Ranking Every DC Comic Book Movie From Worst To Best

Beset by production issues - not least the replacement of one perfectly good director with an inferior alternative who insisted on shooting his own scenes, even when Gene Hackman refused to come back - Superman II had no right to be any good.

Luckily, using General Zod as the villain, the sequel managed to survive some of the slapstick comedy and silliness to give the character far more humanity and far more heart than he ever had in the comics. There's a more knowing feel to Reeve's Superman this time out, but he's still the same aline-feeling dork even as Lester dials up the comedy and the satire.

And given how well the film was received, and how well it still plays now, it's easy enough to forgive Warner Bros for bringing in Lester behind Richard Donner's back.

Far less simple to forgive is Superman's "Kiss Everything Better" power that he suddenly learns for the finale, in order to make Lois Lane forget everything.