Superman IV

At home, the employees of The Daily Planet grapple with new, sensationalist ownership more committed to making money than printing truth. Abroad, the nuclear arms race is heating up between America and the USSR. Amidst such fear, Superman takes things into his own hands and vows to rid the world of all nuclear weapons. As he does so, he might be playing right into Lex Luthor's hands . . . for the self-proclaimed genius is intent on destroying the Man of Steel by using his own genetics against him, and Lex's creation, Nuclear Man, may just be the being that finally fells Superman. Who will prevail?

I remember this 1987 film better than the others (see reviews of Superman I, II, and III in prior posts). This film marked a return to the flavor of the first two, yet fell short of them in two ways:

- the effects were somehow worse (budget cuts, probably)

- the story was rushed, with huge plot holes (apparently 45 minutes was left on the cutting room floor, leaving a 90-minute film where the previous offerings were north of 120)

It was better than Superman III, but only just.

Rating: C-