The Man of Steel, who had raised a hand against international terrorists in a prior installment, now deepens his political commitment by confiscating all nuclear weapons on the planet. Ah, but the nefarious Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman) has manufactured just the monster to stop him: Nuclear-Man! The production and story (co-credited to Christopher Reeve) are more slipshod than before, but this doesn't diminish any of the charm (which there was never much of in the first place). Said charm, such as it is, is at its highest in Superman's unannounced appearance at the U.N. General Assembly; and Reeve is a good sport as always. The rest of the cast is not so reliable. Jon Cryer is a good minor addition as Luthor's punk-ish nephew, but Margot Kidder, a bad choice for Lois Lane nine years ago, is all the worse for the wear. And a large role is created for Mariel Hemingway, as a bit of uninteresting love interest for Clark Kent, in a subplot about the takeover of the Daily Planet by a Rupert Murdoch-like Tycoon of Tabloids. As it always was in the comic books, too, any time for romance is time wasted. Directed by Sidney J. Furie. (1987) — Duncan Shepherd
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