[Gemini1999]

Okay, I couldn't wait to write my post. I finished with the film and most of the extras earlier than I anticipated.

My initial impression is that the Donner Cut is a version of SII that I can watch without wincing at parts and I can live with as part of the Superman film saga. I'm glad that the fans asked for it and got what they asked for - for the most part.

It was indeed quite gratifying to see the footage that had never been displayed to the viewing public. I even liked the "screen test" footage for the Honeymoon scenes. Even in test form, it works much better than the one-liner packed version that was present in the Richard Lester version.

One of the scenes I enjoyed the most was the scene where Kal-El has his powers restored by his father sacrificing the last of his energy. The line "The son becomes the father and the father, the son" is very fitting.

Most of the VFX for the Donner Cut seemed to fit in quite well with existing footage and worked for me. I think that the Washington Monument looked a bit CGI-ish, but I liked it better than the poorly shot Mount Rushmore scenes in the Lester version.

I think that the only part of the film that didn't work for me 100 percent was the opening scenes. It was kind of like a rushed mini-film version of Superman I. The cuts were hurried and I thought that a lot of the footage was unneccesary. It was nice seeing the original version of the Criminals escaping their Phantom Zone prison. It looked much better than the horribly animated escape footage previously seen.

I know that some aren't pleased with the "turning back time" sequence - it feels a bit anti-climactic as it was used in the first film and as Jason and Eric have pointed out, presents a paradox or two. I still think it works much better than the "super kiss" scenes in the original version of II that makes Lois forget her revelation regarding Superman's identity and their romantic liason at the Fortress of Solitude. A scene I found ludicrous even at the age of 20 when I first saw it.

The extras have some nice cut scenes. Some of which were in the extended ABC broadcast version and some not. Most of the cuts, I think they could have left in, but I know how studios like to package their DVDs with extras. It was also interesting to watch the "restoration" extra and hear the explanation of the prodcuers when it came to some of their choices when putting the film back together in as close to what Donner originally intended.

Overall, I enjoyed the restored version and can overlook its shortcomings as they really didn't diminish the experience compared to how I felt after seeing the Lester film 26 years ago.

Eric & Jason - Are we the only three people that are watching this???

Cheers,

Bryan