As someone who grew up watching Christopher Reeve soaring through the skies as Superman, I must confess my initial shock when I learned that only three of the eight live-action movies featuring the Man of Steel were deemed “Fresh” by Rotten Tomatoes. It’s like finding a kryptonite meteorite in Smallville!
Among the eight live-action Superman movies that hit theaters, only three received a positive rating (labeled as “Fresh”) on Rotten Tomatoes. In this group, the Christopher Reeve series consists of four films: Superman, Superman II, Superman III, and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace. So, out of these four, which three movies from the Christopher Reeve series received a “Fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes? You might find the answer somewhat unexpected.
As a film enthusiast, it’s not shocking that Richard Donner’s 1978 masterpiece, “Superman: The Movie,” and its sequel from the same year, “Superman II” (directed by Donner and Richard Lester), are among the three best-regarded Superman films. What left me astonished, though, is that fan-favorite Henry Cavill didn’t star in a single Superman movie rated Fresh. Intriguingly, the other Fresh Superman film is Bryan Singer’s somewhat unremarkable “Superman Returns.
Which Installments Did Rotten Tomatoes Critics Deem Outright Unredeemable?
The amusing aspect is that, although critics gave it minimal recognition during its release (it scored 74% compared to Superman: The Movie‘s 93% and Superman II‘s 83%), the film Superman Returns has mostly been overlooked. For the most part, it’s a slow-moving movie, and although Brandon Routh delivers an impressive performance as Superman and resembles Christopher Reeve to some extent, he lacks the late actor’s charm.
The film, Superman Returns, was a high-budget production with limited action scenes, essentially meaning it was pricey yet failed to deliver on the expectations of audiences. In simpler terms, the movie had a hefty cost but didn’t quite live up to its potential as a popular choice among viewers. Regrettably, it didn’t earn enough to turn a profit, especially given that it only managed to bring in half of its initial investment. To put it another way, Superman Returns was more of a one-time event than the boost the IP required. Its unadjusted budget was $204 million, and it failed to double that amount.
Despite having some flaws, the reputation of “Superman Returns” surpasses that of both “Superman III” and “Superman IV: The Quest for Peace.” It’s important to note that “Superman III” earned similar box office revenue as “Superman Returns,” but it received significantly poorer reviews with a rating of 29%. On the other hand, while “Superman IV” had an even lower rating of 10%, it was still worse than its predecessor.
Which Came Close?
Having garnered 340 reviews, Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel within the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) boasts a nearly fresh rating of 57%. This wasn’t quite the response that Snyder or Warner Bros. anticipated, but it set a baseline for the shared universe’s subsequent films which, fortunately, have shown more promise (as demonstrated by Blue Beetle’s 77%, Suicide Squad’s 90%, Birds of Prey’s 79%, Shazam!’s 90%, and Wonder Woman’s impressive 93%).
In general, the Rotten Tomatoes ratings for the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) films were quite similar to that of Man of Steel. The Flash had a rating of 63%, Wonder Woman 1984 had 58%, and Aquaman earned 66%. However, some films didn’t perform as well, such as Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom with 33%, Black Adam with 39%, and Shazam! Fury of the Gods with 49%. The DCEU’s lowest-rated films were Suicide Squad with a meager 26% and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, which managed a slightly better but still dismal 29%.
Regarding the “Justice League”, it’s essential to clarify which version is being discussed. The original theatrical release garnered a 39% rating, which might seem rather generous. However, Zack Snyder’s director’s cut, titled “Zack Snyder’s Justice League“, significantly enhanced the project’s reputation and kept it from being completely forgotten. This version received a much more favorable response from both fans and critics, with a score of 71%.
Much like how Zack Snyder’s Justice League was released later and garnered more positive responses than its original version, Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut (2006) also experienced a similar fate. Unlike the latter, it doesn’t have a rating on Rotten Tomatoes. However, it’s widely beloved by many Superman fans for valid reasons, and it wouldn’t be surprising if critics also appreciated it as much.
In summary, it would be ideal to have six distinct Superman movies: Richard Donner’s “Superman”, Richard Donner and Richard Lester’s “Superman II”, Bryan Singer’s “Superman Returns”, the director’s cut of the original “Superman II”, Zack Snyder’s version of “Justice League”, and, considering its growing acclaim over the years, “Man of Steel”.
The question is, how do you think James Gunn’s 2025 reboot, which kicks off the DC Universe franchise, will fare with critics? Given his success with the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy and the upcoming The Suicide Squad, it seems likely that it could top Superman in terms of critical acclaim.
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2024-12-28 21:10