I don't really see how this achieved a 99....and I understand what others have said about viewing the rating with respect to the 'Superhero Genre" but I still don't buy how that should give it the 2nd highest score of all time....It is a decent movie at best...

"Superman 2" is definitely overrated by critics. However, it still stands out as a comic ovation and appeals heartfully to the audience.

Overated, only top 100 because there's only 6 positive reviews. If there were at least 20, then it would even things out a bit.

Loved it!

Come on! this movie not that good. I feel a sleep during it. Its got "Ok" moments but thats all.

This is best Superman movie ever made, period.

This is my people dont like critics, this is a terrible movie it. it makes no logical sense, the plot is terrible and the acting is terrible. wow, there must have been a lot of blow on the table when this thing was written and twice as much when it was reviewed.

Yes it's camp, yes it's dated, but it is F__cking awesome.

Having just watched the Richard Donner cut, I don't get it. 99? The narrative is discombobulated, the acting is pure cheese, the bad guys are drab, the effects, script and character development were not as good as the first Superman movie. This movie's a mess and it's listed on this list of "best ever." How did this mistake happen?

This movie is horribly overrated. Terrible.

Although Superman II had it's outlandish moments, the overall production of Lesters take on the DC comic series is phenomenal. Where this film excels is in it's direction--combining an amazing script with the momentum of the plot leave the viewer in anticipation for the climax without over analysis or explanation.

It's unlikely you haven't seen this movie yet, but if you have, don't trust the naysayers who have previously posted reviews. Sure, the Donner version may be the more interesting, but "Superman 2" as it was originally release is terrific entertainment, among the most memorable of all the action pictures I saw as a kid, and fully deserving of its high Metacritic score.

Not better that Superman: The Movie, but just as enjoyable!!!! Incredible movie for all Superman fans, comic book fans, and film fans in general!

Ok for its time but doesn't age well. a bit soppy.

This film is fantastic. And even more so because it's a sequel. I think it's terrific. And I dont understand how anyone can say this is "Unwatchable" - have those users never seen "Grandma's Boy", "Club Dread" or "Going Overboard"? THEY'RE unwatchable!

Look, people: if you know anything about statistics, most movies should not get more then about a 7 or less than about a 3. This is NOT a great movie, and I agree that the score it receives from metacritic is skewed by too few reviews, and it also seems to be the case that some viewers here are responding with fake responses to inflate the numbers... one word responses like "Incredible!!!!" are useless.… Expand

Well, to (hopefully) clear a few things up a) Metacritic "weighs" some reviews to count for more than others. I don't necessarily agree with it but it's the fact of things. b) There are a lot of movies that exist here that didn't make the all time highest scores despite their 99's or similar scores (The Seven Samurai, Fanny And Alexander, Modern Times) For a long time Superman II was one of them, I'm not sure what happened. But to the movie itself, it's not bad. Easily inferior to the first IMO, but I guess I could see why other people would think it's better.… Expand

Incredible!!!!

Christopher Reeve died and that's sad, but let's not pretend for a moment that he was anything more than a soap-opera calibre actor. The most important thing he ever did in his life was fall off a horse. I lined up around the block for hours to see this movie when I was a kid. It hasn't withstood the test of time and I'm not sure that it was even good when it was made.

Excellent movie. We all have likes and dislikes, but don't give this movie a 0-5 score because your'e mad it has such a avg. high score from the critics! Rate it what you truely think it deserves. I thought it was excellent in 1981 and still do.

Ok, I don't get it. I came to Metacritic to get good subjective reviews on films I may wish to see. Major flaw here, either with reviews, American critics, or general scoring method. Someone going to fix it? Or do I have to go search specific critics who are intelligent?

Can someone tell me why the critics love this movie, and the average viewer watches it merely to mock it. Even for its time this movie was a joke. Sure it may have serious character involvement and a DECENT plot line, but in the end it looks cheap, feels cheap, and makes you feel like you just got cheated after you watch it.

Is there some sort of Metacritic loophole here? I agree with the bulk of these reviews: This was a fun popcorn-chewer in its day, but it was never *that* good. I don't know if Reeves' tragic later life (and early death) may have influenced these ratings, but it certainly seems that way. A year or two ago I decided to rent the first one to show my kids, owing to the (then) stellar MetaCritic rating. I remember enjoying the film when I saw it decades ago, and thought perhaps there was more to the movie than I was able to glean at the time. Not only did my kids think it was "nothing special", but it left me disappointed too. Perhaps the inflated score is an artifact of a valiant attempt by Metacritic to review older movies? If so, I hope it's temporary. Rotten Tomatoes' reviews of older movies are hopelessly skewed to the positive and thus completely unreliable. I would love to have a reliable alternative that's not hopelessly romanticized.… Expand

Although I don't have any problem with this film, it's 99 rating makes me question the entire metacritic system, more specifically the critic realm. This film is simply is no where near a 99.

