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“Superman IV: The Quest for Peace” is one of those sequels that always pops up on those “worst sequel ever” lists. It’s found a cozy spot alongside cinematic misfires like “Jaws: The Revenge”, “RoboCop 3“, “Batman & Robin” and “Rocky V“. If I remember correctly, the first time I watched this movie was in the early 2000s. Unlike the other three, I have no memory of seeing it back in the 90s. I do recall spotting the VHS for rent at my local library, but beyond that, this film was never really part of my childhood — so I don’t have any nostalgic attachment to it.
In “Superman IV: The Quest for Peace”, Superman vows to rid the world of nuclear weapons after a young boy pleads for his help to end the threat of nuclear war. He collects and hurls the world’s nukes into the sun, but his actions enrage arms dealers and Lex Luthor, who escapes prison and creates a new villain, Nuclear Man, from Superman’s own DNA. Nuclear Man, powered by the sun like Superman, threatens global destruction, leading to a battle that takes Superman from Metropolis to the moon. Ultimately, Superman must stop Nuclear Man and confront the moral complexity of whether one hero should decide the fate of humanity’s weapons.
On paper, “Superman IV: The Quest for Peace” has a lot going for it. The entire original cast returns, including Margot Kidder and Gene Hackman, who both sat out “Superman III” (aside from Kidder’s brief cameo). Richard Lester is replaced by Sidney J. Furie, ditching the slapstick elements that bogged down the previous film. Plus, the story introduces a brand-new villain powerful enough to genuinely threaten Superman, finally bringing some real stakes and danger to the table. So what could possibly go wrong?
Enter Cannon Films.
The studio, mostly known for churning out low-budget action flicks like the American Ninja franchise, managed to snap up the rights to make a Superman movie as part of an ambitious push to break into the big leagues of Hollywood. It was a gamble that would ultimately prove disastrous. The film’s budget was infamously slashed in half just as production was about to begin, resulting in a brisk 90-minute movie — the shortest Superman film to date — riddled with terrible special effects and embarrassingly recycled shots.
The plot is fairly simplistic — and honestly, that straightforwardness feels like a step up from the previous film, which couldn’t decide whether it wanted to be a Superman movie or a Richard Pryor comedy. But after the more epic first two installments and the convoluted mess of “Superman III“, “Superman IV: The Quest for Peace” feels like the bare minimum of what a movie should deliver. Superman destroys all the world’s nuclear weapons, Lex Luthor creates Nuclear Man, Superman loses their first showdown, recovers, and ultimately wins the rematch by outsmarting his opponent. It’s basically “Rocky III“, but with more eye beams and finger lasers.
Watching it now, almost 40 years after its release, I can’t help but find the movie somewhat charming. As goofy as the special effects look, they don’t make the film unwatchable — and while the plot is undeniably thin, it’s never outright boring. Those brisk 90 minutes really do it a favor. Christopher Reeve and Gene Hackman both give it their all, with Hackman especially looking like he’s having a blast. Reeve has less room to flex his acting chops this time around — unless you count him playing Clark Kent genuinely sick — but his earnestness still anchors the whole thing.
As the big bad, Nuclear Man is quite a departure from the three Kryptonians in “Superman II“. Dubbed by Hackman, the character is played by a guy who looks like a cross between a surfer dude and a bodybuilder, and he has maybe five lines in the entire movie — not counting the occasional grunt or scream. He looks both menacing and ridiculous at the same time, but his weakest (and most nonsensical) aspect is his powers. Apparently, Nuclear Man needs to be in direct sunlight to function properly; a closed curtain is enough to render him immobile. It’s a clever failsafe for Luthor, but it saddles the character with such a glaring weakness that he loses most of the menace he’s supposed to project.
All of this makes “Superman IV: The Quest for Peace” a fascinating specimen in the Superman series. It’s easily the worst Superman movie so far, but its charm and sheer silliness make it a more entertaining watch than something like “Superman III“. “Superman IV: The Quest for Peace” lands squarely in the “so bad it’s good” category — and that alone makes it worth seeing at least once.
