Superman III

Superman III (1983) – Lester shows some good comic timing here and there, but the silliness gets way out of hand with this one (Pryor, as much as I like him, isn’t a great fit), and there’s also a touch of flagrant stupidity (computers, how do they work?); nevertheless, there are some fine moments, none more so than the fantastic scrapyard scene, and on the balance, the film is respectably enjoyable—plus it’s the only one in the series that doesn’t give the world’s most overpowered hero bonus abilities. 6

Superman II

Superman II (1980) – Credible villains and better pacing help make this film (which is impressively coherent given the directorial donnybrook that surrounded it) superior to its predecessor, and man, Reeve is so good, but parts of the story, including the whole give-up-your-powers bit and the diner scenes, just feel off, and there are just so many little plot shenanigans—forget the telekinesis, the amnesia kissing, the teleportation, and how Zod et al. can speak English—pretty much anybody can walk to/from the Arctic Circle in a light jacket! 6*

*The Richard Donner cut is significantly different, superior in a number of ways (not all), and equally worthwhile. I give that one a 6, too.

Superman: The Movie

Superman: The Movie (1978) – Reeve is utterly perfect in his dual role, the title theme is one for the ages, and the film is true to the spirit of Superman; however, the pacing is on the leisurely side, the villains are goofballs, many of the effects have not aged well at all, and the last five minutes are downright painful. 6

The Wolverine

The Wolverine (2013) – It sets up like it’s going to have some respectable intrigue and touch on some interesting themes, but, rather than doing anything of consequence with what is, honestly, a fairly one-note protagonist, the film turns out to be content trotting out the usual fight scenes (which here are over-choreographed and astonishingly fake-looking), ludicrous CGI, and predictable story; Jackman (vascularity extreme!), at least, carries it along well enough, but the mid-credits scene might be the best part of the film. 5

Trading Places

Trading Places (1983) – It’s got a great cast, but the plot is paper-thin and the script is middling (the social commentary is heavy-handed, but effective), and thus most of the comedy comes from the excellent performances of Aykroyd and Murphy. 6

Life of Pi

Life of Pi (2012) – This is an extremely pretty film in every respect (and the tiger looks great—most of the time), but while the story is quite engaging, the film runs out of steam at the end, and it isn’t nearly as spiritually profound as it seems to think it is. 6