Batman vs. Superman: Ranking The Films From Worst To Best

11. Superman III (1983)

Superman III marked the downhill turn of the franchise after just two films. While nowhere near as bad as the film that would follow it several years later, the gimmicky inclusion of Richard Pryor and a needless infusion of forced humor coupled with a stupid villainous plot - driven by Lex Luthor wannabe Ross Webster - to control the world's coffee and oil supply continually bring the film down scene after scene. Really, the only saving grace of the film is Christopher Reeve, who still manages to remind viewers why he was perfect for the role at the time. This time around, Reeve gets to have fun when Superman "goes dark," spiraling out of control until his personality ultimately splits, literally and physically, during a great junkyard battle between the evil version of Superman and the noble Clark Kent. It's an immensely bright spot that showcases Reeve at his best unfortunately squeezed into a movie that otherwise could care less about diving headfirst into such dramatic potential for the rest of its runtime. In the end, Superman III isn't the crash and burn that its follow-up would be, but its at-odds nature with the films that came before it keep it from ever capitalizing on where the character's storied history could've taken the series in the wake of Superman II.