Superman III will have you shaking your head with laughter. But within those goofy moments, there are still some parental concerns. Women in revealing outfits, crude language and alcohol use are prominent throughout the film. Nonetheless, the film teaches us that it is better to use our skills for good rather than for power.
It’s just another day in the city of Metropolis.
Superman saved a man from drowning. Daily Planet reporter, Clark Kent is leaving for his high school reunion. Lois Lane is off to Bermuda. And unemployed computer genius Gus Gorman is on the lookout for a job.
Gus is so desperate, he takes the first job he finds: a computer programmer for Webscoe Industries.
After a few days on the job, Gus, disappointed with his meager paycheck, puts his computer skills to the test and looks for “lost” cents within the company’s bank accounts. Only embezzling about $85,000.
Now, Gus just needs to lie low and hope no one notices. Except he does the exact opposite.
Gus’ antics come to the attention of Webscoe Industries President Ross Webster and his cold-demeanored sister, Vera. But rather than prosecute him, they decide this bumbling computer programmer can be used to their advantage.
Ross wants to corner the world’s coffee market—and its substantial financial payout. But the country of Colombia refuses to comply. The pair, along with Ross’ henchwoman, Lorelei, tasks Gus with hacking into an advanced U.S. satellite capable of altering weather patterns. They order him to program it to create brutal weather in Colombia in order to destroy the country’s entire coffee bean supply.
But why stop at coffee? Why not go after the world’s oil supply and control that market too?
For payment of his skills, Gus wants Ross to build him a supercomputer with the ability to control everything.
Only Superman can stop this group of wacky individuals. And going up against the Man of Steel proves to be no simple task.
Whether he’s donning the red cape or posing as a reporter with glasses, Superman (aka Clark Kent) is always ready to lend a hand. From saving a man trapped in a flooding car to showing up at Lana Lang’s (an old high school flame) son’s birthday, Superman is willing and able to be the hero and put others first.
That becomes especially apparent after Superman is exposed to some synthetic kryptonite (courtesy of Gus and Ross), the only substance that can harm him. Rather than killing him, the chemically-altered substance confuses and corrupts the Man of Steel. He starts to act out of character, creating chaos instead of peace. It takes a mental toll on Superman, literally splitting him into two different people: Clark Kent and “evil Superman” (sometimes referred to by fans as “Bizarro”).
But Superman doesn’t give up. He fights against his alter-ego, determined that goodness will prevail over evil.
Lana cares for her son, Ricky, very much. Though she believes there isn’t much left for her in Smallville, she tries her best to provide for Ricky. Whether she’s pawning her wedding ring to pay the gas bill or simply having a picnic with Ricky, her love for her son is strong.
Ricky is fiercely loyal to Superman. When the rest of the world believes Superman has turned evil, Ricky says Superman is only in a slump. He continually calls out to Superman (since the caped man has super-hearing) and helps reawaken the Man of Steel’s dormant goodness.
Gus, though initially taking orders from Ross, finds a way to redeem himself in the end. And he ultimately helps (and saves) Superman. Lorelei also pleads on Superman’s behalf when the Man of Steel is in danger.
Superman is simply not Superman without his superpowers. The sole surviving alien of the destroyed planet Krypton, Superman uses his gifts (flying, indestructibility, super-breath, speed, strength, heat vision and x-ray vision) to protect the city of Metropolis and, at times, the world.
Lorelei is introduced to one of Ross’ associates as his “psychic nutritionist.” Someone references a “Sunday school picnic.” A woman says her ex thinks he is a gift to women from God. We see a wedding in a Catholic church. Someone describes the extreme weather in Colombia as an “act of God,” not knowing that Gus was the one manipulating it.
Gus says he believes that one of the greatest gifts God gave to man is chemicals. During a speech to a crowd, he adds, “Thank the Lord for Superman.”
Jimmy, a photographer for the Daily Planet, is tasked with taking photographs of Ross Webster for winning “Humanitarian of the Year.” Instead, Jimmy captures photos of Ross’ mistress, focusing on her breasts. When his boss later asks who the woman is, Lois tells him Lorelei Ambrosia, adding on, “She’s just Webster’s. Let’s leave it at that.”
Lorelei often wears revealing, tight outfits. Ross later sends her to flirt with and seduce Superman. Lorelei and Superman (who has been corrupted by the fake kryptonite) kiss and spend the night together.
Clark and Lana kiss in greeting at their reunion. Lana shares that she and her husband are divorced. Clark and Lana rekindle old feelings. They embrace after Clark gives Lana a ring to replace the one she had to pawn. Though when Lana’s ex, Brad, walks in, he thinks Clark is proposing to Lana.
Brad pursues Lana throughout the film, asking her out, inviting her to dance and putting his arm around her. Lana repeatedly rejects him and pleads with him to stop reaching out to her.
We see a painting of a nude woman, as well as photos of women in revealing outfits. When asked where Lois is going on vacation, Lois holds up a bikini and states “Bermuda!” In the opening credits, a man runs into a streetlight after ogling a woman’s chest.
Right at the movie’s start, chaos ensues. During a robbery, cops chase the robber, shooting at him. In the crossfire, a car’s tires are shot out. The car crashes into a fire hydrant, which floods the vehicle’s interior with the driver trapped inside. (Luckily Superman flies in to save the man.)
