Superman 3;
Since the whole theme is computers, I would have made Brainiac the main villian. Brainiac would have come to earth in the form of a chip that lands in one of Robert Vaughn's factories. He would claim it as company property and try to get whatever information the chip may hold. Discovering that the chip is very sophisticated he would turn to the best computer programmer he has, Pryor. After a while Pryor would finally tap into the Brainiac chip and actually have a conversation with it. After discovering the full range of Brainiac's abilities, Vaughn uses Brainiac to corner the stock market on coffee, oil, etc.
Little do Vaughn, Pryor, Vaughn's baby sister and the bimbo would know that Brainiac has a hidden agenda. Brainiac has been tapping into computers all over the world to obtain as much information about earth as possible. Clark's High School nemesis Brad, unfortunately would be killed to become a vessel for Brainiac. Red Kryptonite would be introduced finally turning Superman into Superjerk. Lana Lang would not have her son, she would know that Clark is Superman. After the reunion, Lana and Clark would start dating. It would become serious, in fact it would become "physical". Martha Kent would still be at the farm. In fact, Clark would be staying there for the duration of his stay there. Martha and Lana would help Superjerk get back to Superman again.
In the end, Vaughn and his cohorts discover Brainiac's true nature, obtain a planets information, destroy the planet, move on. They try to stop Brainiac but learn the the villian has tapped into U.S. and Soviet Missile commands to launch all the nukes around the world and basically destroy all life as we know it. The huge computer complex at the Grand Canyon converts into a ship which Brainiac uses to escape Earth. Supes is in hot pursuit. He carries a drum of the acid to destroy Brainiac's central computer core. As the ship leaves Earth's atmoshpere, Superman uses his heat vision to super heat the acid and starts burning a hole into the hull of the ship. The core is smothered in hot acid. Superman realizes that the entire ship must be destroyed. In a brilliant move of quick reprogramming, Pryor taps into the missle commands to give the missles new target coordinates. The nukes all hit Brainiac's ship all at once.
Lana comes to Metropolis with Clark and is introduced to the Daily Planet staff. They all notice that Clark and Lana are all hands and suspects that their relationship is a romantic one. However for Lois, the fact that Clark has a girlfriend leaves her with a hint of jealousy.

If you would hae written it back when the original came out, then the budget would have probably prevented the scenes you describe of Brainiacs ship from being realistically filmed. After all, it was made before digital effects became cost-effective in films.

As for Clark and Lana getting "physical", I don't see any reason why they should. In fact, I wasn't too happy about Lois getting "physical" in Superman 2. I don't see why that kind of scene would have been necessary to add to a film when the comics' Superman mythos did without any heavy relationship for so many years.

As for Clark and Lana getting "physical", I don't see any reason why they should. In fact, I wasn't too happy about Lois getting "physical" in Superman 2. I don't see why that kind of scene would have been necessary to add to a film when the comics' Superman mythos did without any heavy relationship for so many years.

I agree. The physical intimacy between Lois and Superman was a BIG mistake IMO. To me, a SUPER man - regardless of whether he came from Krypton or Earth - would have acted more responsibly ( not to mention morally ). In the latest installment - SUPERMAN RETURNS - we find that Lois has given birth to Kal-El's illegitimate son and has been caring for him on her own while Kal-El went galavanting across the universe the past 7 or 8 years!

Yeah, I realize that it's supposed to reflect the changing values of our present society... but, I don't buy into that B--- Sh--! A real hero - someone worth looking up to as a role model - would never have put his own selfish desires above the values he's sworn to uphold.

Besides, the sexual tension is what keeps audiences coming back for more... wondering "Will they?" or "Won't they?" Once the deed is done that magic spell is pretty much over.

- GJS

Superman 3;
Since the whole theme is computers, I would have made Brainiac the main villian. Brainiac would have come to earth in the form of a chip that lands in one of Robert Vaughn's factories. He would claim it as company property and try to get whatever information the chip may hold. Discovering that the chip is very sophisticated he would turn to the best computer programmer he has, Pryor. After a while Pryor would finally tap into the Brainiac chip and actually have a conversation with it. After discovering the full range of Brainiac's abilities, Vaughn uses Brainiac to corner the stock market on coffee, oil, etc.
Little do Vaughn, Pryor, Vaughn's baby sister and the bimbo would know that Brainiac has a hidden agenda. Brainiac has been tapping into computers all over the world to obtain as much information about earth as possible. Clark's High School nemesis Brad, unfortunately would be killed to become a vessel for Brainiac. Red Kryptonite would be introduced finally turning Superman into Superjerk. Lana Lang would not have her son, she would know that Clark is Superman. After the reunion, Lana and Clark would start dating. It would become serious, in fact it would become "physical". Martha Kent would still be at the farm. In fact, Clark would be staying there for the duration of his stay there. Martha and Lana would help Superjerk get back to Superman again.
In the end, Vaughn and his cohorts discover Brainiac's true nature, obtain a planets information, destroy the planet, move on. They try to stop Brainiac but learn the the villian has tapped into U.S. and Soviet Missile commands to launch all the nukes around the world and basically destroy all life as we know it. The huge computer complex at the Grand Canyon converts into a ship which Brainiac uses to escape Earth. Supes is in hot pursuit. He carries a drum of the acid to destroy Brainiac's central computer core. As the ship leaves Earth's atmoshpere, Superman uses his heat vision to super heat the acid and starts burning a hole into the hull of the ship. The core is smothered in hot acid. Superman realizes that the entire ship must be destroyed. In a brilliant move of quick reprogramming, Pryor taps into the missle commands to give the missles new target coordinates. The nukes all hit Brainiac's ship all at once.
Lana comes to Metropolis with Clark and is introduced to the Daily Planet staff. They all notice that Clark and Lana are all hands and suspects that their relationship is a romantic one. However for Lois, the fact that Clark has a girlfriend leaves her with a hint of jealousy.

