United Kingdom, United States · 1983
Rated PG · 2h 5m
Director Richard Lester
Starring Christopher Reeve, Richard Pryor, Jackie Cooper, Marc McClure
Genre Comedy, Science Fiction, Action, Adventure
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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.
Every composite shot in Superman III appears to be a careless affront to the willing suspension of disbelief. The flying sequences are a letdown, the cataclysms are a cheat, and even the settings are often exposed as a chintzy hoot. [17 June 1983, p.C1]
The New York Times by Janet Maslin
Anyone who has been following the ''Superman'' saga will find this installment enjoyable enough, but some of the magic is missing.
The Globe and Mail (Toronto) by Jay Scott
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]
The New Yorker by Pauline Kael
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]
Chicago Sun-Times by Roger Ebert
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.
They ain't afraid of no ghost.
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From out of another galaxy and into your hearts comes... Supergirl
Nuclear Power. In the best hands, it is dangerous. In the hands of Lex Luthor, it is pure evil. This is Superman's greatest battle. And it is for all of us.