Superman II (PG, 1981)

In SUPERMAN II, three treasonous villains from Krypton who have been serving a prison sentence are set free by a chance hydrogen bomb blast. Meanwhile, Lois Lane (Margot Kidder) realizes that her timid coworker Clark Kent (Christopher Reeve) is actually Superman. Superman takes her to his Fortress of Solitude retreat to celebrate (and consummate) their love. Per Kryptonian law, he gives up his superpowers when he consummates his relationship. Meanwhile, the Kryptonian supervillians take over a town and proclaim their dominion over Earth. Superman returns to the Fortress to restore his powers, and then battles the trio, who are now being advised by Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman) who has escaped his own prison sentence. After the trio smash most of Metropolis, they are outwitted by Superman, who chooses to retain his powers despite his love for Lois.

The most entertaining and exciting live-action Superman adventure, Superman II delivers plenty of slam-bang action, a hearty dose of amusing sight gags, and a wonderfully endearing take on our hero's love life. Top-notch scripting and direction elevate this sequel above other depictions of the Man of Steel, with the exception of the later WB animated series.

The major failing of Superman was its emphasis on "preliminaries" -- an extended origin story, sketching of the central characters, and a delineation of our hero's superpowers. Superman II cuts to the chase by introducing the cast of supervillains and getting Lois and Superman together right away. The key elements distinguishing Superman II are its whimsical sense of humor and excellent pacing.