History Film / SupermanIII

* BrainlessBeauty: Subverted by Lorelei, who ''[[ObfuscatingStupidity pretends]]'' to be an airhead, but is actually a genius. Alone, she delves into deep reading, and reveals she's a computer expert, too. She's so intelligent she ''knows'' behaving intelligently will get her fired, since her ''job'' is to be "Ross'".

* CharacterDevelopment: Clark seems much more confident than in the previous two pictures. Within this one film, Lana and Gus get this too: Lana rekindling her relationship with Clark eventually leads to her getting out of Smallville and away from Brad. Meanwhile, Gus initially submits to Ross's blackmailing and does his dirty work, but eventually, realizing Ross needs his skills too badly to follow through on his threats, bargains with him to get the supercomputer built. When he becomes aware of how badly others are suffering thanks to the engineered oil shortage he begins feeling guilty, and when he realizes the supercomputer will actually manage to kill Superman, he makes a HeelFaceTurn to stop it.

* TheCracker: Richard Pryor plays a wage-slave who gets some basic computer training and is soon able to crack into just about anything. At one point, the character was supposed to be Brainiac in disguise, explaining his abilities, but ExecutiveMeddling turned the character into comic relief.

* DescriptionCut: The Websters discover that someone has skimmed a lot of money from their Webco through computer hacking, but Ross says they won't find out who because anyone did such a thing would keep quiet about and not draw attention to themselves "unless they were a complete and utter moron". Loud music out in the parking lot heralds the arrival of a complete and utter moron in his new Ferrari.

* EvenEvilHasStandards: Lorelei clearly [[spoiler: didn't want Superman to die and is horrified when Gus is knocked out by the Supercomputer.]]

* INeedToGoIronMyDog: Two in the opening scene. When looking through Gus’ employment history, the unemployment clerk notes he was fired as a messenger for losing a product. When Gus tries to explain it stolen by a pickpocket, the clerk incredulously reminds him that the lost product was a television set. Gus, again, tries to save face by saying the TV set was “one of them little bitty two-inch screen Japanese jobs”. [[SarcasmMode Well, that explains a lot.]]

** Gus during the opening scene. First, he tries to explain that a product he lost as a messenger was "stolen by a pickpocket". Then, regarding his ''28-minute'' fast food job, he says that people should not expect him to learn ''all'' the order demands in ''one day''.
** During the oil crisis, one car tries to cut in front of another for the gas pump, causing the two cars to crash. Then the man who tried cut in has the nerve to start beating the man he tried to cut in front of.

* NotOfThisEarth: Richard Pryor's character does an analysis of kryptonite, and the results indicate that a certain percentage of it is simply "unknown".

* KnightOfCerebus: Unlike the comedic villains of this film like Ross, Lorelei and Vera and their pawn Gus, "Evil" Superman's scenes are PlayedForDrama and creates a MoodWhiplash as seeing Reeve's good-natured Superman becoming a mean-spirited jerk caused by the tobacco-laced kyptonite's influence breaks hearts of fans. Also, the [[spoiler:computer getting the mind of its own and turning Vera into a cyborg also can give viewers nightmares after being given laughs in this movie]].

''Superman III'' was directed by Richard Lester (best known for directing ''Film/AHardDaysNight'' and ''Film/{{Help}}''), who completed ''Film/SupermanII'' after Creator/RichardDonner was canned following a litany of disagreements with the producers, and its emphasis on comedy was (and still is) derided in some circles -- although this discontent has more to do with the acrimony going on behind the scenes. A very serious 'duel' between Superman and his Clark Kent personality (as the hero literally grapples with his darker nature) is widely considered one of the finest moments from the film series. Creator/RichardPryor's performance is also a polarizing affair, as he was an avowed fan of Superman and tried his best to do the film justice (because if [[PluckyComicRelief unnecessary comic relief]] is going to be shoehorned into a film at all, it might as well be left to an actual comedian).

* IAteWhat: Clark Kent and Lana Lang have a picnic out near the wheat fields with her son. Clark tastes what he thinks was good pate that Lana made, only for Lana to point out that it was dog food. Clark still continues to [[DogFoodDiet eat it]].

