Superman II 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Superman II 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman May 8, 2023

Note: This version of this film is available as part of Superman I-IV 5-Film Collection 4K.

Both the small screen and big screen adaptations of Superman have had some notable tragedies, two of them rather weirdly involving men with rather similar last names, as has been discussed ad infinitum by some more devoted conspiracy theorists. George Reeves, beloved star of television's Adventures of Superman, met a rather ignominious and some would argue mysterious end which decades later became fodder for its own film, Hollywoodland. Christopher Reeve of course was victim of a horrifying riding accident which left him paralyzed, a situation that probably inarguably led to his own early demise. Part of George Reeves' problem may have been that he was so closely identified with the character of Superman that he felt he couldn't escape (few even remember his film career, which included a memorable bit in the very first scene of Gone with the Wind ). Christopher Reeve was able to evade if not totally elude the formidable shadow cast by the venerable superhero, which perhaps only added to the feeling of melancholy after his accident and later death. But even if Reeve was able to contribute rather memorable performances in any number of non-Superman outings ranging from Deathtrap to Somewhere in Time, in his own way he'll probably be as firmly tethered to the character of Superman as George Reeve is/was, and this new collection of 4K UHD presentations of four or five Christopher Reeve Superman films (depending on how you want to count things) should provide fans with some memories of happier times when things like Kryptonite seemed to be the only threats to safety and well being. Those happy memories may nonetheless be intermittently interrupted by some kind of odd choices Warner has made with this release, which will be discussed in the various individual reviews.

All of the films in this collection have had previous 1080 releases (and in some cases several previous 1080 releases). Anyone interested can find some older individual reviews for some of these in the database, which may (or may not) suffice in terms of providing plot summaries, in case anyone actually needs those by this point. However, they stem from the nascent days of the site and I'd frankly personally recommend those interested in prior reviews and especially technical analyses of the older 1080 releases stick with Ken Brown's The Superman Motion Picture Anthology Blu-ray review, which also has a detailed list of supplements on the 1080 discs. Ken's review is one of our "old style" reviews which combines all the discs from a bundle into one review, and in this particular case, that means citing just one review rather than several, and that may hopefully suffice for many, and maybe most. You may note that my scores for various 1080 presentations and overall films may vary slightly from Ken's, in just the latest example of my mantra "different reviewers means different opinions".

Superman II 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Note: Screenshots are sourced from the 1080 disc included in this release.

Superman II is presented in 4K UHD courtesy of Warner Brothers Home Entertainment with an HEVC / H.265 2160p transfer in 2.40:1. Score keepers will note I'm not quite the fan of this film's old 1080 presentation as Ken was, and if I were feeling really curmudgeonly, I might have knocked it down even another half point, since there are some clear variances in densities and color temperature, along with at times extremely chunky grain, running rampant throughout that presentation in my estimation. This new 4K UHD version offers some really interesting highlights courtesy of HDR that are noticeable from the get go, with, for example, those flare like effects at the very opening of the film looking considerably more orangish than in the older 1080 version. That said, "actual" reds can pop really magnificently, as in the furry coat Valerie Perrine wears much later in the film. The 4K UHD presentation has at least improved in not completely eliminated some of the kind of curious deficiencies in terms of suffusion seen in the 1080 version, with the long vignette in the bridal suite with Clark and Lois being one notable example. While grain is still pretty splotchy and yellowish in this sequence, it's surprisingly better suffused than in the 1080 version. The increased resolution of this presentation is simply not always a "friend" to some of the old school special effects. Pay attention, for example, to Ursa and to a lesser extent Non in the opening scene, and the now vintage compositing effects can make both of their faces partially disappear when they turn to a profile position. It's actually maybe just a little funny, and something that admittedly was visible in the old 1080 version but which struck me as quite a bit more observable now. As I mentioned in the Superman: The Movie 4K Blu- ray review, I am one of those people who doesn't always like the look of heavy grain in 4K UHD presentations, but aside from the chunkiest moments here, I actually was rather impressed with the overall resolution, at least during brightly lit scenes without a bunch of optical effects.

Superman II 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Superman II enjoys a nice sonic upgrade with a Dolby Atmos track, though the differences between the older DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track and the Atmos track may not be mind and/or ear blowing. There's been some Forum activity here about perceived if admittedly slight wonkiness at a couple of moments, and I have to say I'm not really perceiving anything, and certainly not anything different from the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track's old presentation, in terms of any distortion or wobbliness. Those anomalies aside, which in my estimation must be stem and/or source related since they're audible in previous releases, this offers a nicely fluid listening experience that offers at least intermittent but clear Atmos engagement in both John Williams' grandiose score and some effects sequences, especially when Superman is utilizing some of his particular set of skills. Apparently inviting the displeasure of some fans is Warner's decision to offer a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 option in lieu of the old DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 outing (one assumes someone on the production chain considered the Atmos track a replacement for the 5.1 track). Optional subtitles in several languages are available.

Superman II 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

4K UHD Disc

• Audio Commentary is the same one from days of yore, as mentioned below.

1080 Disc

See Ken Brown's The Superman Motion Picture Anthology Blu-ray review for a complete list, including information on the commentary.

Superman II 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Superman II is just good, old fashioned fun, and it is my own personal favorite among the Reeve Superman films. Technical merits are generally solid and while this doesn't boast any new supplements, Superman II in 4K comes Recommended.