Superman III (1983)
Running time: 125 minutes (2 hours, 5 minutes)
MPAA – PG
DIRECTOR: Richard Lester
WRITERS: David Newman and Leslie Newman (based characters created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster and on characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics)
PRODUCER: Pierre Spengler
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Robert Paynter (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: John Victor Smith
COMPOSER: Ken Thorne
SUPERHERO/FANTASY/COMEDY
Starring: Christopher Reeve, Richard Pryor, Jackie Cooper, Marc McClure, Annette O'Toole, Robert Vaughn, Annie Ross, Pamela Stephenson, Gavan O'Herlihy, Paul Kaethler, and Margot Kidder
Superman III is a 1983 American superhero film and comic-fantasy from director Richard Lester. The film is the third in the “Superman” film series, which began with 1978's Superman (also known as Superman: The Movie). The character, Superman, first appeared in the comic book, Action Comics #1 (on-sale date of April 18, 1938) and was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, who also created other characters and situations related to Superman. In Superman III, Superman becomes the target of a greedy entrepreneur and a computer genius when they realize that he will obstruct their plans for wealth and world domination.
Superman III opens at an unemployment office in Metropolis. August “Gus” Gorman (Richard Pryor) has discovered that his employment checks have run out, but by chance he discovers information about a school where he can learn to be a computer programmer. Soon, Gus is working for the conglomerate, Webscoe Industries, where he uses his amazing computer skills to secretly embezzle over $85,000 from the company payroll.
However, Gus' activities do draw the attention of Webscoe's boss, Ross Webster (Robert Vaughn), and his sister and partner, Vera Webster (Annie Ross). Ross is obsessed with the idea of using technology in order to gain financial domination over the world. With the help of Annie and his tawdry mistress, Lorelei Ambrosia (Pamela Stephenson), Ross blackmails Gus into using his fantastic computer skills to begin a series of evil tech schemes.
Meanwhile, over at “The Daily Planet,” Metropolis' top newspaper, Clark Kent/Superman (Christopher Reeve) is preparing to return to his hometown of Smallville for his high school reunion, the Class of 1965. He wants to use the reunion as the subject of a feature article, so he takes Daily Planet photographer, Jimmy Olsen (Marc McClure), with him. At the reunion, Clark reconnects with his childhood friend, Lana Lang (Annette O'Toole), much to the chagrin of Clark's former high school bully, Brad Wilson (Gavan O'Herlihy).
While Clark enjoys his time with Lana and also bonds with her young son, Ricky (Paul Kaethler), Ross and Gus have launched their diabolical plans. Even the Daily Planet's star reporter, Lois Lane (Margot Kidder), ends up being a victim of their moves. When Ross discovers that Superman be an obstruction to his schemes, he forces Gus to find a way to destroy Superman, and those methods of destruction may come very close defeating the Man of Steel.
Superman III was not nearly the box office success that its predecessors, Superman: The Movie and Superman II (1980) were. Some fans and critics blamed the film's shortcomings on having Richard Pryor as a cast member. Some people may remember that Paramount Pictures was considering adding Eddie Murphy as a star of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. Many of the science fiction and comic book fans that I knew at the time insisted that because Richard Pryor “ruined” Superman III, a science fiction film could not have a “Black comedian” in it or it would be similarly ruined. They predicted doom and gloom for the fourth Star Trek feature film, but Murphy eventually passed on it to star in The Golden Child (1986). These early fans that I met were racist and stupid, and, at the time, I thought their opinions about “Blacks” in genre films were racist and stupid. I am glad that my association with them was short-lived.
Anyway, Pryor, one of the most influential American stand-up comedians of all-time, was known for his raunchy, adult-oriented act during the 1970s. Into the 1980s, however, he became a more cuddly figure, appearing in a number of mainstream and even family-friendly films. Although I was surprised that Pryor was cast in Superman III, I thought he was one of the few good things about the film when I first saw it in a theater back in 1983. I still think that.
Superman III is mediocre because the screenplay by David Newman and Leslie Newman, or at least what made it to screen, is awkward and sometimes illogical. Superman III's director, Richard Lester, was a very capable director during his active career; I am still a fan of his 1973 film, The Three Musketeers. Lester is controversial a figure in the annals of Superman cinema because of the production of Superman II, which I don't feel like getting into right this moment. Speaking strictly of Superman III, Lester and the Newmans did get one thing right.
When Superman III focuses on the jovial and genial nature of the film's characters, it is quite lovable. Clark, Lois, Lana, Ricky, Gus, Jimmy, the Daily Planet editor Perry White (Jackie Cooper), and even the film's ostensible villains: Brad, Ross, Vera, and Lorelei all come across as endearing. I enjoyed getting to know them as eccentric characters and character types. When the focus moves to Superman III's conflict/plot, the film turns simply ridiculous.
Almost a day after watching the entirety of Superman III for the first time in 32 years, I'm still thinking about it. And yes, I like Richard Pryor in this film as much as I like Christopher Reeve, the star of four Superman films from 1978 to 1987, returning to play his signature role. I don't mind the comic nature of Superman III, especially as some modern superhero movies are too damn dark. However, it has too many ideas, and too many of them are handled in the most nonsensical manner. Still, I can't help but kind of like Superman III because it is full of nice people.
B-
★★½ out of 4 stars
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