It's only a sketch but it's already a far better flick than S3 was...I'm probably the only person on the planet that will argue S3 was worse - in some ways - than S4. In any event, your idea is also better than Supes Returns, for my money (which the makers of that film will probably not refund me).

I'm probably the only person on the planet that will argue S3 was worse - in some ways - than S4.

I'm with you there. S-3 I honestly can't even remember. I know I saw the movie and I remember Clark going back to Smallville and reuniting with Lana, but... the rest is an indistinct blur. It was such a disappointment that I completely ignore it when I think of the old Superman/Chris Reeve series.

S-4 on the other hand was somewhat enjoyable. The Superman character seemed more like the character in the comics. Unfortunately, the movie was a dud. It had really poor production values - and that alone was enough to hammer the final nail in this franchise's coffin.

- GJS

The biggest irony of S3 is that it contains some of Reeve's better dramatic work as Supes...perhaps his best. That's the only thing I'll sit thru a viewing to see. The rest is industrial strength, triple-ply Kraptonite.

Don{t leave us in the dark. How would you write Superman 4?

Don{t leave us in the dark. How would you write Superman 4?
Superman 4;
Perry White considers retirement, Jimmy Olsen becomes a full time photojournalist for the Daily Planet. Lois becomes assistant editor-in-chief.
Clark would start writing his first book. A book on costumed crimefighters like Superman and Batman titled Masked Justice.
Since the Brainiac Incident, The world's nuclear stockpile is completely cleaned out. U.S. and Soviets step up their production of nukes. The world is worried however when a newly designed missle is introduced in Russia. It is tested and an accident happens in the earth's stratoshpere basically leaving 2/3rds of the earth in a blackout. This leaves many with apprehensions about whether we need nukes or not. Of course this leads to the kid asking Superman to do something about nukes. Luthor escapes prison with the help of his nephew Lenny. They proceed to the museum and steal Superman's hair. Lex uses the hair to create a perfect genetic clone of Supes. When Supes arrive at Lex's lair, he meets face to face with his clone. An exact copy of Superman but with Luthor's voice. The clone wears a suit similar to Superman yet instead of blue tights the clone is wearing black. A big red L is displayed on the clone's chest. Luthorman begins the attack. Pretty much around the world Luthorman blazes a path of destruction with Superman in hot pursuit. They fight to the Statue of Liberty when L-man subdues Superman. It seems that Supes is at the mercy of the clone until Luthorman begins to change. The clone is in great pain as Superman looks on. L-man's skin begins to change color to a pale white, bones break leaving him with a very hunched posture. The clone flies away and returns to the lair where he tells Lex," Me Have Problem!" Luthor realizes that the clone mutated because it was created in a lab and not from nature. Lenny makes the comment," Whoa! Uncle Lex, he's like mondo BIZARRO now!"
"Me am Bizarro?" asked the clone. Obviously the mutation has left the clone with the mind of a small child. Later on, after the obligitory final showdown with Superman, Bizarro sees that he hurts a small child. The child is crying as Bizarro approaches. The child looks up at Bizarro in horror. Superman rushes to the wounded child. The hero holds the child in his arms. Bizarro looks on and says," Me hurt child. Me am monster! I not want hurt you! Me no want hurt child Supaman! YOU Hero, ME NO hero! No home here for Bizarro!" Bizarro then shoots into the air, leaves earth and flies off into space never to be seen again.
Perry White decides not to retire.

Again, a vast improvement which I'd have gladly paid to see. Thanks for ditching the whole naive "If we just have Supes get rid of our weapons we can share a Coke and teach the world to sing" tone of the original.

Just one criticism - a major one, if you'll forgive it:

Kill that insufferable, intolerable Lenny. NOW.

Cannot emphasize this strongly enough. Having him be the one to come up with "bizarro" is not worth having him in the film (at least as he existed, annoyingly, in the original). How about having a bystander say it?

Everything else works.

Superman 4;
Perry White considers...blah...blah...blah....An exact copy of Superman but with Luthor's voice....blah...blah...blah

I don't understand at all why he would have Lex's voice. If he's a clone of Superman, then his voice would be identical to Superman's voice.

Again, a vast improvement which I'd have gladly paid to see. Thanks for ditching the whole naive "If we just have Supes get rid of our weapons we can share a Coke and teach the world to sing" tone of the original.

Just one criticism - a major one, if you'll forgive it:

Kill that insufferable, intolerable Lenny. NOW.

Cannot emphasize this strongly enough. Having him be the one to come up with "bizarro" is not worth having him in the film (at least as he existed, annoyingly, in the original). How about having a bystander say it?

Everything else works.

Thank You! Wait til you here how I would rewrite Masters of the Universe!