Synopsis
Aiming to defeat the Man of Steel, wealthy executive Ross Webster hires bumbling but brilliant Gus Gorman to develop synthetic kryptonite, which yields some unexpected psychological effects in the third installment of the 1980s Superman franchise. Between rekindling romance with his high school sweetheart and saving himself, Superman must contend with a powerful supercomputer.
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Cast
- Christopher ReeveClark Kent / Superman
- Richard PryorAugust "Gus" Gorman
- Jackie CooperPerry White
- Marc McClureJimmy Olsen
- Annette O'TooleLana Lang
- Robert VaughnRoss Webster
- Annie RossVera
- Pamela StephensonLorelei
- Margot KidderLois Lane
- Gavan O'HerlihyBrad
Recommendations
- 75
Miami Herald
Credit goes to Richard Lester, who is much more than an action director and whose erratic brilliance occasionally transcends this material, and to Reeve, who has manfully refused to let on that he is tired of the part (as opposed to the Jedi principals, who phoned theirs in). [17 June 1983, p.D1] - 70
Newsweek
This is a cute, clever "Superman," without the epic audacity of Richard Donner's Supe I, one of the most underrated of movies, despite the $300 million it grossed. [20 June 1983, p.83] - 63
Chicago Sun-Times
Superman III is the kind of movie I feared the original "Superman" would be. It's a cinematic comic book, shallow, silly, filled with stunts and action, without much human interest. - 60
Time Out
Unfortunately the pacy humour of the first half soon dwindles to a weak climax, and Pryor hams shamelessly, yet again proving that he's best in serious parts or as a stand-up man. Enjoyable, nevertheless. - 50
The New York Times
Anyone who has been following the ''Superman'' saga will find this installment enjoyable enough, but some of the magic is missing. - 40
Variety
Superman III emerges as a surprisingly soft-cored disappointment. Putting its emphasis on broad comedy at the expense of ingenious plotting and technical wizardry, it has virtually none of the mythic or cosmic sensibility that marked its predecessors. - 40
The New Yorker
What's strange about the movie is that the best things in it aren't developed, and what Superman and the other characters do doesn't seem to have any weight. [11 July 1983, p.90] - 38
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
There are two movies in Superman III, one a witless and obvious and often cruel comic strip, the other a blithe and subtle and often amusing exercise in middle-brow camp. Not only do the two halves never come together, they are in active opposition. [17 June 1983]
