Godzilla forces Kong to retreat. We are then treated to Kong recreating events from the original 1933. He attacks Tokyo, kidnaps our main female lead, Fumiko, and sits atop a building before succumbing to an attack of red juice, again knocking him unconscious. He is captured and transported to the top of Mt. Fuji, where Godzilla has taken refuge, in hopes of a main event confrontation. What follows is one of Godzilla’s more iconic battles, despite the poor Kong costume. Ultimately, both beasts fall into the ocean, where only Kong emerges. However, as we see Kong escape with a return to his island, we hear Godzilla’s roar, implying he was indeed alive to return another day. Well, at least we did in the Japanese version.

Much like Gojira, the Japanese and US versions of King Kong vs. Godzilla have specific differences. Producer John Beck retained exclusive US distribution rights, which included his plans to re-edit the picture as he saw fit. Some scenes were cut while others were rearranged. Beck wanted the film to have a more American feel to it. Therefore, footage of a satellite and an American newscaster were inserted to describe the events of the movie as they unfolded. Earthquake footage from The Mysterians (1957) was also used to make the main fight sequence more destructive. But the most jarring change is the soundtrack. Akira Ifukube’s original score is mostly removed in favor of stock library music. Yes, that is the iconic Creature from the Black Lagoon music used at one point. It always brings me out of the moment. The original Japanese version fairs much better and should never have been changed.

One myth that has been debated for years is that the American version allowed Kong to win while the Japanese version gave the victory to Godzilla. But no, this is not true. Having seen both versions, the film ends the same with one minor difference. Godzilla’s roar is not heard at the end of the American version. This is what has most likely caused some to speculate that Godzilla loses.

This marked the first step into a more comical approach to Godzilla. Many on the production crew were displeased with how lighthearted the film was, believing that Godzilla was more appealing when he was something to be feared. However, Toho wanted to broaden the audience and felt targeting children with the more comical scenes was the way to go. And, as I’ve already covered in some of my previous reviews of the films of the 60s and 70s, this concept was not going to go away.

Sadly, the Japanese version remains unreleased in the US. I actually prefer it over the American version but must admit, having watched the satellite and newscaster scenes since I first watched this on a Sunday afternoon in the early 1970s, it did feel like something was missing at first. But I really appreciated not thinking of the Black Lagoon during the main battle. The American version is easily found on DVD. Hopefully, someday we’ll get an official release of the Japanese version. However, some searching on the internet will result in copies of the Japanese original for a moderate cost. Check out the trailer while you peruse the World Wide Web.

Next time, we’ll take a look at Mothra vs. Godzilla!

The Volcano Monsters Meet Gigantis vs. Godzilla

Despite mixed reactions due to some of its’ content, Gojira was a proven success in 1954. In 1955, Toho opted to stick with the black and white format for a sequel, titled Godzilla Raids Again (or a more accurate translation, Godzilla’s Counterattack). It was a direct sequel to the events in Gojira and was rushed into production to capitalize on the big guy’s popularity. It would establish the scenario of Godzilla vs. the big creature of the flick, a formula that would become standard after this release.

The movie begins with two pilots being forced to land on island, where they become witness to a battle between a creature resembling Godzilla and another beast, which we would come to know as Anguirus. After both creatures crash into the ocean, the pilots return with their tale. It is recognized that the original Godzilla died at the end of the first movie, establishing that this creature is essentially another member of the same family. Going forward through the end of the original series in 1975, this is the Godzilla we see and, eventually, cheer for. It’s also stated that Anguirus was brought back to life by a nuclear explosion, continuing on the theme of the evils of nuclear power that Gojira presented, albeit much less grim this go around. Dr. Kyohei Yamane (again played by Takashi Shimura) returns to explain that there is no way to destroy Godzilla. The secret of the oxygen weapon died with its creator Dr. Serizawa. He suggests using flares to scare away Godzilla, which initially works when he arrives on shore in Osaka. A fire lures Godzilla back to shore and this time, Anguirus arrives as well. The first super battle begins with Godzilla using his atomic fire breath to destroy Anguirus. Picking up on the story of the two pilots in the beginning, jets and aerial battles play a big part in eventually defeating Godzilla, burying him in an icy avalanche.

