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12 Review »

1. 

   As the co-writer of this edit, my job was to simply provide an additional peice of cake to Merrin’s delicious concoction, and he has pulled off my ideas in ways that are as rewarding to Superman IV’s best scenes as they are to Superman III’s.

   Taking an alternate route than the typical approach, the first of hopefully many Superman III cuts sees Superman return to Smallville to confront many things about his past beyond reuniting with Lana Lang, and he stays within Smallville for much of the film. In Metropolis, Richard Pryor’s character of Gus Goreman has much of his comedic talents toned down to present a more reallistic, Donner-esque portrayal of a man whose talents rope him into doing ditier deeds for the selfish Ross Webster and his posse.

   Superman is of course, eventually given his dark reflection, and much of the film takes paths that exclude many scenes, and include others reflecting a man of tommorow out of control, beyond all reason, and all use. If you think this Superman is going to be on a leash, think again. Superman’s oddesey to reclaim his humanity has no other s involved within it. How does this work? You’ll see.

   I have my own problems with some of it, but they are, after all, only some. A nightmarish scene Clark has of his past looks more like an anniversary Star Wars trailer (ironicly, Merrin’s actual trailer is superb and could of been a worthwhile dream sequence in itself), that annoying brat Ricky stays in the spotlight, and Supes meeting Gus at the climax feels out of place given the events that occur in the story’s very original and unexpected resolution.

   The Smallville Cut is a quiet, dignified focus peice on the character of Clark Kent, and how Supertman can inspire anyone, even people he is not aware are out to plot his destruction, to do the right thing. It is truley a very different film and one I am proud to have contributed to.

   Review by Zarius — July 19, 2007 @ 6:12 am

2. 

   Just an additional note. Since Merrin saw fit to “recut” the movie a second time, my previous review does not speak for this newer variation, which makes use of a scene he cut out of the climax.

   This was due to much criticism, some of which were my own concerns. The movie should be less jarring now to some that prefer possibly the “original” conclusion

   Review by Zarius — August 17, 2007 @ 5:25 am

3. 

   I enjoyed this edit. I like how the Gus Gorman character was a little more serious. I didn’t think that was possible. The edits were seamless. Very well done.

   Review by dodgersfan7800 — August 28, 2007 @ 5:04 pm

4. 

   This sounds like a really interesting edit. Any idea how I can get hold of it?

   Review by Darth Marsden — November 29, 2007 @ 11:44 am

5. 

   Is the previous version of this fanedit, without the evil computer, still available anywhere? I’d like to see how you achieved an alternate ending.

   Review by the_wanderer — March 1, 2008 @ 11:56 pm

6. 

   Hi the_wanderer, I’ve currently got no plans to re-release the original SIII edit.

   I understand your curiousity but there was a reason why I re-edited the film & it was because the ending without the evil computer was very unsatisfying. If you like I can PM you & tell you the ending but if you really feel the need to see it maybe someone on the forum who downloaded it will be able to help you out.

   Review by FatherMerrin — March 8, 2008 @ 10:12 am

7. 

   Father Merrin – what can I say? I absolutely LOVE this cut!

   I will admit that I always enjoyed Superman 3 – I love Richard Pryor, but you’ve done what was necessary. You’ve turned a film about Richard Pryor, with Superman in it – to a Superman film, with Richard Pryor supporting in it.

   Removing all the silly comedic moments reduces Pryor and Pamela Stevenson to proper support characters. The film is about Clark Kent – it’s about him returning to his life in Smallville and it works! Really clever editing and restructuring really make this film worthwhile. The elements you have lifted from I and IV at Smallville make this all worthwhile. Lana even becomes more significant….she now feels like Clarks proper soul mate.

   There are a few scenes that are a little short and the only one I have a gripe with, would be Supermans destruction of the fortress of ice. It’s too short, it feels a little out of place and until Supermans apparent ‘rebuild’ at the end it makes no sense.

   Gus Gorman now feels like a bungling computer programmer, less comedic, more a victim of circumstance, much better.

   An altogether darker approach and a worthwhile sequel…nice work. Well done!

   Review by white43 — March 18, 2008 @ 9:58 pm

8. 

   One other thing, while I think of it – where would this fit into the quadrilogy? Because it uses scenes from I and IV, they would be repeated in the grand scheme of things.

   It could easily follow II, but not really I or IV follow it?

   Review by white43 — March 18, 2008 @ 10:16 pm

9. 

   Hi white43,

   Thanks for your kind comments, you’ve really made my day. I know what you mean about some scenes being to short. If I remember correctly the short scenes were just unavoidable.

   With “The Destruction of the Fortress of Solitude” scene, it was originally longer because every other shot in it was Lois Lane looking on in shock at Superman destroying the Fortress. Which meant by the time I had taken her out the scene was a lot shorter.

   I suppose it is a bit unclear why he destroys the Fortress, but I think it makes more sense in my edit that Donners SII. I still don’t get why Superman destroys it in Donner’s version, in my edit I tried to show the graduale decline of Superman, from being late for the bridge rescue, to destroying the Oil Tanker then finally destroying his home.

   Regarding the quadrilogy, ummm… It definitely works fine with SI. I did use SI scenes but I think only at the end ,ie fortress rebuild, & for the prologue at the start which is just a re-cap, so nothing there that would clash in the grand scheme of things.

