# Superman II question. 1980 Film **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** movies\ **Created:** [July 11, 2024, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superman-ii-question-1980-film/1004066 "2024-07-11T20:58:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SpicyDuckBillyHunt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@SpicyDuckBillyHunt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpicyDuckBillyHunt)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2024, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superman-ii-question-1980-film/1004066/1 "2024-07-11T20:58:04Z")
When he is talking to Lara Lor-Van, is she AI? The Film seems to imply that Superman is actually talking to the real Lara Lor-Van ( his mother). ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2024, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superman-ii-question-1980-film/1004066/2 "2024-07-11T21:09:23Z")
I’ve always assumed she was AI, programmed to respond as Lara would. Either that, or her “engrams” were transferred to a computer while she was alive, as with M5 in that episode of _ **Star Trek TOS** _ where the _Enterprise_ ran amok. An alternative would be Superman having the power to converse with people “on the other side,” which would make him popular at seances. 😳 ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2024, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superman-ii-question-1980-film/1004066/3 "2024-07-11T21:59:41Z")
It’s Kryptonian technology. An artificial construct of Jor El teaches him while he is in the rocket to Earth. This is something similar. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2024, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superman-ii-question-1980-film/1004066/4 "2024-07-11T23:31:13Z")
I thought it was well established that they anticipated every question he could ever ask and gave answers for them. But I may be thinking of Smallville. I can’t really remember it’s been so long. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2024, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superman-ii-question-1980-film/1004066/5 "2024-07-11T23:49:18Z")
In the new My Adventures With Superman, the ship that brought Clark to Earth has an AI Jor-El onboard to teach Clark who he is and how to use his powers, but it isn’t effective because the AI doesn’t understand English and Clark can’t speak Kryptonian. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2024, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superman-ii-question-1980-film/1004066/6 "2024-07-12T00:04:38Z")
The Kryptonians had no Universal Translator??? 😲 Wow!!! ---
**Author:** ![Skunkdog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c2a13f/32.png) [@Skunkdog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skunkdog)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2024, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superman-ii-question-1980-film/1004066/7 "2024-07-12T00:24:25Z")
I always figured that she just had her own crystal shards. ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2024, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superman-ii-question-1980-film/1004066/8 "2024-07-12T18:44:28Z")
I think it was programmed to anticipate every question that Superman had for it. When Lex Luthor and Miss Tessmacher are visiting Superman’s home near the beginning of the film, Lex discovers how to activate the hologram or whatever it is. Superman’s mother said something like, “I wish you hadn’t asked that question,” even though Lex hadn’t said anything. Relevant scene near the very end of this clip: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/uFMXxLW-bGc/hqdefault.jpg "luthor at the fortress of solitude") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFMXxLW-bGc) ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2024, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superman-ii-question-1980-film/1004066/9 "2024-07-12T18:51:41Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > The Kryptonians had no Universal Translator??? 😲 Wow!!! They do have translation, but it actually takes a more realistic amount of time to learn a new language. Season 2 spoilerish: It figures out English just in time to lose power–but only after clearing up that Jor El was not pro-war and is proud of his son. ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2024, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superman-ii-question-1980-film/1004066/10 "2024-07-12T18:58:12Z")
> [@Quimby](#): > > An artificial construct of Jor El teaches him while he is in the rocket to Earth. This is something similar. Similar, but different enough that a Marlon Brando level salary is no longer required.