Superman III

Superman III has quietly become one of the more dependable comedies currently available in Australia on HBO Max, and in the US on HBO Max Amazon Channel and YouTube TV. It says what it needs to say in one sitting, no filler. 1,901 people have weighed in on TMDB, and the verdict leans heavily positive. Watch it for Christopher Reeve — stay for everyone else around them. Available now on HBO Max — press play and find out why people keep recommending it.

Superman III arrived without much fanfare and built its audience the hard way — through word of mouth. Superman III does what great comedies rarely manage — it is actually funny, consistently, across the whole run. Aiming to defeat the Man of Steel, wealthy executive Ross Webster hires bumbling but brilliant Gus Gorman to develop synthetic kryptonite, which yields some unexpected psychological effects. Between rekindling romance with his high school sweetheart and saving himself, Superman must contend with a powerful supercomputer. Christopher Reeve and Richard Pryor lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 1983. What keeps Superman III from feeling disposable is a cast that clearly understands the material better than the format usually demands. It delivers reliably on what it promises, which is more than most of its competition manages.

Superman III is the kind of thing you put on in the background and end up fully watching. It has built its own audience without needing a direct comparison. It is a manageable watch, easy to fit into a single evening. Christopher Reeve sets the tone, but the supporting cast is where a lot of the best moments come from. A reliable pick for any night you want quality comedy without the homework.