Superman II

my mom loved Superman, and we used to rewatch the Superman films over and over again when i was younger. among Christopher Reeve's four Superman films, i remember Superman II being my favorite. and after maybe a decade, today is my first time to rewatch this!! that said. even if we exclude nostalgia from the equation, this would still be a five-star on my book <3 identity-porn with a satisfying identity reveal? satisfying action scenes, climax, and resolution? smart and competent love interest who has a personality besides sitting pretty for the leading man? best of all, sexy hero with an equally sexy and adorably awkward alter-ego— with glasses? GUYS. this bears repeating— WITH GLASSES???? oh baby. as i've said, it's been years since my last rewatch, so my memory of it has been very vague the past years, but this rewatch made me realize that for the longest time, this has subconsciously been my standard for every media i consume. i like the Twilight Saga because it made me feel a similar same way to what Superman II made me feel. i like my romantic male leads strong and competent but with an awkward side because that's how Clark Kent/Superman is. i cannot stand watching romance films with a female lead who needs saving because Lois Lane, despite being a love interest for a superhero, isn't like that (and also because i'm a feminist. but that's beside the point LMAO). i enjoy identity-porn in the fanfic i read, and i enjoy well-written identity reveals, to replicate the same satisfaction i felt the moment Clark Kent stopped himself halfway while denying his identity, removed his glasses, and did a 180-degree shift from the awkward Clark Kent to the eloquent Superman. god, i can go on. maybe i can even say that i find glasses attractive because Clark Kent has one. bottomline is, Superman II played a fundamental role in the formation of my identity and preferences. this film meant a lot for me before; it will always do in the future. :) anyway, among my favorite scenes has to be that time Lois Lane jumped to the waters in an attempt to bait Clark Kent to reveal his true identity. the trust she had on Superman, that she was willing to risk her life, believing that there's no way Superman would just let her die... and Clark Kent's trust on Lois Lane too, that he believed Lois Lane could save herself even with just minimal assistance from him! see! what is romance without trust! second favorites are the Lex Luthor scenes. love it when men are losers!