Ticket sales were initially high for Godzilla Raids Again despite mixed reviews by critics and fans alike. It sat on the United States distribution shelf until 1957, when Warner Brothers decided to re-cut the film, using only the battle sequences. Their scale would be reduced to that of regular dinosaurs and all scenes of Godzilla breathing fire were to be cut. New suits were made and sent to the US for new sequences for the movie, which was to have been titled The Volcano Monsters. However, after the production company went out of business, the plans were scrapped until 1958, when new producers bought the rights and planned to simply dub the original print. Rather than market the movie as a Godzilla sequel, they decided to rename it Gigantis, The Fire Monster, releasing it in 1959. Godzilla’s roar was changed, footage of dinosaurs was inserted, sub-plots removed and music score replaced. Not surprisingly, fans and critics blasted these decisions. Sadly, this was the only version shown on television and released on home video until 2006, at which time the original was finally available for American audiences.

The series was shelved for seven years before being revived in 1962. During that time, Toho brought two new creatures to the big screen, both of whom would eventually be featured in future Godzilla flicks. Rodan, essentially a giant pterodactyl-like creature, was released in 1956 and became a huge hit both in Japan and in the states. Mothra (1961) was also a big hit, which some believe may have played a part in trying out Godzilla again the following year in King Kong vs. Godzilla.

On a fun note, George Takei, who would go on to play Mr. Sulu on the classic TV series Star Trek, provides the voice for the character of Tsukioka. George Takei would have a career dubbing voices for Japanese films, including Rodan.

Personally, I enjoyed the movie, especially in its’ original form. I also love the glorious black and white presentation. It’s not as dark as Gojira but lacked the comedic elements that occasionally bring some of the other Godzilla movies down. The movie is easily found on DVD. Check out the original Gigantis trailer while you wait for your copy to arrive in the mail.

Next time, I’ll check out both the US and original Japanese versions of King Kong vs. Godzilla from 1962.

Gojira (1954) Sets the Tone for the Godzilla Series As Very Dark and Grim

Now that I’ve wrapped up the first series of Godzilla films, it’s time to take a look back at the first 7 spanning 1954 through 1996. I watched all of these last year prior to launching this site but they are more than worthy of discussing here as my goal is to finish up all of the Godzilla movies by October. I’m on track, so let’s get started by going back to 1954.

Gojira was best known for many years by the American release title of Godzilla, King of the Monsters! While there has always been some editing done on Godzilla movies for the American audience, it really is accurate to say there are two versions of this first movie. The original Japanese version was directed by Ishiro Honda and he presents what really is the most serious, and perhaps darkest, of all Godzilla movies. Coming less than a decade after the devastation of World War II, some critics felt the filmmakers were exploiting the events of the recent past. Not surprisingly, Gojira had mixed reviews at best, despite becoming one of the top ten movies of 1954 in Japan. Over time, the movie gained more respect and would go on to become the definitive entry in the series.

Being filmed in black and white, it presents a very dark and bleak look at Japan. It also sets the tone that Godzilla is a destructive creature that must be stopped. This was years before Godzilla would defend Earth against space creatures or do little jigs after beating the bad guys. The movie is full of stark images, such as victims suffering from radiation burns. Here, more than any other movie that would follow in the series, we see the destructive power of Godzilla. We see the damage of the cities and the anguish on the victim’s faces. Honda tapped into his own memories of the atomic bombs in World War II, ultimately playing a key role in setting this movie apart from all others that would follow.

Godzilla is presented early on as a sea creature of massive size and power. Our story follows Dr. Kyohei Yamane (Takashi Shimura) and a team investigating an island where Godzilla has been spotted. After a confrontation with the islanders, Yamane concludes Godzilla was unleashed by a nuclear explosion. After attempts at destroying him fail, Yamane is asked to discover a way to destroy Godzilla, yet he wishes to keep him alive and study him. Another storyline follows his daughter, Emiko (Momoko Kochi), and a bit of a love triangle involving her fiancée Daisuke Serizawa (Akihiko Hirata) and Hideto Ogata (Akira Takarada). Daisuke is working on a secret experiment that dissolves flesh, something that will come into play later on in the movie. Godzilla returns and is never more destructive than he is here. The black and white film really enhances the devastation as Godzilla rampages through Tokyo. Never again would we really see how much damage Godzilla really does.  Ultimately, Daisuke’s experiment is used to destroy Godzilla. Because his device is clearly a weapon of mass destruction, he sacrifices himself in the end. Hardly an upbeat ending as the fear is that this is just the beginning and that more creatures will appear. If they only knew what the following decades would bring.

