Action comedy

Superman III (1983): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Plot

Name: Superman III
Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Comedy
Released: 1983-06-17
Duration: 2 h 5 min
Cast: Margot Kidder, Richard Pryor, Christopher Reeve

Superman III is a 1983 action comedy directed by Richard Lester, starring Margot Kidder, Richard Pryor and Christopher Reeve. It runs 2 hours 5 minutes and earned $80.3 million worldwide. It earned 1 award nomination, including Best Supporting Actress at the Saturn Awards 1984. Critics gave it 44 on Metacritic.

worldwide gross: $80.3M
award nomination: 1
Metascore: 44

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Released: June 17, 1983
Runtime: 2h 5m (125 min)
Director: Richard Lester
Genres: Action , Adventure , Sci-Fi , Fantasy
Original language: English
Studio: Warner Bros.
After the credits: No No extra scene

The story

What Is Superman III About?

The premise of Superman III without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

Ross Webster, a wealthy businessman, manipulates computer expert Gus Gorman into sabotaging Colombia's coffee production and targeting Superman. Webster’s scheme quickly spirals out of control, and in an attempt to undermine the hero, Gorman inadvertently creates a dangerous substance resembling kryptonite. This new threat puts Superman in grave peril, leading to a dramatic confrontation between the hero and his adversaries as they battle for the fate of the world.

Superman III Themes & Keywords

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clark kent character
lana lang character
legs
man wears eyeglasses
lois lane character
perry white character
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jimmy olsen character
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arizona desert

+38 more

blockbuster
oil spill
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male protagonist
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slimehouse
returning actor with different character
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actor plays a dual role
character appears on a magazine cover
villainess
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camp
campy
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cigarette smoking
the big apricot
former cheerleader
former football hero
woman wears a tie
blonde
red dress
police vehicle
extraterrestrial
evil man
evil woman

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Cast & crew

Superman III Cast

Margot Kidder leads the cast, with Richard Pryor and Christopher Reeve. Directed by Richard Lester.

Director Richard Lester

From the director

More from Richard Lester

More films directed by Richard Lester, best-rated first: Superman II, The Three Musketeers, Robin and Marian and Help!.

Full filmography

Ratings

Superman III Reviews & Ratings

Critics gave Superman III 44 on Metacritic.

Metacritic

44 Metascore

User score 4.5
See on Metacritic
TMDB

55% User score
See on TMDB

Plot

Superman III Plot Summary

What happens in Superman III from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

The Metropolis-based corporation Webscoe enlists the help of Gus Gorman, a computer programmer known for his salami slicing embezzlement technique. This catches the attention of CEO Ross Webster, who, along with his sister Vera and girlfriend Lorelei, coerces Gus into aiding their nefarious plans.

Meanwhile, at the Daily Planet, Clark Kent persuades Perry White to allow him and Jimmy Olsen to head to Smallville for Clark’s high school reunion. It’s a time of change as fellow reporter and Clark’s unspoken love interest, Lois Lane, opts for a vacation in Bermuda. During his journey, Clark transforms into Superman and bravely responds to a disaster, extinguishing a raging fire at a chemical plant teeming with unstable beltric acid, notorious for producing harmful vapors when heated.

Full summary

The whole story of Superman III, scene by scene

Read the full summary