Hammerman Ikon

Hammerman Ikon Film Guide

Superman IV: The Quest for Peace
1987

Director: Sidney J. Furie
Cast: Christopher Reeve, Gene Hackman, Jackie Copper, Mark McClure, Jon Cryer, Sam Wanamaker, Mark Pillow, Mariel Hemingway, Margot Kidder

While the world is at the brink of nuclear war, Lex Luthor concocts another plan to defeat his arch nemesis. He steals Superman's DNA and creates Nuclear Man, a fierce villain powered by the sun. Christopher Reeve's final Superman movie is all over the place. The plot is stupid and full of holes, and the special effects look extremely cheap. After a break in Superman III, Clark Kent and Lois Lane get back on the will they/won't they seesaw, and Mariel Hemingway's rivalling love interest is nothing but a red herring. At 90 minutes, this still feels like the longest of the four movies.