"Superman IV: Quest for Peace" should have been renamed "Superman IV: Quest for a Plot" as the film's script is pure garbage...full of schmaltz, preachiness and so many things that simply are dumb and make little sense. It's also a film that clearly shows the limits of special effects, as even with 1980s technology the film should have looked so much better--especially since it's about the most effects-laden Superman film up to that time.
The story is full of saccharine when the entire planet stops to take notice of some little boy who writes to Superman to request that he bring about world peace! Superman, never wanting to disappoint any child, responds by destroying the world's nuclear stockpile. However, Lex Luthor disguises one of the nuclear missiles as just a garden variety nuclear bomb when really it's infused with some Superman DNA. So, when the missile is tossed into the sun, it naturally produces an evil Krytonian who is bent on killing Superman and working for Luthor. Can our incredibly plastic hero destroy this evil menace AND balance two women...one who is beautiful and loves Clark and another who's an idiot who STILL can't understand that Clark and Superman are the same freaking guy!!
While the story is saccharine and stupid and the special effects quite bad, the film team do manage to also make the acting terrible- -even by Superman standards. The standout in this department is Jon Cryer-- who really can act. But given the bilge the writers (a room full of baboons, I think), he comes off as simply annoying and hateful. The rest, by the way, aren't much better.
So do I recommend this film? Yes and no. No if you want to see a decent film. Yes if you are either using it to torture someone or if you are a glutton for punishment, like me, and occasionally enjoy laughing at Hollywood stars destroying themselves. A little schadenfreude is what's needed to enjoy this picture, that's for sure.
The story is full of saccharine when the entire planet stops to take notice of some little boy who writes to Superman to request that he bring about world peace! Superman, never wanting to disappoint any child, responds by destroying the world's nuclear stockpile. However, Lex Luthor disguises one of the nuclear missiles as just a garden variety nuclear bomb when really it's infused with some Superman DNA. So, when the missile is tossed into the sun, it naturally produces an evil Krytonian who is bent on killing Superman and working for Luthor. Can our incredibly plastic hero destroy this evil menace AND balance two women...one who is beautiful and loves Clark and another who's an idiot who STILL can't understand that Clark and Superman are the same freaking guy!!
While the story is saccharine and stupid and the special effects quite bad, the film team do manage to also make the acting terrible- -even by Superman standards. The standout in this department is Jon Cryer-- who really can act. But given the bilge the writers (a room full of baboons, I think), he comes off as simply annoying and hateful. The rest, by the way, aren't much better.
So do I recommend this film? Yes and no. No if you want to see a decent film. Yes if you are either using it to torture someone or if you are a glutton for punishment, like me, and occasionally enjoy laughing at Hollywood stars destroying themselves. A little schadenfreude is what's needed to enjoy this picture, that's for sure.