Critic Reviews
83
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
positive
13(81%)
mixed
3(19%)
negative
0(0%)
Showing 16 Critic Reviews
100
With his perfect pacing, elegant narrative design, and depth of characterization, Richard Lester has made as good a matinee movie as could be imagined: it's a big, generous, beautifully crafted piece of entertainment, with the distinctive Lester touch in the busy backgrounds and the throwaway dialogue.
100
It brings the fantastic into our everyday lives; it delights in showing us the reaction of the man on the street to Superman's latest stunt.
100
It boasts a more consistent tone, better special effects (such as villains throwing buses around like paper planes), and even an affecting love story.
88
Superman II delivers on the promise hinted at in "Superman." Which is the better film? That's a hard choice to make, since both succeed in different ways.
88
Poking fun at its American mythos, but never descending into camp comedy, this sequel makes for a wonderful time.
88
Even more enjoyable than the original. [19 June 1981]
88
A sequel that retains the gee-whiz geniality of the original while still going in interesting new directions.
80
A marvelous toy. It's funny, it's full of tricks and it manages to be royally entertaining, which is really all it aims for.
80
Superman II emerges as a solid, classy, cannily constructed piece of entertainment which gets down to action almost immediately.
80
A stylish, well-paced film with a good variety of moods and moves.