Outside of this version being played in limited theaters in the United States in the 50s and 60s, the version all of us grew up with was actually called Godzilla, King of the Monsters! Many scenes were cut in favor of new scenes starring Raymond Burr, who also provided narration, eliminating the need for a lot of dubbing. In 1956, this re-edited version was released to great success. It laid the groundwork for the Godzilla films that would follow but American audiences had no idea how intense the original version really was. After a limited release in 2004, which received universal positive reactions, it was finally released on DVD in 2006, on Blu-ray in 2009 and, finally, as part of the Criterion Collection in 2012. Whichever release you go for, I highly recommend this classic and strongly suggest you watch both versions as they really are two different “views” of the same story.

Next time, we check out 1955s Godzilla Raids Again, another black and white flick which brings a new Godzilla to the big screen.

Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975) Wraps Up Original Series

After the enjoyable and successful Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla in 1974, the 15^th entry in the Godzilla series followed one year later with Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975). In Japan, it was known as Counterattack of Mechagodzilla and, upon its’ brief release in the United States in 1978, it was known as The Terror of Godzilla. Despite the fact that director Ishiro Honda returned to the series after a six-year absence, it would be the least successful entry in the original series of films.

Terror of Mechagodzilla is a direct sequel to the previous year’s Mechagodzilla flick. Interpol is in search of the remains of the original Mechagodzilla. A submarine, the Akatsuki, wants information on the aliens from the black hole. However, they are soon attacked by a giant underwater dinosaur named Titanosaurus. Marine biologist Akira Ichinose (Katsuhiko Sasaki) traces Titanosaurus back to a mad scientist named Dr. Mafune (Akihiko Hirata) and his daughter Katsura (Tomoko Ai). The aliens are searching for Dr. Mifune to have him help them improve on the new Mechagodzilla. Unbeknownst to Akira, Katsura is actually a cyborg and the aliens intend on blackmailing Dr. Mafune using her safety as leverage. To ensure their plan works this time, the aliens put the controls for Mechagodzilla into Katsura. As Titanosaurus and Mechagodzilla attack the cities, Godzilla arrives to protect the humans.

Up to this point, the plot really seemed to drag. Godzilla is virtually unseen for the first hour until the final battle begins. Mechagodzilla still looks as cool as he did in the first film and Titanosaurus has a cool effect on his tail that helps him generate hurricane winds. However, beyond that, Titanosaurus doesn’t have much else going for it. Essentially, it takes advantage of whenever Godzilla is down for the count in the 2-on-1 showdown. At one point, Godzilla is buried but, we all know he’s alive and well. The humans build a device to block Mifune’s control of Titanosaurus, allowing Godzilla to burst out of his grave and go at Mechagodzilla for the final battle. Godzilla tears off Mechagodzilla’s head as did the last time only to reveal the brain tissue that Mifune wanted to make this Mechagodzilla better. Meanwhile, Interpol finds the aliens (who oddly don’t turn into simians upon death like they did last time), Dr. Mifune is killed in a fire fight and Katsura, after revealing herself as a cyborg to Akira, kills herself to ensure Mechagodzilla self-destructs. The alien leader escapes in one of three flying saucers, of which Godzilla quickly dispatches. In the end, Godzilla reigns supreme, with his final act kicking Titanosaurus into the ocean. Godzilla goes off into the proverbial sunset for what would turn into a 9-year slumber.

Ultimately, Terror of Mechagodzilla was a little disappointing. The storyline didn’t keep me engaged and Godzilla’s arrival seemed awful late. However, once he got on the scene, the last 20 minutes or so turns out to be a lot of fun and a good sendoff to the original series. But the movie was a box office failure in Japan. As usual, there were various titles and some editing for the US audience. The most noticeable change was a five-minute intro featuring the mini-history of Godzilla and quite a few flashbacks. Even though it served no real purpose, it at least gave viewers five minutes of Godzilla footage before they’d have to wait almost an hour for him to get back on screen. The movie is readily available on DVD, generally for less than $10. And yes, the original US poster of The Terror of Godzilla, pictured here, incorrectly showed King Caesar back in the this film.

After diminishing returns, Toho decided to end the series of films and give it a much needed rest. They never intended to end it altogether though and in 1984, production would begin on Godzilla’s return for his 30^th anniversary with The Return of Godzilla or, as it was known in the United States, Godzilla 1985. But, before we leap forward to the 1980s, courtesy of a request from faithful reader Stephen D. Sullivan, I’ll be going back to review the first seven Godzilla movies, starting with Gojira aka Godzilla, King of the Monsters (1954).

Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974) is Best of the 70s Films

After a long absence, it’s time to get back to our loveable monster legend Godzilla with Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974). After some pretty rough films in the early 70s, the franchise was showing signs of fatigue. It needed a shot in the arm and it got just that with the introduction of a mechanical Godzilla and a new creature called King Caesar.

The plot is typical of Godzilla films from this area. You have essentially two storylines that meet somewhere in the middle with the ultimate Godzilla battle taking center stage by the last 30 minutes of the movie. Here, we have an ancient statue in Okinawa being unearthed and tied into prophecies of a great monster rising to destroy the world. The statue is that of King Caesar, guardian of Okinawa. As various signs of impending doom begin to appear, we’re following two groups of individuals that include Professor Miyajima (Akihiko Hirata) and his daughter, various government agents and a mysterious group of aliens with plans of conquest. Their plan revolves around Mechagodzilla, a giant robotic version of Godzilla that resembles the real Godzilla at first thanks to a fake skin. Mechagodzilla plans to kill the revived King Caesar until the real Godzilla shows up. The usual three-way battle follows including a surprisingly bloody sequence between Godzilla and King Caesar where Godzilla attempts to rip off Caesar’s jaw. In the end, Godzilla and King Caesar join forces to defeat Mechagodzilla and stop the aliens from conquering Earth.

This was a lot of fun as it was a change of pace from some of the bad films of the early 70s. Not surprisingly, many consider it the best of the 70s Godzilla movies. It has a fairly cohesive plot, good action sequences and a great soundtrack during the battles. The original script went through many rewrites and included, at various times, Mothra and King Barugan, amongst others. In the end, we were dealt the new King Caesar and a minor appearance of Anguirus. King Caesar’s design is definitely a product of the mid-70s but accurate when considering it’s supposed to be from Japanese mythology. However, it’s not my favorite kaiju design though.

The movie was only a moderate success in Japan but an improvement over previous films. It wasn’t released in the United States until three years later. By that time, The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman were big hits on American television. So, Cinema Shares International, who had the distribution rights, retitled the movie Godzilla vs. the Bionic Monster, in an obvious attempt to capitalize on the Bionic mania. However, one week into release, Universal Studios filed a lawsuit against Cinema Shares International, claiming copyright infringement on their two television shows. The movie was retitled Godzilla vs. The Cosmic Monster.  Whatever the title, I really enjoyed this entry. It had been many years since I watched it and I was pleasantly surprised how fresh it seems when compared to some of the other entries of the 70s.

The movie was released on DVD but is now out-of-print. Copies on Amazon are running about $55, so you might want to check around on eBay or local used DVD shops for something cheaper. Also, be careful you are getting the 1974 version as this was redone twice, in 1993 and again in 2002. Meanwhile, check out a trailer as you hunt for a copy.

Next time, Godzilla is back in the final entry of the original series, Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975).

Check out the Monster Kid Radio podcast!

Derek M. Koch is going back to his roots with his new podcast, Monster Kid Radio. Derek is best known for the years he dedicated to the Mail Order Zombie podcast. He also currently co-hosts 1951 Down Place with Scott and Casey, where they review a Hammer Film every month. Not to mention the numerous appearances he’s made on other shows, such as the B-Movie Cast and Dread Media. Now, he’s bringing us another great podcast to enjoy weekly. As the tagline says, Monster Kid Radio is “where Karloff is still king, Lugosi’s still alive and John Agar still rules”. That should explain it all! No, the show isn’t affiliated with this blog but consider us twin sons of different mothers. Yours truly is a guest on this week’s episode 7 and the upcoming episode 8 where Derek and I discuss the 1951 classic The Day The Earth Stood Still. I also covered that amazing flick on a previous post. So go check out Derek’s new show! I’m loving it and sure you will too!

Krypton Kountdown – Man of Steel (2013)

After watching six theatrical Superman movies with three different lead actors spanning more than half a century the Krypton Kountdown is over. Man of Steel has finally opened to a box office record for the month of June: $125.1 million in just four days. Yes, apparently it’s cool to be Superman again.

