Superman: Doomsday 4/5 reviewed by Mike
I had the privilege of seeing this movie about 3 months ago at the San Diego comic-con, and it captivated me utterly and completely. Having just watched it again upon it's release, I think at least some of my awe had to do with the place and mood I was in when I first saw it, but not much.
"Superman: Doomsday" is the first in a new line of DC Superhero projects aimed at translating fan-favorite comic stories into direct-to-DVD animated films. This is spearheaded by the brilliant Bruce Timm and his cohorts, the same folks who brought you the Batman and Superman animated series' of the 90's, Batman Beyond, and the Justice League series we've come to love. This movie tells the "Death and Return of Superman" story that turned the comics world on its head in the early 90's, and I have to say, Timm and his crew are at the top of their game.
If you're unfamiliar with the story, an insanely strong alien named Doomsday escapes and runs rampant in Metropolis, and Superman of course comes to save the day. Doomsday is relentless and focused. He never speaks, he just kills. From the first punch, you know this isn't your ordinary villian. When Superman's blood splashes across Lois' face, you know somethings going down, and that things really won't end well for the Man of Steel. Of course, the Last Son of Krypton can't stay dead forever, and in true messianic fashion, he quickly returns, or does he? The Death of Superman is merely the springboard for a deeper story that pulls back the fabric of the Superman myth and explores some really intriguing questions.
Enough liberties are taken with the original comic story (although the spirit is totally maintained) to keep the fanboys interested, and even though I knew what was going to happen, I was totally drawn in. The story is very emotional, and I haven't felt Superman stories be this touching, probably ever. The scene where Lois visits Ma Kent is beautiful and surprisingly moving. Also, the action is phenomenal. The fights are gripping, and the scope is huge. I also loved how we get to see a confident, fully capable version of Superman that we rarely see. There's never a second of self doubt, he's always fully in control of all of his powers (you'll never ask, 'why doesn't he just use his heat vision?') and he's focused, dealing as best as possible with every situation (or giant object) that's thrown at him, and getting right back into the battle at hand.
The technical aspects drew me in as well, the most notable of which was the score by Robert Kral. I think this score is better than the John Williams score from the live action movies that's become so famous. Yeah, you heard me right. This music is moving, powerful, and simultaneously heroic and mournful. The overture alone made me misty-eyed. The voice acting was particularly excellent. James Marsters (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) is the most evil Lex Luthor I've ever seen, Adam Baldwin (Firefly, Serenity, Angel) is dead on as Superman, and Anne Heche as Lois is mostly awesome, although a few lines really stick out. The animation is great, too. A lot of people will have issues with the cheek-bone lines on Superman's face, but if you can get over that, the rest of the film looks magnificent (the coloring especially so), and even does a great job of blending 2-D and 3-D elements.
Something that will strike you as odd is the PG-13 rating. It's not normal to see this from an animated superhero film, but not only does it earn the rating, but it needs that rating. For a story of this seriousness and weight, you NEED Perry White to struggle with alcohol, and be able to say the word "ass." You NEED the upped violence level and that little bit of blood that lets you know it's so much more serious than ever before. You NEED to show just how evil and dark Lex is, and have him say, "Oh, hell..."
The films only drawback for me was the abbreviated second act. I would really have liked about 10 minutes or so more spent on mourning for Supes, and showing what the world is like without him--really defining him through his absence, instead of the short montage about rising crime rates. Strangely enough, at San Diego, Bruce Timm said that the original cut of the film contained many scenes like this in the second act, but fans at a pre-screening said it was "too boring." Yet again, we've proved that the fanboys know the least about what makes a good, compelling story.
Even with the flaws, this is the best work this creative team has done since "Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker," and it just might be my favorite Superman film ever. Bryan Singer can eat it. Superman: Doomsday is the Man of Steel as he should be.
See this movie if:
-You like Superman as a character (or an idea), whether you read comics or not
-You're a fan of other animated superhero stuff, especially other Bruce Timm work (Batman TAS, Batman Beyond, Justice League, etc.)
-You like superheroes or action movies at all.