   Superman II is a different matter as it depends on which version of the film you’re talking about!!! I’m pretty sure it works fine with Lester’s film, definitely not Donner’s for obvious reasons, but I think if you’re including the SII edits found in this site then you shouldn’t have any problems. I’ve only seen my SII & ADM’s & I’m pretty sure his edit doesn’t have The Destruction of the Fortress & I know my edit doesn’t.

   Superman IV, I can’t see it working as the best Smallville scenes in my SIII were taken from SIV. The thing is I don’t like SIV so I really made no effort trying to continue the continuity.

   Same goes for Superman Returns. I know some people having watched the SIII edit noticed I left in remarks about Clark’s mum dying which screws the continuity with SR, BUT, I think SR sucks balls so again I made no effort to continue the continuity with that film either.

   Thanks again for your comments & I hope I’ve cleared some points up for you:)

   Review by FatherMerrin — March 20, 2008 @ 4:34 pm

10. 

    Is there a chance of a torrent for this please ….

    Review by dennyelvis62 — April 10, 2008 @ 11:28 pm

11. 

    I’m sorry dennyelvis62, but my torrent days are now behind me as I ended up not being able to use the net as I spent all my time seeding my flicks. Considering the film is 4.6GB I don’t think it’ll take that much longer to download it via the rapidshare links. Or you could try a trade request in the forum?

    Review by FatherMerrin — April 11, 2008 @ 9:29 am

12. 

    This is a vastly improved and much more fun Superman III. No doubt. I was very impressed.

    It does have an awkward start….

    While the teaser beautifully sets up the Bad Supes vs. Clark scene later–and really gives us an understanding & explanation for the good inside of him which comes out during the junkyard scene–it does go on a bit too long as a pre-credits sequence (especially since it’s footage we’ve seen previously and exactly as it is shown here) and would’ve worked better as a montage interspersed w/the credits a la Superman II’s opening titles.

    We soon meet Gus. Overall, the Richard Pryor scenes which were not excised work — he still gets to be funny Richard Pryor, but he doesn’t overwhelm the movie. There is one very awkward cut: Gus Gorman at his computer to Clark’s dream.It just didn’t feel like Gus’s scene ended. I understand you were purposefully going for a cut that places the audience into this curious moment, this scene in Clark’s dream, but it was an awfully hard cut. (It also seems to do the same job has the pre-credits scene and, as such, gives us no new information. Were it placed later in the film it would have been reminding the audience of info they need, but, moving it later, you lose the effect of showing that Superman was nearby just before the chemical plant fire.)

    From then on it starts to come together–beginning with the chemical plant scene, which is brilliantly edited.

    The editing continues to get smoother,the sound and music choices are strong, and the story begins to take shape.

    There are a few other awkward moments (the way the storm in Columbia cuts to the picnic makes it seem that Clark/Supes is in two places at once is a good for instance. There’s just no segue there and there needs to be one.) And I do wish the Olympics scene was cut out–I didn’t like it as a kid, I don’t like it now. There must’ve been another scene to use to show Superman was going bad. Honestly tho’, I can’t think of one (the Italy scene is no better–glad you nixed it).

    Horny Superman still makes me uncomfortable as well, but it fits far better in this edit than it did in the original.

    While I believe you did some color correcting on Superman in several scenes, he sadly needed more, but that’s not your fault by any means.

    In terms of cuts, I’d've also cut the balloon machines in the mountains. Like the Olympics moment, it’s very goofy. Starting the scene w/them running from the already-landed balloons into the cave actually tells us everything we need to know:
    - we see the balloons and can tell they’re attached to some sort of chair-machine, so the audience can discern this is what they used to get there
    - Webster says “let’s wait for Gus” so we know he’s on his way
    - and we soon see Gus on a mule, so we understand he didn’t want to ride the balloon doohickies.

    I also think there’s a way to skip the computer turning Webster’s sister into Irona, Richie Rich’s maid. That never worked. Although you cut it down, I believe, aside from one difficult shot, it could’ve been eliminated altogether. (editor Steve, who just released an “unapproved” edit of Superman II is great at visual effects, perhaps he can even paste in her actual face for you in that one difficult shot so that she no longer looks like a robot–again, should you ever choose to do another edit).

    I liked the destruction then rebuilding of the Fortress and your music editing there as well, although, since you were forced to use the same footage of the green crystal from S:TM, reversing and even cropping the shot of the crystal sinking into the ice could’ve been enough to give us the illusion it wasn’t re-used footage. As you’re trying to make this film fit in with the previous two, it is quite awkward to so obviously re-use footage. In other areas where you re-used footage, it was generic enough not to be distracting.

    All my nit-picks aside, I liked this Superman III a lot. What you did really well was change the entire tone of this film. It does feel like something that is a good follow-up to S:TM…and perhaps the Donner-based re-edits found on this site of S:II. Now, if only there was some way to edit John Ratzenberger into the movie…you’d really have a perfect sequel. (If you find a way, you’ll be my hero. Seriously. Perhaps there’s another ’70s or ’80s movie you can pull him out of? That’d be awesome!)

    Overall, you did a bang-up job. And this is one of the best FanEdits I’ve seen

    -Pbot
    BTW, anyone have a copy of ADIGITALMAN’s Blazing Saddles?

    Review by Phlegmbot — November 28, 2010 @ 10:40 pm

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