I’ll avoid all spoilers in this review since I’m sure many people are waiting for the crowds to die down. However, I’ll be offering up my comments as usual and know that Superman was really one of my first two superheroes. Growing up in the 70s, we didn’t have comic book stores yet. Well, at least not in the small town I grew up in. My comic book purchases came from whatever the spinning racks offered or what waited for me in those wonderful 3-in-1 grab bags. I can’t remember which came first but Batman and Superman comics were a big part of my early collection, alongside Justice League of America, which routinely featured both. Over the years, I’ve seen Superman’s origin evolve. The Man of Steel mini-series back in the 80s bothered some longtime readers as it altered some long-standing aspects of his origin. Then there was the death of Superman in the 90s, which again turned off some but also brought many readers into, or back into, the comic shops. After years of floating in and out of comics, I was finally living in a town with multiple comic book shops. So that storyline got me hooked and made me a weekly visitor to my local shop until last fall. After a year of struggling with the New 52 revamp, I decided I was staying old school, concentrating on older comics while only staying aware of what new stuff was out there. So, I went into Man of Steel fully aware that the costume would be different and the storyline more contemporary. It wasn’t going to be Christopher Reeve’s Superman anymore.

With all that background, I went in with level expectations…and I really enjoyed Man of Steel. It’s not perfect but considering how disappointing the last two movies with Christopher Reeve were and how lackluster Superman Returns was, Man of Steel is a huge step in the right direction. Henry Cavill (Immortals) really worked for me as Clark Kent aka Superman. He brought a charm to the role without going into an over smiling Boy Scout performance. That is not who Superman is anymore, be that good or bad. Amy Adams worked for me as Lois Lane and left me wanting to see a little more. She’s far better than Kate Bosworth was in Superman Returns. She’s a Lois for the 21^st century. Michael Shannon (Mud, Jonah Hex) was fantastic as General Zod, balancing between a man who wanted the best for Krypton and being a homicidal maniac. Kevin Costner and Diane Lane were great as Jonathan and Martha Kent; stronger characters for a different time. Some people may complain that Perry White is played by Laurence Fishburne since Perry is not African American in the comics. Not an issue with me at all, other than Perry had very little to do. I also thought Russell Crowe did a good job as Jor-El. I don’t think he walked his way through the role at all. He played Jor-El as a Kryptonian, somewhat cold yet warm and compassionate in matters relating to his son. Sorry but I can’t Marlon Brando doing some of the things Crowe brought to the role.

The opening scenes on Krypton alter the background a little but not significantly. We get to see more of Krypton, visualizing just how alien this advanced civilization was. As the story progresses, we see young Clark grow into his powers and the struggles he had against his Earth father in deciding when he should use his powers and when not to. I liked how the story fluctuated back and forth between the main story and flashbacks. It wasn’t confusing and told a story that revealed details in relation to how other events were developing on screen. Ultimately, this movie is about the confrontation between Superman and General Zod over the future of Earth. I liked how the authorities were more realistic in how they dealt with and, eventually, accepted Superman. It was realistic in a movie that is clearly based on fantasy.

Man of Steel is darker than any version of Superman we’ve seen before. That’s going to turn some people off. However, the old school Superman doesn’t exist anymore in the comic books. If you want to appeal to a younger audience, you have to bring the character to life as he is being interpreted in the comics. The older, more lighthearted Superman stories are still there to discover in your local comic book shop just as the old movies are still there on the DVD shelf. Both versions can co-exist just as the Adam West Batman can co-exist with the Christian Bale Batman. They are two very different portrayals of an iconic character from two different eras, yet both equally enjoyable depending on your mood.

If I had any complaint against Man of Steel it is that it could have had about 10-15 minutes shaved off the running time. I have no problem with a movie running over two hours as long as it is needed. The battle sequences here go on a little long. Director Zack Snyder (Watchmen, 300) goes a little frenetic at times but didn’t turn me off from the action. The long battle scenes don’t ruin the movie but a slighter tighter hand at the editing wheel would have made the movie that much better. Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight Rises) does a solid job as both producer and screen writer.

I thoroughly enjoyed Man of Steel. It looks like DC Comics has finally revived this franchise. Now, the question is what comes next. The word seems to be that Warner Brothers wants to fast track a sequel by the end of 2014. I really hope that smarter heads prevail. Rushing a sequel into production is never a good idea. The cast is all locked in for a sequel, so at least we have that. Time will tell what lies next but what we do know is that Man of Steel is a huge hit. With Superman and Batman going strong, will we finally see the Justice League movie many of us have pondered about for years?

