As the new 4K set of the Superman films are being released, a number of people in overseas markets have begun receiving their copies of the limited edition steelbook set. Some have posted unboxing videos on YouTube, and some others have uploaded the main title credits from Superman II and Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut to give fans a taste of what to expect. Jay Towers and Jim Bowers of the CapedWonder Superman Podcast recently released their first podcast of 2023 and dedicated it to the breakdown of the steelbook set from different markets.

And I’m still waiting for my copy to arrive. I preordered it back in late February from the WB Shop, and only this past Thursday did I, along with a friend of mine named Adam Thurmond, finally receive the word that the 4K steelbook set is being sent out. Interesting how we in the United States are late in the game getting this set. (Sounds like what happened when Superman II was reverse marketed in 1980-81 for different countries’ peak summer season.) I envy you guys who’ve already gotten your copies now. But I won’t have to wait much longer now. As the saying goes, good things come to those who wait.

But the question I have to ask is, is the new Superman 4K set a good thing? There’s been lots of talk about what’s on there, what’s not on there, and what’s changed. So let’s look at what we know so far, film by film:

Superman: The Movie

The new 4K set of the classic first film is missing one important thing: the 70-millimeter six-track audio mix from the 2018 release is no longer there. The only way to hear that original audio mix is the 2.0 mix. Why it was omitted remains unknown at this time. So it’s important that you hold on to the 2018 4K release if you want that audio track.

For that matter, the Blu-ray companion disc in the set is different in the UK release. According to Jim Bowers, the Blu-ray contains the 151-minute special edition that was first seen in 2001. The German box set contains the original 143-minute theatrical release, which allows you to switch between the 2001 sound mix and the original 1978 sound mix. Which version of the film that will be included in the US, Mexican, French, and other versions remains to be seen. But I wouldn’t be surprised if it contains the theatrical version.

Superman II

The opening credits to Superman II have never looked or sounded better than it does here! When I first saw the film with my parents in 1981, I picked up on how the sound and the music was really full and rich. Every version since then on VHS, laserdisc, DVD, and Blu-Ray has had the music partly buried in the mix. This is due to some incorrect channel mixing. The only other version of the film that I recall that the music was punched up to the forefront was the 1984 extended TV cut. Of course, if you listen to the 2008 soundtrack release from Film Score Monthly, or the 2018 soundtrack CD from LaLaLand Records, you’ll hear how rich the music is.

This is one thing that I’ve noticed in the sound mix for the 4K release, and judging from the video, this greatly benefits the film so much! It sounds amazing through my Bose wave speaker! And the colors look richer and fuller. Check out this video clip and you’ll see what I mean.

Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut

Now let’s look at its companion piece from 2006. I know I’m skipping ahead in terms of years, but when you talk about Superman II, you have to deal with both sides of the film. And this new 4K release includes both films in the same steelbook.

The film looks good based on the opening sequence and credits, but it’s clear that the fixes that should have been corrected were not done at all. The rocket still reads XK-10 instead of XK-101, the outer space background is still budget rate in places, and, if that’s any indication, the floating Marlon Brando head during his final appearance in the film—when Jor-El admonishes the powerless Superman for choosing to give up his powers in the name of love—is still stationary in those two places when it should have moved along with the camera. It’s a little thing, but if you pay attention long enough, you’ll notice it.

As with the theatrical cut, the Donner Cut looks even more colorful and sounds just as cool too through my Bose speaker. Check out this clip…

By the way, if you haven’t done so, go to Amazon Prime and get the 122-minute version of the Donner Cut. NOW. Before they upgrade to the new 4K and it disappears forever. It contains some extra footage of Lex Luthor and Miss Teschmacher in the Fortress, as well as more of the East Houston sequence with restored music, revised audio and visual effects, and added footage from the TV cut—Superman’s soufflé and Non killing the boy—in widescreen format. And save that cut to as many devices as you can—hard drive, flash drive, laptop, Kindle, DVD burner, you name it.

Superman III

As with Superman II, the third film looks and sounds just as amazing based on the opening credits. What’s particularly striking is the series of live flying effects throughout the film. The wire removal process is spot on, and it brings you back to the tagline from 1978: “You’ll believe a man can fly.” Of course, it’s all because Christopher Reeve and the flying team made it look so seamless and perfect, and I have to give a long overdue credit to them for pulling off a totally realistic flying shot over live traffic, which could have been much more dangerous if something had gone wrong, but this is also due to the enormous amount of safety measures and practice that went into pulling it off perfectly.

Unfortunately, I can’t find a clip that shows off the new 4K release, so you’ll have to trust me with this one.

By the way, this year marks the 40th anniversary of the release of Superman III, so I will do a special anniversary retrospective on the film and how it’s aged over the decades.

Superman IV: The Quest for Peace

And now we come to the red-headed stepchild of the series. As I reported in an earlier blog, this one is a mixed bag from start to finish. Since it first dropped on iTunes, the major complaints have centered around the altered music throughout the film, with several substantial tracks from the theatrical release now replaced with the alternate German versions that were recorded in the middle of May 1987. Why they were replaced is still unclear as of this point.

In their recent podcast, Jim Bowers has suggested that it may be the original sound mix upgraded to 4K sound, but I have to disagree with him. In comparing the German tracks to the later English versions that appear in the final film and in the soundtrack CD, it’s easy to pick up on the differences. The main title theme, “Fresh Air”, and even the edited versions of “Confrontation” and “Volcano” (which have been edited accordingly to fit within the framework of the theatrical release) are dead giveaways. And another question I have to posit is this: how is it that the Spanish and French streaming versions utilize the sound mix from the theatrical release, and only the American version is affected?

And of course we’re still left with the obvious questions: who replaced the music, from where did these German tracks surface, and why? One thing is certain, and I’m sure our friends and acquaintances in the UK and Germany can clear this up: if the altered music is on the 4K physical disc as it is in the streaming versions, then, to quote Ricky Ricardo, someone’s got some ‘splainin’ to do.

A Little Inspiration?

But there’s also a little bit of inspiration in this new 4K set that I just picked up on, and I don’t know if anyone else has noticed it or not. Warner Home video has designed the discs around the two primary colors of Superman’s costume, red and blue, with the 4K discs in red and the Blu-Ray discs in, well, blue. At first it didn’t hit me, then it brought back this memory…

So to whoever came up with the red and blue disc color design, if you went back to these comics for inspiration, my hat is off to you!

I’ve now received word that my copy of the set will arrive next week, so I’m looking forward to sharing more with you once I have it in hand.