Superman III

_**More than it first appears**_ "Superman III" (1983) gets a lot of flack because of the inclusion of slapstick, a parody tone and Richard Pryor, but it is entertaining once you get used to the tone and the presence of Pryor. Christopher Reeve as Superman is good, of course, but you also have Robert Vaughn as the Luthor-like villain and Pamela Stephenson as his attractive female assistant a la Miss Teschmacher. The cast really excels with the inclusion of the beautiful Annette O'Toole as Lana Lang, a sort of replacement for Lois Lane, who barely appears. Annette is a pleasure to behold throughout. Once you get used to the too-goofy approach the film really takes off in the second half with Superman fighting his dark side, an obvious type of the inner conflict of flesh & spirit within us all. Even more, there's the satisfying redemption of a certain character that illustrates how a person can make a huge mistake and still be applicable for redemption, as long as he or she is willing. The film just leaves you with a good feeling. BOTTOM LINE: It's not great like the first two, but "Superman III" delivers if you overlook all the bashing and give it a chance. Richard Pryor is goofy, but likable while Annette O'Toole shines. Most of all, the movie is deeper than what meets the eye and effectively conveys powerful truths about the human condition and potential. The film runs 2 hours, 4 minutes. GRADE: B-/B

<em>'Superman III'</em> is just rubbish, isn't it? I wasn't hating what I was watching or anything, but I was just sat there continuously thinking: this is just bad, huh. Much of the movie feels like the titular character is sidelined, then even when he is onscreen he's... depressed? Odd choice. Christopher Reeve remains good, no issues there. Margot Kidder is involved but barely features, to be fair Annette O'Toole is solid in her bit. Richard Pryor, Robert Vaughn & Co. are OK in terms of what they give, but their characters are highly uninteresting. I just didn't care at all. That opening sequence really gives you a peek into what you're going to be watching. Of course there are signs in the prior movies that the filmmakers wanted to stray into dumbed down comedy and it might've worked as a standalone picture, but as a Superman film? Not a chance.