Krypton Kountdown – Superman Returns (2006)

After three television series, two animated series and a major comic book storyline that killed him off and brought him back from the dead, Superman was ready for his big return to the silver screen. By 2006, Marvel was dominating with their first wave of films that included such hits as Spider-Man and X-Men. On the other hand, DC Comics had more misfires (Catwoman, Steel) than hits but the tide had changed with 2005’s Batman Begins. On paper, Superman
Returns seemed to have all the ingredients for a big hit. Then why did it take another 7 years for our hero in the red cape to come back?

After the Superman franchise ended with a thud called Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, all efforts seemed to focus on TV. However, numerous projects had been attempted for years and included such unlikely leading men as Nicolas Cage and James Caviezel. Bryan Singer, who had directed the first two X-Men movies, was eventually attached to the film and made a bold decision to make it a sequel to the first two movies, forgetting the last two. Even at the earliest stages, the script had Superman returning after a long absence. The key role of Superman was given to newcomer Brandon Routh. Christopher Reeves’ widow Dana gave him her blessing, commenting on how much the two were similar in appearance. I agree, Routh looked very much like Christopher Reeve and, at times, acted and sounded the same as well. However, Routh lacked one thing Reeve had in spades: charisma. Unfortunately, that lack of charisma would be one of the reasons why we never got a sequel to Superman Returns.

Acting like Superman III and IV never happened was a good thing. Those movies were misfires, despite some of the better elements in III. Our movie opens with Superman returning to Earth after an absence of five years. He left Earth to find the remains of Krypton but, after finding nothing but a graveyard, he opted to return to his adopted home. He finds that his Lois Lane (Kate Bosworth, Straw Dogs) now has a serious boyfriend, Perry White’s nephew Richard (James Marsden, X-Men), and a son named Jason (Tristan Lake Leabu). Frank Langella is now in the role of Perry White while Sam Huntington is Jimmy Olsen. Returning to the Daily Planet, Clark Kent tries to assimilate back into society but he’s struggling with the thought of Lois with another man. Meanwhile, Lex Luthor (Kevin Spacey) is back with another plot to reshape the world into his own vision. This is the grandest of his plots to date. Returning to the Fortress of Solitude, he steals the crystals in order to create a new landmass that will wipe out 2/3 of North America. Superman’s return puts a wrench in the works but Lex has interlaced his new continent with Kryptonite with hopes of killing Superman once and for
all.

Superman Returns is full of pros and cons. Routh does channel Reeve at times. However, as previously mentioned, he lacked the charisma and charm needed to carry the lead role. Even with a refreshed costume, he was just never exciting as Superman. Despite all the convincing scenes, he just never worked for me. The supporting cast is a toss-up. Bosworth didn’t seem to be Lois Lane to me. She lacked the strength Margot Kidder brought to the role. However, Langella and Huntington were good in their supporting roles. Kevin Spacey was great as Lex Luthor, pushing him beyond the campiness of Gene Hackman into an egotistical genius. But really, did we need Lex as the bad guy again? Someone new and fresh would have been better. It was nice to see the late Marlon Brando back as Jor-El via the footage cut from the theatrical version of Superman II. Having the music of John Williams, as interpreted by John Ottman, was a huge plus. Special effects were great as well. The biggest problem is the script and a plot twist no real Superman fan could accept.

The movie is just lackluster. It has no spirit and really isn’t fun to watch. It’s not a bad movie. In fact, there are some cool moments. However, it’s just lacking the key factors that make a movie truly great. It made plenty of money at the box office. A sequel was announced with the entire cast signed on. Brainiac and Bizarro were discussed as main villains. But, it didn’t make as much money as Warner Brothers had envisioned and, by 2008, they made a decision to reboot the franchise altogether. Brandon Routh was now out as Superman and his career never really recovered.

The one key storyline that really irritated me was the introduction of Jason, Lois and Superman’s son. For me, if you are attempting to revive a theatrical comic book franchise, you should probably listen to the fan boys and give them what they want: super battles between good and evil. Instead, we get a general lack of action and we get Son of Superman, a character never in the comic books at all. I really disliked this plot point and just don’t understand why they went that route. Nobody else seemed to like it either. Reaction was mixed and the audience really wasn’t left wanting more.

In the end, I did like Superman Returns. I didn’t enjoy it as much as the first two movies but it was better than III and IV. It just wasn’t a movie that pulls you in for multiple repeat viewings. The few really good moments we get are interspersed between long and boring scenes that seem part-homage and part pandering to the viewer, giving the audience a rehash of familiar scenery. Yet, that pandering is then thrown out the window by introducing a super son. I do recommend checking this one out but go into it with reservations and awareness at the ready.

