"Kneel before Zod." So says the lead villain, one of three memorable baddies, in Superman
II, which finds Christopher Reeve's Superman up against Lex Luthor and a trio of
supervillains from his home planet. Basically, Superman II offers more great action, a darker
set of bad guys, and a genuine crisis for our hero - become a mortal, or get back to saving the world from these tyrants in strange clothing. It's a more
dramatic version of Superman, and as with The Empire Strikes Back, is a
worthy, near-equal complement to the first film.