I have to be quite honest with you, I was never really a Superman person growing up. Don't get me wrong, I liked Superman and believe me, I am more into him now than I was then, but I just never really got into him as much as I did Spider-Man and Batman. But Superman is a pivotal icon not only in comics, but pop culture in general. When you see that classic red and yellow emblem, you immediately know what superhero that belongs to and even if you are not a fan of Superman, you at least know what powers he possesses and what he is capable of. He flies, he has x-ray vision, he can even jump over buildings in a single leap. But Superman, like Batman, has gotten several makeovers throughout the years, some portraying him as a happy go lucky superhero that always wins in the end, like in the 1940s Fleischer cartoons as well as the serials starring George Reeves, some portraying him as a vindictive superhero out to get revenge on certain enemies, like in several episodes of Superman: The Animated Series and The Justice League. Heck, he even duked it out with Billy Batson "Captain Marvel" several times on The Justice League, how awesome was that! And I bet everyone was upset at Superman's downfall at the hands of Doomsday in 1993, but like all great heroes in the world of comics, they always come back to life to kick maniacal butt once again (well, most of the time).
But we are not here to talk about that of course, we are here to talk about the latest animated film from Warner Animation entitles All Star Superman. Based upon the twelve issue series by Grant Morrison, this film explores the internal struggle of Superman as he is overexposed to solar radiation that not only enhances his powers, but slowly eats away his cells and kills him. He is also put up against a power hungry clone of Lex Luthor, who, like his host, wants to rid of Superman and fulfill his dream of world domination. It is a unique concept that would surely make a good superhero flick, and from what I saw in the previews, this film seemed like it was going to be just as epic as Batman: Under The Red Hood. And from what I saw in the film itself, it delivered that tremendously. The only problem I had with this film (something that was exaggerated by critics already) is that the story was a tad bit confusing and seemed a bit rushed at times. Don't get me wrong, there were some good things about the story, many parts straight out of the comic book series itself, but there were some parts in the film that you could not understand within a single comprehension. But if you get all that out of the way and put the story to the side, this film was a pretty good animated thriller, filled with action, suspense, and just as much drama that was featured in the Superman Doomsday movie released a few years ago.
I really enjoyed the characters in this film. Superman isn't just your average ordinary superhero that goes around saving cats from the top of trees, no. Superman is struggling with himself in this film, trying to find new ways to stay alive from the illness that plagues him. Lois Lane and the Lex Luthor clone were also great characters, adding depth to Superman's character and making the movie even more exciting. I mean, come on, who doesn't think Superman and Lois Lane make a cute couple? The animation style in this film was superb. I really liked the clean, crisp imagery displayed in the film, very reminiscent of the 90s TV show and to be quite honest with you, I even saw a little bit of the classic Fleischer style in this film, particularly in the silhouetted scenes. But like I said before, the action was excellent in this film, really making it stand out from other animated films like Under The Red Hood and even Batman: Gotham Knight. I really liked Superman's fighting style in the film, very classic and reminiscent to the way he fought in the comics and old cartoons. In my opinion, the fighting in this film would be awesome to see in live-action. Hopefully, in Christopher Nolan's reboot coming out next summer, they will have action just as good.
Overall, All Star Superman is a top notch Superman flick that will keep hard core comic book lovers pinned to their seats, even if the story is not all that great. Sure, the film is not as good as Under The Red Hood or the original Donner Superman films, but for an animated film based on one of the most beloved superheroes of all time, All Star Superman got the job done right, and a lot better than some of the later Superman films that were released (Richard Pryor in Superman 3?). If you are a big fan of Superman and animated superhero films, I say check it out, for it's not the best, but certainly not the worse. You will not be disappointed. Now if only they had Gilbert Gottfried as the voice of Mr. Mxyzptlk and this would be the best film ever!
But we are not here to talk about that of course, we are here to talk about the latest animated film from Warner Animation entitles All Star Superman. Based upon the twelve issue series by Grant Morrison, this film explores the internal struggle of Superman as he is overexposed to solar radiation that not only enhances his powers, but slowly eats away his cells and kills him. He is also put up against a power hungry clone of Lex Luthor, who, like his host, wants to rid of Superman and fulfill his dream of world domination. It is a unique concept that would surely make a good superhero flick, and from what I saw in the previews, this film seemed like it was going to be just as epic as Batman: Under The Red Hood. And from what I saw in the film itself, it delivered that tremendously. The only problem I had with this film (something that was exaggerated by critics already) is that the story was a tad bit confusing and seemed a bit rushed at times. Don't get me wrong, there were some good things about the story, many parts straight out of the comic book series itself, but there were some parts in the film that you could not understand within a single comprehension. But if you get all that out of the way and put the story to the side, this film was a pretty good animated thriller, filled with action, suspense, and just as much drama that was featured in the Superman Doomsday movie released a few years ago.
I really enjoyed the characters in this film. Superman isn't just your average ordinary superhero that goes around saving cats from the top of trees, no. Superman is struggling with himself in this film, trying to find new ways to stay alive from the illness that plagues him. Lois Lane and the Lex Luthor clone were also great characters, adding depth to Superman's character and making the movie even more exciting. I mean, come on, who doesn't think Superman and Lois Lane make a cute couple? The animation style in this film was superb. I really liked the clean, crisp imagery displayed in the film, very reminiscent of the 90s TV show and to be quite honest with you, I even saw a little bit of the classic Fleischer style in this film, particularly in the silhouetted scenes. But like I said before, the action was excellent in this film, really making it stand out from other animated films like Under The Red Hood and even Batman: Gotham Knight. I really liked Superman's fighting style in the film, very classic and reminiscent to the way he fought in the comics and old cartoons. In my opinion, the fighting in this film would be awesome to see in live-action. Hopefully, in Christopher Nolan's reboot coming out next summer, they will have action just as good.
Overall, All Star Superman is a top notch Superman flick that will keep hard core comic book lovers pinned to their seats, even if the story is not all that great. Sure, the film is not as good as Under The Red Hood or the original Donner Superman films, but for an animated film based on one of the most beloved superheroes of all time, All Star Superman got the job done right, and a lot better than some of the later Superman films that were released (Richard Pryor in Superman 3?). If you are a big fan of Superman and animated superhero films, I say check it out, for it's not the best, but certainly not the worse. You will not be disappointed. Now if only they had Gilbert Gottfried as the voice of Mr. Mxyzptlk and this would be the best film ever!
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