Now, after a 7-year absence, Superman is back. For Father’s Day, I’m going to see the new Man of Steel. By Monday, you’ll hear my spoiler-free thoughts as I wrap up the Krypton Kountdown.

Krypton Kountdown – Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987)

In the summer of 1984, the world was supposedly waiting to see the next entry in the super adventures with Supergirl. However, after the poor performance of Superman III the previous year, Warner Brothers dropped the movie. Tri-Star Pictures picked it up and released it in November but the movie flopped and remains critically lambasted by fans. The franchise was on shaky ground and the Salkinds would sell the franchise film rights to Canon Films.

Canon approached Christopher Reeve about coming back for a fourth film. With no script ready, Reeve was reluctant as the general feeling was that Superman needed a break from the big screen. Reeve disliked the third film and wanted a fourth movie to be treated seriously. Canon offered him input into the script and a promise to direct a fifth feature film. In addition, they would produce any film he chose. A deal he couldn’t refuse, Reeve accepted and all efforts went into Superman IV: The Quest for Peace towards a summer 1987 release. At least, that was the plan. With so many films in production, Superman IV felt budgetary cuts at every turn. The script was rewritten, scenes cut and production costs slashed. The end result was a 90-minute flick that everyone agrees should never have been made. Even Reeve knew during filming that the movie was going to be a disaster.

The movie begins with Superman saving some cosmonauts, then returning home to Smallville. There, he discovers a Kryptonian device that triggers a message from his mother Lara (voiced by Susannah York). It yields a power that can only be used once, which ultimately saves his life later on in the movie. Superman, in his alter-ego of Clark Kent, returns to Metropolis to find that the Daily Planet has been taken over by David Warfield (Sam Wanamaker, Private Benjamin) and that Perry White (Jackie Cooper) has been fired and replaced by Warfield’s daughter Lacy (Mariel Hemmingway, Personal Best). Lacy attempts to romance Clark, which brings out some jealousy in Lois Lane (Margot Kidder), in a slightly bigger role than Superman III.

Superman is conflicted over how much he should interfere in the growing nuclear tensions between the United States and Russia. He ultimately decides to gather up the nuclear weapons and hurls them into the sun. Meanwhile, Lenny Luthor (Jon Cryer, Two and a Half Men) breaks his uncle Lex (Gene Hackman) out of prison. Lex quickly comes up with a plot to create his own “superman”, which he names Nuclear Man (Mark Pillow). Numerous battles between Superman and Nuclear Man follow before Superman eventually wins. His parting words are that there will be peace in the world only when the people in the world demand it. Superman flies off into the sunrise, disappearing from the big screen for some 19 years.

Let’s just cut to the chase…this movie is a mess. The plot is meandering and using Lex Luthor again seems beyond lazy at this point. Horrendous editing leaves the movie feeling incomplete. Approximately 45 minutes of footage was cut, including an original Nuclear Man. Yes, we were supposed to see two different Nuclear Men. The DC Comics adaptation features alternate dialogue and includes the first Nuclear Man, which I thought odd when I read the comic before seeing the movie, only to wonder what happened. About thirty minutes of the deleted footage has since been released on DVD as deleted scenes. Suffice to say, the movie was a super flop. It ranked #4 its’ opening weekend. It effectively killed the franchise and Christopher Reeve believed it to be a huge blow to his career. Superman wouldn’t grace the big screen again until 2006’s Superman Returns.

Meanwhile, Superman returned to TV. First up was Superboy (1988-1992), developed by the Salkinds and starring John Haymes Newton (season 1) and Gerard Christopher (seasons 2-4) in the lead role. Then, there was Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, which ran for four seasons between 1993 and 1997, focusing more on the relationship between Clark (Dean Cain) and Lois (Teri Hatcher). Finally, Smallville ran for 10 seasons (2001-2011) and 218 episodes, chronicling a young Clark Kent (Tom Welling) and his evolution into Superman. All were moderately successful but none truly managed to bring Superman into the mainstream again. They each have their fans; in fact, many are anxiously awaiting the final two seasons of Superboy to be released, which finally seems a reality after a long legal battle between Warner Brothers and the Salkinds.

Perhaps most prominent and well-liked was Superman: The Animated Series, which ran for four seasons and 54 episodes between 1996 and 2000. Superman then transitioned to two different Justice League animated series and is currently featured in both the Young Justice series as well as a continuing series of home video animated features.