-You were disappointed by Superman Returns, and want to see a REAL Superman story
Don't see this movie if:
-The idea of superheroes makes you gag
-You hate animation because of a silly bias or preconceived notion that anything drawn must be for 8-year-olds.
"Superman: Doomsday" is the first in a new line of DC Superhero projects aimed at translating fan-favorite comic stories into direct-to-DVD animated films. This is spearheaded by the brilliant Bruce Timm and his cohorts, the same folks who brought you the Batman and Superman animated series' of the 90's, Batman Beyond, and the Justice League series we've come to love. This movie tells the "Death and Return of Superman" story that turned the comics world on its head in the early 90's, and I have to say, Timm and his crew are at the top of their game.
If you're unfamiliar with the story, an insanely strong alien named Doomsday escapes and runs rampant in Metropolis, and Superman of course comes to save the day. Doomsday is relentless and focused. He never speaks, he just kills. From the first punch, you know this isn't your ordinary villian. When Superman's blood splashes across Lois' face, you know somethings going down, and that things really won't end well for the Man of Steel. Of course, the Last Son of Krypton can't stay dead forever, and in true messianic fashion, he quickly returns, or does he? The Death of Superman is merely the springboard for a deeper story that pulls back the fabric of the Superman myth and explores some really intriguing questions.
Enough liberties are taken with the original comic story (although the spirit is totally maintained) to keep the fanboys interested, and even though I knew what was going to happen, I was totally drawn in. The story is very emotional, and I haven't felt Superman stories be this touching, probably ever. The scene where Lois visits Ma Kent is beautiful and surprisingly moving. Also, the action is phenomenal. The fights are gripping, and the scope is huge. I also loved how we get to see a confident, fully capable version of Superman that we rarely see. There's never a second of self doubt, he's always fully in control of all of his powers (you'll never ask, 'why doesn't he just use his heat vision?') and he's focused, dealing as best as possible with every situation (or giant object) that's thrown at him, and getting right back into the battle at hand.
The technical aspects drew me in as well, the most notable of which was the score by Robert Kral. I think this score is better than the John Williams score from the live action movies that's become so famous. Yeah, you heard me right. This music is moving, powerful, and simultaneously heroic and mournful. The overture alone made me misty-eyed. The voice acting was particularly excellent. James Marsters (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) is the most evil Lex Luthor I've ever seen, Adam Baldwin (Firefly, Serenity, Angel) is dead on as Superman, and Anne Heche as Lois is mostly awesome, although a few lines really stick out. The animation is great, too. A lot of people will have issues with the cheek-bone lines on Superman's face, but if you can get over that, the rest of the film looks magnificent (the coloring especially so), and even does a great job of blending 2-D and 3-D elements.
Something that will strike you as odd is the PG-13 rating. It's not normal to see this from an animated superhero film, but not only does it earn the rating, but it needs that rating. For a story of this seriousness and weight, you NEED Perry White to struggle with alcohol, and be able to say the word "ass." You NEED the upped violence level and that little bit of blood that lets you know it's so much more serious than ever before. You NEED to show just how evil and dark Lex is, and have him say, "Oh, hell..."
The films only drawback for me was the abbreviated second act. I would really have liked about 10 minutes or so more spent on mourning for Supes, and showing what the world is like without him--really defining him through his absence, instead of the short montage about rising crime rates. Strangely enough, at San Diego, Bruce Timm said that the original cut of the film contained many scenes like this in the second act, but fans at a pre-screening said it was "too boring." Yet again, we've proved that the fanboys know the least about what makes a good, compelling story.
Even with the flaws, this is the best work this creative team has done since "Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker," and it just might be my favorite Superman film ever. Bryan Singer can eat it. Superman: Doomsday is the Man of Steel as he should be.
See this movie if:
-You like Superman as a character (or an idea), whether you read comics or not
-You're a fan of other animated superhero stuff, especially other Bruce Timm work (Batman TAS, Batman Beyond, Justice League, etc.)
-You like superheroes or action movies at all.
-You were disappointed by Superman Returns, and want to see a REAL Superman story
Don't see this movie if:
-The idea of superheroes makes you gag
-You hate animation because of a silly bias or preconceived notion that anything drawn must be for 8-year-olds.
posted by Hankinstien at 5:30 PM
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