Here are all the changes:
Original film name: Superman II
New film name : Superman II: The Adventure Continues
Date Original Film Was Released : 1981
Date Edit Was Released : March 24, 2009
Original Runtime : 2 hrs. 7 minutes (original), 1 hr. 56 minutes (The Donner Cut)
New Runtime : 1 hr. 44 minutes
Amount of time Cut/Added : 23 min (original), 12 min (Donner)
Cuts removed/added/extended
*Christopher Reeve dedication made over silence
*Reprise - a much shorter version of the reprise
compared to The Donner Cut. Features the villains
trial, Luthor/Superman, and Superman throwing the
missile into space. The villains escape with Lester
footage, used for the superior background plates. The bad
special effects from The Donner Cut are gone!
*Donner credits
*Superman Saves Nation - Daily Planet scene as seen
in The Donner Cut, up until Lois shows Clark the
newspaper
*Luthor Does Laundry as seen in The Donner Cut,
complete
*Moon Explorers scene, filmed by Donner... Lester's
version used for the superior Ken Thorne music score, edited
the villains flying away
*Balloon Bustout as seen on The Donner Cut. Luthor's
hand error (Luthor holds up his left hand and then
the next cut shows his right hand up) is fixed by
using a far away shot of the balloon
*Niagara Falls overview and Lois jumping into the
water as seen in Lester's version... Superman
never saves the boy... why this over "jumping out of the window"?
well, because I couldn't use blank bullets, it's "test footage" and
Lester's "jump" works perfectly here
*Luthor invading the fortress as seen in The Donner
Cut. Cuts at "too true to be good"
*Villains arrival on earth. Zod's campy comments are
deleted, now he just rises and walks on water, cut at throwing
coffee out of boat (thanks Manetoys)
*Pink bear reveal scene used in place of Donner's
blank bullets because it is "finished" and Donner's
blank bullets was a "test" shot
*Trio of villains encounter cops - many edits here
including "holy skunksweat" (finally) and the poor
Zod double before Zod shoots the gun is removed
*Superman and Lois at the fortress - a very nice
bridge connecting this scene to the last...many of Lois's
poorly acted expressions are cut... Superman gets
dinner, then they eat as seen in Lester's cut
*Villains arm wrestling with rednecks, Zod's finger
beams, boy with the accent are all deleted
*Terror in East Houston - Lester's scene, some edits
on Zod's dumb remarks (East Houston) until the
military attacks, then switches to Donner's version
which is more violent and exciting
*Depowering as seen in The Donner Cut, minus the
"selfish" line from Christopher Reeve
*Whitehouse Invasion as seen in The Donner Cut, with
a small edit when the military guy smashes through
the window and shoots, because no special effects
were added to the gun firing in The Donner Cut -
now it's a fast action shot by Zod to disarm him
*Diner Humiliation as seen in The Donner Cut
*Luthor Pays a Call now opens with Luthor waving the
white flag and not the poor comedy scene shot by
Lester 2 years later
Repowering scene the same as in The Donner Cut
minus the weak "Father!" line
*Villains attack the Daily Planet as filmed by
Donner and seen in Lester's Cut (for the superior
music score), mistakes fixed include the hand
holding Perry up when Non lifts him up... and ugly
(Lester) Lois deleted after Superman arrives
*Metropolis Battle starts as Lester's (with some
words by Zod snipped), then it switches to Donner's
fight which is more exciting, with some small edits
for bad special effects and mistakes (Zod's
mirrored shot when shooting heat vision, reversed
"no entry" sign and cashier seen coming out of the
KFC)
*After Battle at the Daily Planet as seen in
Donner's version
*Fortress finale all shot by Donner, used Lester's
version with Thorne's original music score when
Superman crushes Zod's hand
*Superman and Lois embrace outside the Fortress of
Solitude - another beautiful Donner scene...
Superman destroying the fortress is edited out
because the Arctic Police scene was not included
(why? because it's not available in completed form,
only workprint)
*Superman and Lois say goodbye on the balcony
(Donner)
*Return match at the Diner (Donner)
*End Credits (Lester, more stylized credits by far, thanks Jimbo)
Your intention for this fanedit: To create the best version of Superman II ever made, with an emphasis on
the "Donner" vision, using only the best and "completed" scenes...no workprint footage, no deleted scenes,
a film that would reasonably be in theaters and be the followup to Superman: The Movie... also to fix
all the technical mistakes, bad FX (Donner), bad editing, and lame corniness of the original Superman II
Hardware and software information (what did you use to create your fanedit): Sony Vegas 9.0
