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Superman III

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 6, age appropriate for kids over 8; suggested age 8.

  • Is it any good?

    3.0
  • Common Sense says

    Outdated superhero movie may interest older kids.

Why We Rated This on for Ages 8 and Up

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    The movie's scene-stealing guest star, Richard Pryor is thieving and helping the bad guys one minute, admiring and helping Superman the next. Rendered "sick" by imperfectly synthesized kryptonite, a surly, evil Superman commits mischief, vandalism, and causes an oil slick. There's a clear victory for the "good" half of his personality, though.
  • Violence & scariness:

    Strenuous fighting between super-beings, but no blood. Missiles and lighting bolts are repeatedly fired at Superman. Jimmy Olsen falls, suffers a fracture. One character is turned into a Borg-like cyborg, but reverts to normal.
  • Sexy stuff:

    A villain's girlfriend/mistress is usually in tight, revealing clothing. Superman, slightly warped by Kryptonite, spends the night with her.
  • Language:

    A few curse words.
  • Consumerism:

    Lots of product labels appear, including Kentucky Fried Chicken. An attack on Superman literally turns into a vintage Atari video game.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    The `evil' Superman gets drunk right in front of the shocked citizens of Metropolis. Another character, described as a washed-up high-school athlete, is perpetually sloshed and hostile. In both cases, these activities are disapproved of. However, Gus Gorman gets comically drunk (and tricks a guard into a drunken stupor) to gain access to a computer.

What Parents Need to Know

This review of Superman III was written by Charles Cassady Jr.

Parents need to know that Richard Pryor's Gus Gorman is as much of the main character in this movie as Superman. Therefore, expect some of the "loveable" con-artist antics that made Pryor famous in his R-rated films, including drunkenness, theft, avoiding honest work, and even letting a swear word slip out. It's all suitably rendered PG-mild, though.

Families Can Talk About

Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
  • Families can talk about the splitting up of Superman's "good" and "evil" sides; who ever thought Superman would have a dark side at all? What could the Man of Steel have going on inside to be frustrated and angry about? If you're hip to DC comics, you can talk with kids about how Batman is often described as the dark version of Superman, and take the philosophizing from there.
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More on Superman III

What’s the Story?

Computer genius Gus Gorman (Richard Pryor) goes from grunt to a much higher position at a large firm when his greedy boss, Ross Webster (Robert Vaughn), promotes him. In his new position as a hacker, Gorman's job is to create worldwide disasters that will allow Webster to control coffee and oil markets. Since only Superman (Christopher Reeve) can stop this, Webster assigns Gorman to figure out a way to kill Superman. Meanwhile, Clark Kent is visiting his hometown of Smallville for a high-school reunion. He rekindles a friendship with Lana Lang (Annette O'Toole), now a divorced, struggling single mother. The two have something that looks like an incipient romance, and Clark becomes a father-figure for Lang's boy, who, of course, needs rescuing by Superman now and then. Meanwhile, Gus Gorman creates a synthetic kryptonite in hopes it will finally put an end to Superman. It's flawed, however, and instead of destroying Superman it causes personality change, bringing out Superman's selfish, morose, and evil aspects.

Is It Any Good?

Though it's not up to the first Superman: The Movie, this installment isn't an embarrassment, and there are some intriguing elements. Reeve, who fought a never-ending battle against movie critics over how good an actor he really was, is especially noteworthy here, hardening his eyes and tightening his jaw and making this Mr. Hyde-Superman callous, unshaven, and homicidal. Edgy comedian Richard Pryor brings his typical screen persona, a rebellious urban petty hustler, somewhat jarringly, into Metropolis.

Computer knowledge and data technology in this film are pretty much a kind of awesome, omnipotent magic, a recurring and amusing cliche in movies of this time, and viewers may wince or giggle at the inaccurate depictions of computer technology.

Movie Details

Studio: Columbia Tristar, Director: Richard Lester
Run time: 125 minutes
Theatrical release: 6/17/1983, DVD release: 6/1/2001
MPAA Rating: PG for violence, profanity, sexual innuendo, alcohol use

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Parent Reviewer
    Lives in Pennsylvania
    Kids ages: 7, 14
    I rate this title on for age 13 and give it 5.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence

    superman 3

    this is the scariest superman movie i watched so far. there is a scene where a woman is screaming while being turned into a robot. not for toddlers

  2. Teen Reviewer Age 14
    Lives in Michigan
    I rate this title on and give it 4.0

    Superman III not good for young kids

    First of all, I am a 12-year-old guy who LOVES Superman. The main reason kids SHOULD not see this film is because of heavy alchohol use and a scary scene at the end, in which the main villain's sister, Vera, is turned into a robot. This scene is VERY scary for little kids, BE EXTREMELY CAUTIOUS.

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