* TemporarySubstitute: Creator/MargotKidder and Creator/GeneHackman were both quite vocal in their protests over Creator/RicardDonner's firing. As a result, Lois Lane is largely absent with her role going to Lana Lang, while Hackman refused to appear at all, leading to Creator/RobertVaughn appearing as Ross Webster. Both returned for the next movie.

* DemotedToExtra: Lois Lane shows up in the beginning, says she's going to Bermuda and disappears for most of the movie. Then she comes back before the movie's over as if nothing happened! This was largely done in retaliation after Creator/MargotKidder criticized the producers for their decision to dismiss director Richard Donner from the franchise. It's a testament to how iconic the Superman mythos is in general, and Lois Lane in particular, that it [[McLeaned wasn't worse]].

* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: In addition to what went on with Creator/MargotKidder, Creator/GeneHackman refused to reprise his role of Lex Luthor, also in protest of Donner's dismissal. That's why Robert Vaughn was cast as Ross Webster, who was basically Luthor with (real) hair; Lorelei could easily be seen as a variant of Miss Techmaucher from the first two films.

* MundaneUtility: Superman crushes a piece of coal in his bare hands to produce a diamond to replace the one in the ring Lana had to pawn off. Some of Supes' acts of Superdickery, like putting out the Olympic torch, breaking liquor bottles by flicking peanuts at them, or melting the bar's mirorred walls with his heat vision.

* PokeThePoodle: "Evil" Superman is really more of a superhuman {{Jerkass}}: straightening the Leaning Tower of Pisa (which is something they've been trying to do for years), tearing a hole in an oil rig, and blowing out the Olympic Torch. That said; The oil rig bit would be the closest to a genuinely evil act, he caused a freakin' oil spill....which can result in some very dire environmental damage.

* ProductPlacement: KFC (multiple references, like the "chicken-in-a-bucket" line), Bloomingdale's (on an invoice), Bacardi (a bottle is seen at the bar where Supes got intoxicated), Johnny Walker (what Supes [[{{Superdickery}} was drinking at the bar]]), Ferrari (Gus shows up at his computer job after embezzling money) and Atari (Webster's computer screen). [[CaliforniaDoubling Calgary, Alberta]] is home to Canada's first Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise. Gus was fired from a UsefulNotes/McDonalds as well.

->''"I ask you to kill Superman, and you're telling me you couldn't even do that one. Simple. Thing."'' *{{mic drop}}*

The Man of Steel's mythology is further explored as Clark returns to Smallville for his high school reunion and meets back up with his old friend, ComicBook/LanaLang (whose actor, Creator/AnnetteOToole, went on to play Ma Kent in ''Series/{{Smallville}}''). The main plot of the film involves heavily-promoted co-star Creator/RichardPryor as Gus Gorman, an idiot-savant whose hacker talents are co-opted by the sinister executive Ross Webster (Creator/RobertVaughn) when caught skimming from the payroll. Thus blackmailed, initially Gus willingly helps the forces of evil -- turning Superman evil with faux-Kryptonite ''and'' designing a supercomputer that could be used to conquer the planet. But he eventually relents and assists Superman, who's managed to conquer his dark side, in destroying it.

* ProductPlacement: KFC (multiple references, like the "chicken-in-a-bucket" line), Bloomingdale's (on an invoice), Bacardi (a bottle is seen at the bar where Supes got intoxicated), Johnny Walker (what Supes [[{{Superdickery}} was drinking at the bar]]) and Atari (Webster's computer screen). [[CaliforniaDoubling Calgary, Alberta]] is home to Canada's first Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise. Gus was fired from a UsefulNotes/McDonalds as well.

** Clark's costume change in the backseat of a police car during the Smallville fire. Might be a Callback to the office worker in I.

** Not to mention all the ''other'' cockamamie things going on in the opening sequence, while many people on the street just ignore it and carry on with their own business. (Then again, this ''is'' Metropolis, so unless supervillains are knocking over buildings or tossing school buses around, they're not going to let minor stuff distract them from getting to work.)

* NeverTrustATrailer: The [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uuSLyZ6Mz8 theatrical trailer] for the movie frames the supercomputer as being the cause for most of the movie's plot, including the weather changes that happen in Colombia and Superman turning evil. In actuality, the computer itself is only built during the last third of the movie. The weather changes are caused by a satellite Webster already owns that Gus hacks into, and Superman's corruption happens because of the synthetic Kryptonite, not due to the computer "reprogramming" him.