On May 27, 1995, Christopher Reeve was thrown from a horse and became paralyzed. He became an advocate for spinal injuries and research. He died of cardiac arrest in October 2004 at the age of 52. Sadly, his wife died of cancer less than two years later.

In 2006, Superman returned to the big screen with Superman Returns, but would the long wait be worth it?

Krypton Kountdown – Superman III (1983)

After the tremendous success of the first two Superman movies, it came as no surprise that the summer of 1983 saw the release of Superman III. And after the opening credit sequence, it was clearly established that the tone of this movie would be dramatically different from what we had seen in the first two adventures.

Richard Lester was back as director and his comedic influences were now in full force, for better or worse. Instead of a grand opening credit sequence with the now familiar theme as arranged by Jonathan Williams, we get a comedy of errors all started by the roaming eye of pedestrian in downtown Metropolis. Granted, it is somewhat funny but seemed out of place. However, considering that we were introduced to Richard Pryor’s character of down-on-his-luck Gus Gorman right before that, it truly set the tone for a more lighthearted adventure.

Our story centers on Gus Gorman who, after being told he could no longer collect unemployment checks, discovers he has a talent for computer programming. After he is disappointed by his first paycheck, he decides to put those computer skills to work for his benefit and embezzles money from his new employer. Enter CEO Ross Webster (Robert Vaughn, The Man from U.N.C.L.E.), who puts Gus to work in a scheme to rule the world through financial manipulation. Part of Webster’s “gang” includes his sister Vera (Annie Ross, Throw Momma from the Train) and Lorelei Ambrosia (Pamela Stephenson, Bloodbath at the House of Death). Webster forces Gus into creating a fake version of Kryptonite, which is imperfect and, after a failed attempt at weakening Superman, is thought to have no effect on him. Ultimately, Webster plots to control the world’s oil supply, which leads to Gus building a super computer.

Meanwhile, Clark Kent (Christopher Reeve) has returned to Smallville for a story on his high school reunion. Once there, a romance begins to develop between Clark and his childhood sweetheart that never was, Lana Lang (Annette O’Toole). Lana’s son Ricky also befriends Superman until Superman begins acting strangely. It turns out the fake Kryptonite did affect Superman, causing him to begin angry and destructive. After a series of incidents, he splits into two people, an evil Superman and a nice Clark Kent. The battle between the two is odd but the most action we’d see in this movie besides some random super heroic acts (several of which we see the lines carrying Christopher Reeve, something I didn’t notice in the first two movies).

After good wins out, the restored Superman goes about righting all his wrongs and facing the super computer. Another odd battle follows which sees Vera turned into a cyborg and Superman winning out using an acid from a chemical plant he saved earlier on in the movie. Gus gets a job at a coal mining company and Lana moves to Metropolis with a new job as Perry White’s (Jackie Cooper) new secretary. And yes, Margot Kidder is back as Lois Lane in what really is a glorified cameo role with less than five minutes of screen time. Kidder had been very vocal against the Salkinds over their treatment of director Richard Donner during the production of Superman II, which would explain her small role. Gene Hackman allegedly refused to return as Lex Luthor for the same reason. Personally, I’ve never been able to take Robert Vaughn seriously in any role he’s played and his character of Ross Webster comes across as a pale version of Luthor.

Superman III had far too much humor for my tastes, especially considering how serious the first two movies were overall. I’ve also never been that fond of Richard Pryor and his portrayal of Gus Gorman just seemed out of place in the universe they had created. I did enjoy the battle between Superman and Clark, for which Christopher Reeve did receive a lot of recognition. I did enjoy Superman III more than I should, mostly due to nostalgic memories of my youth.

Reportedly, one original idea had the villains Brainiac and Mr. Mxyzptlk headlining the movie, which I would have loved to see. The plot also had Superman meeting his cousin Supergirl, who eventually saw her own movie spin-off in November of 1984. For whatever reason, Warner Brothers didn’t like the idea and moved forward with what we eventually saw on screen.

Superman III is readily available on multiple DVD sets as well as Blu-ray. To date, only the theatrical version has been made available for home viewing. TV versions added an extra 16 minutes of forgettable footage as well as changing the opening credits to resemble the first two movies and eliminating the comedic penguin opening.

Superman III turned out being far less successful than the first two films. A lot less enjoyable than the first two but definitely better than the mess we were to be dealt with 1987’s Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, which I’ll take a look at tomorrow.