Doomed Planet…Desperate Scientists…Last Hope…Kindly Couple…Superman…You Know the Story, or do you?
Overview:
The DC Animated Universe is one of the things that got me into comic books when I was younger and didn’t like reading. However, as I transitioned from watching superheroes to reading comics, I could never see animated adaptations the same way. One of the main problems that I've always had with the DC Animated Universe, as a comic book fan, was that although the animated television shows and movies have the freedom and time to include many of the things not present in live action movies, the writers of these shows choose to create entirely new stories loosely based on continuity. I realize that a lot of the reasoning behind this is that animated television shows have to be kid-friendly. Comic books, contrary to public opinion, have grown up and are now really inaccessible to the younger generation.
Recently, however, Warner Brothers' animation studios have made an unprecedented move. The recent collections of movies that are in the works are direct adaptations of iconic comic book stories. The first of these included Superman: Doomsday, Superman/Batman: Public Enemies, and Superman/Batman: Apocalypse. The topic of this review is the recently released adaptation of Grant Morrison's modern epic, All-Star Superman. So is this adaptation a convincing translation of All-Star Superman, a great animated movie, or none of the above?
The Movie: *Spoiler Alert*
The main plot point of the movie is the age old question of “What would you do if you knew you were dying?” This is magnified by the fact that this time, it’s the invincible Superman who is dying. It opens with Superman stopping Lex Luthor from destroying a scientific mission to the sun. However, Luthor’s goal is not to sabotage some scientists, but rather to cause an overload in Superman’s sun collecting cells that give him his powers. He is dying and now he must decide what to do with his last days. This movie proceeds very differently from a traditionally DCAU film, in that instead of being a high action affair, it is much more toned down and retrospective, hence the PG rating. This is refreshing and despite the PG rating, makes All-Star Superman the most mature DCAU film to date. Superman decides that he must find closure before he dies. The body of the film can easily be split up into three parts, Superman finding closure with Lois, Superman finding closure with Lex, and then the final confrontation between Superman and Lex. The parts with Lois were interesting, but the best part is probably the interaction between Superman and Luthor that the live action films have sorely missed on. Luthor believes that he is Earth’s savior and that the only way he can lead man is by getting rid of Superman, earth’s “insurance.” This film shows Luthor in all of his objectivist evil. The final confrontation is important not for the action, but rather by having Luthor finally realize the error of his ways. Superman doesn’t convince Luthor through his fist, but rather through his words. This is the best thing about Superman, and it’s especially something that the movies and public opinion has missed. Superman is not just an invincible brute; he’s smart, interesting, and truly a force of good. This film certainly does a good job showing it.
Technical:
From an animation and artistic standpoint, the art style of this film is closer to the Frank Quitely art style found in the original comic series and not the traditional DCAU fare. This was a fantastic decision, as I think this Superman is much softer and much more approachable. The way that he was drawn in the Superman animated series and the Justice League show is out of date. So from an art perspective, I think this is a fantastic step forward for the DCAU. The animation reminds me a lot of Miyazaki and other Japanese anime. The character movements are much more fluid than they are in the usual DCAU fare, and this definitely a welcome change. The voice acting was solid all around; the exception for me would probably be Lex Luthor. His voice was way too deep was definitely more brutish than diabolical. However, the voice actor for Superman does a fantastic job to counteract this by being equal parts soft and powerful.
Conclusion
Although the film loses a lot of the epic feeling in the adaptation from original Morrison/Quitely with all of the cuts that had to be made for time, I think this film does get the “spirit” of the original. The parts of the story that were chosen were definitely the most important, however I wish that they had had time include Superman going back in time to get closure with his father. They supplemented this scene with Superman talking to his mother in front of his Father’s grave. The movie does well on its own, although sometimes it can seem to plod. The part with the other Kryptonians seemed very unnecessary and probably could have been cut for the part with Superman’s father. The artwork is fantastic and very different from the usual DCAU fare. I think future DCAU efforts could take a cue from this and follow comic book art style more. Overall, a good story and great art makes this definitely a worthwhile watch. I think this is a great step forward for the DCAU.
Score: 4/5 Stars
-Roger Yang
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