Received my copy on Friday and watched last night.
From a nostalgia perspective, it was an enjoyable watch. Seeing things I vaguely remembered from childhood but was not sure of anymore, like the Kryptonian Cop. Also seeing things I had absolutely no memory of, like the President golfing gag.
But otherwise, this is a bloated version that only exists for the Salkinds to milk even more money out from tv networks, since back in the day, networks paid by the minute for movies they aired.
There is a lot stuff that is just time filler.... watching Kryptonians fall to their death for an extra couple of minutes, watch Lana Lang and gang drive through the fields of Kanas for a couple extra minutes, watch Otis walk the streets of Metropolis for a few extra minutes, Lois and Jimmy wandering around California, etc. There seems to be alternate longer cuts to some scenes, a lot more of Luthor and cohorts... so much so it makes Superman feel even more like a co-star than lead of the movie. Also with more of Otis and Teschmaker, comes even more humour.... maybe too much, creating an uneven tone of the movie. But there are also some nice moments where the camera lingers longer on a scene and creates a stronger emotional character beat.
One thing very noticeable the Suit looks really good in the majority scenes. It really pops with deep blues and rich reds. Though there are still some scenes, like the missile chase, where it the blue looks more teal like in the older poor dvd transfers.
I would only recommend this cut for hardcore fans or fan editors looking for alternate material. If you have never seen Superman The Movie or want to introduce someone to it for the first time, this is definitely NOT the version to watch. Stick with the theatrical or special edition, both are superior in terms of pacing and narrative compared to this Extended Cut.
