Superman Doomsday DVD

posted by JediSheltie @ 9:30 AM

The "Death of Superman" was the first time I started seriously collecting comics. It lasted through college, and after a small hiatus due to massive debt, has resumed with full intensity to this day. Superman has always been my favorite superhero, so I was there if they were going to kill him. I happened to be there a week late... but that's a story for another day...

Naturally one can then assume that I have a bit of an attachment to the original story, which was truly a spectacular effort at comic storytelling whose ramifications are being felt even today, in the "Sinestro Corps War" most notably.

Were I reviewing a animated feature based on that story, I might be quite harsh and unforgiving in my assessment of its merits. Fortunately, Superman Doomsday brings us quite a different story, so I'm able to step back, and review this story on its merits, instead of simply tossing off paragraph after paragraph about how they got so many "little details" of that rich, compelling comic saga wrong.

Though produced by Bruce Timm and done in the same style, this story appears to occur in its own little corner of the multiverse. There's quite a bit of pulling from multiple sources, including comics both old and new, and, as is common these days, the films. Here we have Superman (Adam Baldwin) and Lois Lane (Anne Heche), happily dating as Metropolis's most well known secret couple. Lois is concerned Kal-El isn't letting her in on the big secret identity, and a minor tiff ensues. The size of the next "tiff" is far more epic in scale.

Drilling through the earth, a team of Lexcorp scientists accidentally release a failed experiment in super-soldier development, a "Doomsday" weapon, buried on earth by some unnamed alien race, and patly explained by a trip through the archives of the Fortress. This Doomsday promptly eliminates the scientists and tears off for Metropolis. Yes, at PG-13, deaths, though not clearly shown on screen, are more than simply "implied."

The ensuing fight is well done. The fight choreography takes into account the power of the combatants. No one bounces off walls, they smash through them. Streets are torn up just in passing, and entire buildings crumble. The smashup is definitely a highlight of the entire film. Were I to retreat to my picky ways, I might suggest the whole "can't bleed" excuse did handicap the visual impact a bit.

What follows is a rather truncated exploration of the funeral and how Metropolis deals with the loss of their primary guardian. Lois promptly figures out her dead boyfriend's secret identity so she can have a chat with the, in this universe, solitary Martha Kent. But its really not all that long before Superman is back.

There in lies the third act, one which enters spoiler territory to even attempt to describe. If you've noticed Lex Luthor in a lot of the previews, there's a good reason for that. Lex, reacting with some disappointment that he was not ultimately responsible for the destruction of his arch nemesis, manages to turn his lemons into a rather dangerous glass of lemonade. Luthor's plot was certainly in character, and is, in some very abstract fashion, based on what he attempted in the comics.

Baldwin and Heche turn in decent performances in the lead roles. Though I like my Superman rather reserved, I might say Baldwin was a little too laid back in his vocal characterizations. Heche's Lois certainly rang a bit more true to the character than Kate Bosworth, and she only had to use her voice. Marsters' Luthor was serviceable, but he will forever be in the shadow of Clancy Brown's spot-on performance from Justice League Unlimited. The remainder of the cast was comprised of solid vocal talent.

Animation is what you've become accustomed to from any Timm production. This means you can expect rave boos from Tygrrius, folks, who hates it. I could give or take. Doesn't bother me, but I've always preferred more detailed art styles. I did find the cheekbone features on Superman oddly distracting, as they seem out of place.

I have yet to delve through the bonus features, so can't help anyone there. Tygrrius loves bonus features, so perhaps you can expect a detailed run down in his review

Since it seems important, I'll go ahead and do the grade thing:

Overall: B-
Voice Acting: B-
Animation: B
Plot: B-
Extras: N/A