13 Incredibly Stupid Moments From Superman Movies

7. SuperMan III Isn't Even Superman's Film - Superman III

Richard Pryor Superman Iii In the grand scheme of things, Superman IV makes Superman III look like Citizen Kane, but neither film is particularly good. The third film in the Christopher Reeve series features arguably the most ludicrous villain (if you put aside Nuclear Man's jaw-droppingly stupid origin scenes, and the "science" behind it) in the shape of comedian Richard Pryor's Gus Gorman, an over-powered computer genius who is rewarded for attempting to steal a fortune from his boss with a promotion, and blackmail. Gorman isn't a terrible character, but he isn't up to being a Superman villain: he should be in a comedy caper starring Richard Pryor, rather than drawing way too much focus in a superhero film that struggles with pacing and tone because of his entire involvement. Rather painfully, Gorman also isn't funny. Such is the attrocious quality of the script that Richard Pryor is rendered entirely unfunny, which takes some doing, and we're left with a goofball without any malicious intent who is as far removed from the type of villain we needed than he could ever possibly be. And worst of all, he gets more screen time than Superman: it isn't enough that he derails the movie by sabotaging the tone, he's quite clearly presented as the star of the show, with Superman on backing vocals.
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