-->'''Lorelei:''' ''(reading Immanuel Kant's "Critique of Pure Reason")'' How can he say that Pure Categories have no objective meaning in Transcendental Logic? What about Synthetic Unity?[[note]]Translation: with transcendental idealism, things in themselves cannot really be known in of themselves. [[LaymansTerms In other words]], she has a point.[[/note]]

* HollywoodHacking: A very early example of computer hacking. Computers were still so novel that Gus just being able to ''use'' a computer is treated as evidence that he's a hacker genius. Regardless, his "hacking" simply involves typing OVERIDE ALL SECURITY into his computer and then typing his exact desires into it.

* HollywoodHacking: A very early example of computer hacking. Computers were still so novel that Gus just being able to ''use'' a computer is treated as evidence that he's a hacker genius.

* JerkJock[=/=]FutureLoser: Brad.

* [[SpaceDoesNotWorkThatWay Weather Satellites Do Not Work That Way :]]
** They ''report'' on the weather, [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Ross Webster]], they don't control it! (This is acknowledged, however, by Ross, who wants Gus to somehow cause them to disrupt it.)
*** Gets made fun of in the ''Magazine/{{MAD}}'' parody of the movie. Kinda brave of them, too, considering ''Mad'' is owned by the same parent company that made the film.[[note]]A fact pointed out in the ''very same parody'' in the panel where Superman is fighting the missiles and Lorelei points out that it looks likes an Atari video game (as the parody notes, Warner both released the movie and owns Atari... "And why is ''Mad'' publicising this bomberoo and doing a satire of it, as opposed to doing another, more important movie?" "Don't tell me it's because Warner owns them, too? Oh, WOW!")[[/note]]
** Gus later sends the very same satellite to the former location of Krypton and scans the remains to find out what kryptonite consists of. Apparently the satellite is equipped with a geological spectroscope and an FTL drive, since Krypton is a long way off, and that's assuming they even know where to look.

* SuspiciousSpending: After Gus's "shave and collect fractional pennies" scam is discovered, CorruptCorporateExecutive Ross Webster doesn't think there's any way of catching the perpetrator unless he does something really stupid. Immediately, Gus shows up in a fancy sports car far above what he could afford on his salary.

* StockFootage: The footage of Superman flying toward the camera to save Ricky was reused in this film when Superman went looking for Ross and company after the junkyard fight and in ''Film/SupermanIVTheQuestForPeace'' ''[[SpecialEffectFailure every chance they got]]''.

* NoOSHACompliance: Okay, it's funny when a drunken Superman falls into a giant pit of acid. But the only thing preventing the regular junkyard workers from falling in is the sign that proclaims it to be acid. On ground level, no guard rail, open top. Also, there's no railing or any kind of barrier around Webster's rooftop ski resort to stop Gus from falling several dozen stories to the ground.

* ProductPlacement: KFC (multiple references, like the "chicken-in-a-bucket" line), Bacardi (a bottle is seen at the bar where Supes got intoxicated), Johnny Walker (what Supes [[{{Superdickery}} was drinking at the bar]]) and Atari (Webster's computer screen). [[CaliforniaDoubling Calgary, Alberta]] is home to Canada's first Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise. Gus was fired from a UsefulNotes/McDonalds as well.

** There's one to ''Film/ThePublicEnemy'' with the husband and wife at the breakfast table after seeing the whopping ''$176,784.57'' department store bill -- he smushes a sliced grapefruit into her face once he sees it.

** There's one to ''Film/ThePublicEnemy'' with the husband and wife at the breakfast table and the whopping department store bill -- he smushes a grapefruit into her face once he sees it.

* TiltingTowerOfPisa: Provides the trope image: as part of the montage of Superman's tainted Kryptonite-induced rampage of {{Superdickery}}, he straightens the Leaning Tower, pissing off a poor seller of tower replicas that witnesses it. [[BrickJoke Supes' final act before the credits roll]] is to go back to Pisa to re-lean the tower, pissing off the man (who had started to sell replicas of the straightened tower) again.

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: [[BilingualBonus "Stronzo Superman!"]][[note]]"Stronzo" is Italian for "asshole".[[/note]] Watch the gestures as Superman flies off and the vendor reacts.