History YMMV / SupermanIII

** Gus. Often he's seen as too wacky and with a fairly abrupt HeelFaceTurn, but he does have those who find him interesting and likable.

** In the novel, she is fooling Ross while secretly buying lots of stock in his company, and her wink is directed at Gus instead.

* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: Superman turned evil. ''COME ON''. There was ''SO'' much potential there... ([[BewareTheSuperman though the concept has been explored plenty since then.]])

** Lorelei has those who enjoy her as for ObfuscatingStupidity and being TheVamp.

** Due to how [[MotiveDecay inconsistently written the character's motivations are]], to what degree Gus is a bad guy at heart, and how much genuine complicity he has in Webster's scheme, [[HazyFeelTurn can sometimes feel up in the air]]. On the one hand, Ross entraps him in the first place by threatening him with exposure and prison, and saves Superman's life at the very end after his conscience takes over; on the other, Gus started embezzling from Webscoe not just because he couldn't live on his salary, but also because he wanted a ''lavish'' lifestyle (as Ross puts it, he wanted to be rich), and he participated in the previous failed plot to kill Superman seemingly without any misgivings. When he reveals that he's figured out Webster wouldn't send him to jail because he was too valuable, Gus uses that leverage to get his dream supercomputer design built (yet expresses surprise that Ross clearly plans to use the thing for further evil purposes), and finally declines a job offer despite Superman personally vouching for him. Is he a kind-hearted dupe who genuinely tried to make the most of a bad situation, or a deeply amoral savant of a man who did one thing right?

** "You can't run two programs at once". TechMarchesOn; your computer is doing it right now.

** Due to how [[MotiveDecay inconsistently written the character's motivations are]], to what degree Gus is a bad guy at heart, and how much genuine complicity he has in Webster's scheme, [[HazyFeelTurn can sometimes feel up in the air]]. On the one hand, Ross entraps him in the first place by threatening him with exposure and prison, and saves Superman's life at the very end after his conscience takes over; on the other, Gus started embezzling from Webscoe not just because he couldn't live on his salary, but also because he wanted a ''lavish'' lifestyle (as Ross puts it, he wanted to be rich), and he participated in the previous failed plot to kill Superman seemingly without any misgivings. When he reveals that he's figured out Webster wouldn't send him to jail because he was too valuable, Gus uses that leverage to get his dream supercomputer design built even though Ross clearly plans to use the thing for further evil, and finally declines a job offer despite Superman personally vouching for him. Is he a dupe who genuinely tried to make the most of a bad situation, or a deeply amoral man who did one thing right?

* AlternateCharacterInterpretation: It is not clear exactly how much Ross buys into Loreli's [[ObfuscatingStupidity airhead act]]. Most of the time he seems entirely fooled but in one scene she winks at him while Vera isn't looking, suggesting it might be a game the two are playing.

* {{Sequelitis}}: Usually considered one of the worst ''Superman'' films by fans. Most will concede that ''Film/SupermanIVTheQuestForPeace'' is worse in technical quality, but will gladly accept its whole-hearted (if ''very'' {{Anvilicious}}) attempt at a message over this film's broad comedy and Richard Pryor's spotlight stealing antics and, being as loaded with [[{{Narm}} unintentional hilarity]] as it is, it's easy to argue that ''Quest for Peace'' is the funnier movie, too.

** Robert Vaughn was best known for playing the role of [[Series/TheManFromUncle Napoleon Solo]]. [[Film/TheManFromUNCLE2015 Thirty-two years later]] a [[Film/ManOfSteel different]] [[Creator/HenryCavill Superman actor]] goes on to play Napoleon Solo.

** Robert Vaughn was best known from playing [[Series/TheManFromUncle Napoleon Solo]]. [[Film/TheManFromUNCLE2015 Thirty-two years later]] a [[Film/ManOfSteel different]] [[Creator/HenryCavill Superman actor]] goes on to play Napoleon Solo.

** Robert Vaughn was best known from playing [[Series/TheManFromUncle Napoleon Solo]]. [[TheManFromUNCLE2015 Thirty-two years later]] a [[Film/ManOfSteel different]] [[Creator/HenryCavill Superman actor]] goes on to play Napoleon Solo.

* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: Superman turned evil. ''COME ON''. There was ''SO'' much potential there... ([[BewareTheSuperman Though the concept has been explored plenty since then.]])

** The slapstick opening sequence doesn't belong with the rest of the movie, as if the reels were switched with one from a ''Film/PoliceAcademy'' movie.

* JustHereForGodzilla: The only aspect about the movie many fans feel is worth watching is the junkyard fight scene between Clark and Superman.

* {{Sequelitis}}: Usually considered the worst ''Superman'' film by fans. Most will concede that ''Film/SupermanIVTheQuestForPeace'' is worse in technical quality, but will gladly accept its whole-hearted (if ''very'' {{Anvilicious}}) attempt at a message over this film's broad comedy and Richard Pryor's spotlight stealing antics and, being as loaded with [[{{Narm}} unintentional hilarity]] as it is, it's easy to argue that ''Quest for Peace'' is the funnier movie, too.

* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: Superman turned evil. ''COME ON''. There was ''SO'' much potential there...
** [[BewareTheSuperman Though if it helps, the concept has been explored plenty since then.]]

** Creator/AnnetteOToole also gives a pretty sincere effort as Lana Lang. Hell, she's probably more likable as a {{love interest}} than Creator/MargotKidder's Lois Lane ever was.
** Creator/RichardPryor also bucked at the idea of playing up Gus to be even goofier, as he wanted to bring at least ''some'' gravity to the role, even if it was mainly comic relief.

** Ross Webster: Either [[ReplacementScrappy a poor man's Lex Luthor]] and a generic CorruptCorporateExecutive or a somewhat decent replacement whose entertaining enough on his own and may have very well helped to ''inspire'' the CorruptCorporateExecutive versions of Luthor fans know and love today.

* RetroactiveRecognition: So Lana Lang [[CastingGag grew up to become]] ...[[Series/{{Smallville}} Ma Kent!]] Really, Annette O'Toole played Lana Lang here and (unbeknownst to the producers of the TV show) Martha Kent to Tom Welling's Clark.

** Annette O'Toole also gives a pretty sincere effort as Lana Lang. Hell, she's probably more likable as a love interest than Creator/MargotKidder's Lois Lane ever was.

** A meta example is Annette O'Toole playing Lana Lang here and later playing Martha Kent in ''Series/{{Smallville}}''.
** [[Film/BackToTheFuture An awkward guy dances to “Earth Angel” at a prom with his original flame.]]

** Ross Webster: Either [[ReplacementScrappy a poor man's Lex Luthor]] or a somewhat decent replacement (although even his fans probably don't find him ''too'' compelling of a villain).

Gus. Often he's seen as too whacky, with a family abrupt HeelFaceTurn but he does have those who find him interesting and likable.

* EnsembleDarkhorse: It's probably inevitable that Lana didn't return for the fourth movie, because too much more time spent with her and the audience would have been seriously questioning what Superman ever saw in Lois.

* HollywoodHomely: Vera. They make her sound like Quasimodo, but she's a handsome woman.

** Despite how incredibly stupid the film is the late Creator/ChristopherReeve still gives a sincere performance as Superman, both good and bad - which just makes the wasted plot even more offensive.
** Annette O'Toole also gives a pretty sincere effort as Lana Lang. Hell, she's probably more likable as a love interest than Margot Kidder's Lois Lane ever was.

* [[Film/BackToTheFuture An awkward guy dances to “Earth Angel” at a prom with his original flame.]]