You have got to be kidding me. The number #2 rated movie of all time?? It was OK for 1981, but just OK. By today's standard, the story is way too slow, and the characters too cheesy and simple. Unlike the other "greats," it hasn't stood the test of time. In my view, the 99 score shows a serious flaw with this system.

OK, keep in mind that the reviews used to calculte the 99 score are most likely from when the movie came out and not current reviews! when Superman 2 came out it deserved this score! Has it aged well? maybe not, but it's still a damn good movie, and for it's time it very much deserved it's universal acclaim, now can we please move on.

Two words: Richard Donner. I used to think this was the best Superman movie ever and one of the best movies period.....that is until I learned of the entire back story to Richard Donner's 'dismissal' from the project. I can't wait to se 'The Richard Donner Cut' of Superman II and say that his version should be held as the official version.

If there could be one reason why Metacritic is so unpopular than it is this- they lie. This movie, when you average the mere 7 reviews receives only a 91. And, in addition to that, it is not ever a great movie. It cannot be placed so high by such a biased website. What a terrible thing!

I am in utter shock and disbelief at the idea that "Superman II" has a rating as high as it does. There is no possibility that this movie is better than "E.T.," Schindler's List," "Star Wars," and the "Lord of the Rings" series. These reviews perfectly explain that critics are *not* always right. I have seen "Superman: The Movie" and I love it, but "Superman II" is nowhere near the classic status of the first, and it deserves nowhere near a score of 99.… Expand

Not as good as everyone wants to think it is. The special effects got worse, the story is cheesy, the costumes ridiculous and the acting is terrible.

The only thing to say here is this IS NOT the 2nd best film of all time.

This movie is great because they actually made a great superman movie without ending it with kryptonite.

Wait. This is the second highest reviewed film of all time? You're kidding me, right? Seriously. Is this a joke? Did this site get hacked?

While it's not a bad movie, it's rating is far too high. I don't think it should be included on this list because its Metascore is based on only four credited reviews, not the minimum of seven. It's a movie overrated by a loop-hole. Superman: The Movie was better.

Back in 1981 this seemed like a good film. Boy has it aged. The last five minutes are particularly lame. The script is incredibly dumb. Metacritics credibility has been tarnished here.. or is it the credibility of reviewers? Rose-tinted nostalgia has no place in film reviews if you ask me.

Statistics is why this movie rates inordinately highly. Only seven reviews listed here while most movies are subjected to as many as twenty on this site. And no low-scoring reviews are even listed... Could be a 99, but there's not sufficient data on this site to tell.

Good but not great. Soundtrack, action and romance certainly don't stack this film against the classics. Even for Sci-Fi, it's no "Bladerunner".

I have to agree with reviewer John B's comment "How could any reasonable mathmatical formula make this the second best movie of all time?" This is a mild escape movie. Several of Zod's lines are classics & the rampant product placement is fun to joke about, but I can think of a LOT-- a LOT!-- of films more deserving of the second place slot.

The 99 score is ridiculous. If you call a 5 average, this film is a little above, so I think a 7 is fair. So, this ranks higher than LOTR, Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, etc etc......ridiculous.

Saw this in the summer, and whats the hype anyway? Super-man 2 and Superman the movie are both cheesy and corny shows. Christopher Reeve is terrible at acting, the script has a complex function. And it just sucks. Crappy movie.

This just blows. A huge letdown. And 99/100!!! You have to be kidding me. The affects are cheesy, and tries to be a classic, but totally is not.

Terrible, just terrible. My whole family hated it. It wasted my beautiful summer night. This could have been amazing, but is impossible to be.

This film is one of the best superhero films of all time. I have one movie poster left on my wall and its this film, the poster has the villains flying up towards superman, with a burning metropolis underneath, an awesome image. But second on this list seems kind of odd, in the top 50 yeah. Overall its a bit corny, makes up stupid super powers, but is fun romp for all ages.

Its an horrible movie, a completely waste of time. I don't now why it was so loved by the critics. Its is terrible, like the others super heroes movies. I completely don't recommend it.

I have to agree with previous comments of how horribly overrated this movie is. I remember loving it as a kid, so hired it along with the supergirl movie. I was as disappointed with how bad the storyline, script, editing and general vision and morals were in this movie as much as I was pleasantly surprised with how good (most of) supergirl was. I am therefore surprised that most critics - including those whose opinions i generally hold in high regard, give this movie such a highscore and supergirl such a low score.… Expand

My favorite Super Hero movie still of all time. This movie contains all the vital components that makes Comic Books so appealing. Action, Drama, Searching one's intersoul, redemption, and Earth's Greatest Protector against 3 equally powerful threats in the Greatest Showdown of our time. I wish this production team would gather together and do a remake of the story with new age special effects, minus Brandon Routh and Kate Boswell, but find the closest equals to Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder. It would be an even bigger hit! But then again, I love the classics in their original form, so might as well leave it be. Check out the Richard Donner Cut, it is just as good!… Expand

It's a horrible and dull movie.

