---
title: "Superman II: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/superman-ii/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/superman-ii"
critics_score: 76
critics_reviews: 7
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Superman II (1980): what the critics said

Critics' score 76 from 7 reviews: 6 positive, 1 mixed, 0 negative.

## Empire — Chris Hewitt

Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 30 March 2007. 

The critic calls it one of the most exciting comic-book films and says it earns a place in the classic canon. They praise its physical-effects action and its human, dramatic focus on Superman, Lois and Clark.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/superman-ii-review/)

## The Hollywood Reporter — Martin Gold

Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 3 December 1980. 

Gold gives the sequel an enthusiastic verdict, praising its entertaining blend of romance, thrills, comedy and effects. He especially singles out the climactic battle between Superman and the Kryptonians as a visual highlight.

[Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/superman-ii-1980-movie-review-original-1236308889/)

## Radio Times — John Ferguson

Rating 4/5. 

Ferguson considers it probably the strongest Christopher Reeve Superman film in terms of plot. He praises Richard Lester’s playful direction and the film’s strong supporting cast.

[Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-uv4ro5/superman-ii/)

## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert

Rating 3/4. 19 June 1981. 

Ebert finds the film entertaining and an improvement on its predecessor. He singles out its humor and Christopher Reeve’s performance as particular strengths.

[Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/superman-ii-1981)

## The New York Times — Janet Maslin

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 19 June 1981. 

The review presents the film as an entertaining follow-up. It singles out the film’s abundance of tricks, though the page text is unavailable to confirm further details.

[Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1981/06/19/movies/superman-ii-is-full-of-tricks.html)

## Time Out — DP

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 

The review suggests a positive verdict despite the film feeling less grandiose than its predecessor. It praises the combination of the original’s casting and visual style with Richard Lester’s wit.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/superman-ii)

## Eye for Film — Stephen Carty

Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 5 July 2009. 

Carty finds the flawed, divisive sequel still has plenty to offer. He especially praises the chemistry between Reeve and Kidder and the inventive four-way battle.

[Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/superman-ii-film-review-by-stephen-carty)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/superman-ii.md