A fire at a chemical plant puts many workers in danger. Jimmy climbs up a firetruck’s ladder, dismissing the firefighters’ objections, in order to capture photos of the fire. Due to a massive explosion, Jimmy falls and hurts his leg.
Gus tells Ross, “I don’t want to go to jail cause they have robbers and rapists who rape robbers.”
During a picnic, Ricky falls off a rock, knocking himself unconscious (we see a bloody cut on his head). He lies in the pathway of a crop combine, so Clark—after changing to Superman—puts his hands (which are indestructible) into the machine’s blades to stop it from running over Ricky.
Gus gives Superman synthetic kryptonite with the intention of killing him. (Superman survives, but, as mentioned in Positive Content, it briefly corrupts him before splitting him into two different personas.) Under the kryptonite’s influence, Superman punches a hole into an oil vessel, spilling the oil into the ocean.
After being separated into Clark Kent and “evil Superman,” the two battle each other. Evil Superman throws Clark into two trash compactors; Clark pushes Evil Superman into a pit of acid; Clark chokes Evil Superman.
During an argument, Vera puts her hands around Lorelei’s neck, attempting to choke her. Elsewhere, Lorelei tells Vera that if she stopped breathing and turned blue, it would be a “huge improvement.” Two men get into a fight, kicking and punching each other.
Ross and Vera shoot rockets and a missile at Superman. Someone fires a kryptonite ray at Superman. A character turns into a cyborg and attacks two other people. Two characters are choked by cables. Rocks and metal debris fall on top of some people.
In Colombia, a tornado (caused by the weather satellite Gus hacked) strikes a church, causing the roof to crumble and knocking down a bride, groom and wedding guests.
People pull a driver out of a crashed vehicle sitting at the bottom of a fallen bridge. A semitruck dangles off the edge of the bridge, too, but that driver is also pulled out of his seat before the truck plummets into the river below. A character falls off a building’s roof and almost gets hit by cars.
There are some slapstick accidents and tumbles throughout the film: A blind man accidentally knocks someone into a hole and then trods on the man’s head. A roller skater trips into a hot dog cart, causing it to knock down three phone booths. Streetlights signal incorrectly, sending pedestrians into oncoming traffic. And so on and so forth.
“H—,” “b–ch,” “p-ss” and “d–n” are each used a few times. God’s name is misused four times while Jesus’ name is misused twice. “Holy cats” is used once. The Italian profanity stronzo is used once followed by the crude gesture of flicking the thumb from the upper teeth. Name-calling is also prominent.
Multiple characters smoke. Gus names an unknown element “Tar” after seeing the word printed on a pack of cigarettes.
Superman (after being corrupted by the synthetic kryptonite) gets drunk at a bar. He shoots peanuts at the glass alcohol bottles and then drunkenly stumbles out of the establishment.
Brad often has a beer in hand. He passes out after drinking too much with Gus. Ross offers Gus a drink from a hidden wet bar in his office. Superman and Lorelei drink champagne together.
In addition to hacking into the weather satellite, Gus creates havoc in other machines. For instance, when a man goes to get money from an ATM, the machine doesn’t stop dispensing money. The man takes the cash and hides it in his pants. Another machine prints out bank statements, and when a husband sees how much money his wife has spent, he shoves an orange into her face.
Vera and Lorelei dislike each other and constantly argue.
Clark accidentally eats dog food. Lois, upon return from her trip to Bermuda, shares how she was kidnapped; she writes a story on corruption in the Caribbean.
When Superman is under the influence of the synthetic kryptonite, Ross notes that he has become “ornery, evil, malicious, selfish.” And Vera interjects that those qualities make Superman a “normal person.”
Though Superman III did not gain as much praise as its two predecessors, it is an action-packed comedy sure to make for a good time.
Christopher Reeve brings Superman to life with the Man of Steel’s do-good attitude and Clark Kent’s nervous, clumsy demeanor. You will laugh at Gus’ silliness and cheer when Superman ultimately conquers his own dark persona.
Yet, the film still contains concerns for parents.
The use of alcohol is on full display. Superman himself gathers a crowd of onlookers as he sits at a bar downing shots. And viewers’ eyes are purposely drawn to Lorelei. Every time she is on screen, her outfits reveal much more than parents may wish their children to see. Plenty of characters smoke. And there are some profane words present, too.
While the special effects may not compete with the movies Hollywood produces nowadays, there are still some classic moments that many a Superman fan will appreciate: the quick change from Clark Kent to Superman, the personality and voice swap Reeve delivers.
And ultimately, the moment when Superman conquers the evil instilled in him (not to mention when he defeats the film’s baddies) will have audiences appreciating that Superman is just that: super.
Natalie Dean is Plugged In’s 2025 Summer Intern. A native from South Dakota, she recently graduated from South Dakota State University with a degree in Journalism and in the fall will be pursuing a master’s at Liberty University. Growing up in the Black Hills, Natalie enjoys spending her time outside, whether that be riding bikes or kayaking with her sisters, walking the dogs or going on long hikes. Her love for movie soundtracks stems from her sister asking, “what movie is this from” and “name the movie scene.” She has a passion for writing and hopes to one day be a published author.