Overrated, the only reason metacritic gave it a swell review was because there were only 7 critics to average from.

I re-watched this a few months ago, and it is just as awful as I remember it being. I cringe every time I see this movie in the #2 spot. Please, Metacritic, retire this movie.

Still the greatest Superman movie ever made, and still one of the greatest super hero movies ever made.

A fun fantastic film that still stands the test of time, Christopher Reeve played the lead role(s) perfectly and will be sadly missed. The John Williams Score is probably one of the most memorable and uplifting in Cinema history and still gives me goose bumps when played, should this be No:2 in the list? Not really, but still a 10 in my eyes!!

This movie is practically unwatchable. The fact that it has earned "universal acclaim" and a score of 99 based on critics reviews throws the whole notion of the movie critic into doubt. Who are these people?

Sure it's enjoyable in its own way, much like you wish you had a proton pack watching Ghostbusters, you wish you had those SuperPowers like Superman. I don't remember this film being even half as good as the Meta Critic Score leads one to believe.

Don't take me wrong, the movie is ok for a Saturday afternoon with nothing else to do... But the second place of the list!! This is madness!!

Amen to that, Sean B. If Superman could see those who contravene the film so adamantly, he'd tell them what color panties they were wearing AND how pathetically and unfoundedly bunched they were. Is it worthy of a 99? No. But good Lord, people. Take a deep breath and relax. One would be inclined to think some of you had just woken from a drugged state to learn General Zod himself had you gagged and bent over with your wrists bound to your ankles, readily standing by with a handful of recycled lubricant and a huskily whispered promise that "you'll learn the hard way to kneel before Zod, young man." It's the evolving story of Superman. A tale that will forever summon forth innocent childhood dreams to become greater than the ordinary, and be a part of something much larger than ourselves. And it's on that level, the essence of Superman, where I'd like to think the film succeeds best. It's a fun flick... try to enjoy it.… Expand

Okay... this is not the second best movie ever. I'd seriously doubt if this movie would make the list of the top 1000 films of all time. This is mediocre, dumbly campy hogwash. Even the first Superman movie wasn't THAT good.

Better than the first.

"Superman II" is a great sequel to an incredible film. Sure, the love scenes are soapy and the film does drag in scenes, but the action sequences make up for it. R.I.P. Christopher Reeve 1952-2004. You'll always be Superman.

I can't believe what a high rating this movie has. It's enjoyable, nostalgic cheese, but it's still cheese. The script is ham-handed, and the actors uniformly bludgeon them to death with overacting. Many sets appear to have been made with leftover props from high school dances. Folks, this is the sort of pompously inept movie that Mystery Science Theater thrived on.

Best Superman movie ever.

Who the heck could ever vote this better than the first Superman? And if you like this as the 2nd best ever, where do you rate Superman 3....

Excellent movie. Reeve at his best. All-time classic.

Definitely a flaw in the polling. There should be a rule that movies with less than 10 reviews do not get to be included in the ratings list of "best" and "worst" of all time. This is just kinda silly. Look at all of the others it has jumped over. A real head-shaker.

You have to look at this movie's rating subjectively. Objectively, it's not the 2nd best movie ever made, but in the subgenre of "superhero movies," it's among the 3 best I've ever seen. Movie reviewers have to take all of this context into account. That's why it's here.

This loud goofy campy fun, see it.

Superman II is bright, funny, and clever. Even with all the innovations in special effects so many super hero movies lack the chemistry that Superman I and II had. I love the brains over brawn ending.

Arguably the greatest comic book movie of all time. that includes the dark knight.

Great movie. One of the best of the "modern" superhero movies. Released in 1980 you can see the effect of this movie on newer releases such as Spiderman II and even The Dark Knight. I enjoyed Superman Returns, but not nearly as good as Superman II or even the original.

Very entertaining, it has a lightness about it and plenty of action. Winning performances, excellent score and in 1980 the special effects were great.

I agree with the other posters: this film is highly, highly overrated. Cheesy, poorly acted, overwrought and just plain stupid.

This is not the score on the original Superman 2 from 1981 (which I would score 4, even as a kid back then). No, this is for 2006, Superman 2 - The Richard Donner Cut, which is not complete, but "must see" for all you Superman lovers out there. This version feels like completely different film.

Bad. Bad. Bad. Is there no common sense at Metacritic? How could any reasonable mathmatical formula make this the second best movie of all time?

I'm giving this movie a 2 because I like the idea of it. The actual implementation has much to be desired. The special effects are awful in context with the times. The fight scenes are laughable. Watching equally strong (invincible) superbeings fight is much more boring than watching a regular street fight. It always amazes me that Hollywood could never put together a great Superman movie. The original Superman movie was decent but fell apart in the second half. This movie is dumb from start to finish.… Expand