Based on the award-winning THE DEATH OF SUPERMAN comic book series, this animated direct-to-DVD feature earns its PG-13 rating. It was produced and co-written by Bruce Timm, who brought BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES to TV. Like that superior series, this movie has a mature quality, but that's not to pigeonhole it into the "adult" animation category, which so often includes forced "edgy" content. The maturity of the material comes from its more emotional character driven side, as well as its violence. This quality is what made BATMAN a series that could attract children, who could grow up and return to the series not wondering what their younger selves were thinking.
The story begins with Superman (Adam Baldwin, SERENITY) in a relationship with Lois Lane (Anne Heche, 1998's PSYCHO) as Clark Kent is heading off to Afghanistan on assignment. Lex Luthor (James Marsters, TV's BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER) is running his LexCorp as corruptly as ever. During an illegal mining operation, his men dig up an alien spacecraft and inadvertently unleash Doomsday, a virtually indestructible killing machine. Superman races to confront the beast and, as a result of his unprecedented beating, dies.
So how will the world cope without Superman? Lois has lost her lover. Martha Kent (Swoosie Kurtz, REALITY BITES) has lost her son. Jimmy Olsen (Adam Wylie, TV's LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES) loses his way, becoming a tabloid photographer while Daily Planet editor Perry White (Ray Wise, GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK) starts to drink. Lex is also devastated at losing his chief adversary, who gave his life a worth challenge. Crime goes up in Metropolis. Then Superman reappears, but something is different about him.
This version of the story is very condensed. The comics featured several Supermen coming out of the woodwork trying to fill the void. This tale only features two of significance. There was also a great deal more mystery in the comics about who was the real Superman, which gave an interesting spin on how this near death experience affected his personality. This 80-minute animated feature spells out many of those secrets very quickly. With the tight time restraints, subtly is often abandoned for long exposition speeches and obvious dialogue revealing characters' thoughts. Outside of simply using these devices for timesaving reasons, at least, there is real, and sometimes complex, emotional topics underneath. This isn't SUPER-FRIENDS, folks.
As for the voice cast, the work is solid for the most part. However, Baldwin delivers some of his lines stiffly, struggling between the traditional nobility of the iconic character and the new emotional side. Anne Heche, however, is excellent as Lois Lane. She gets the plucky reporter just right. She makes her a modern woman without beating us with girl power. When Superman says that he's bullet proof therefore regular people who put their lives in danger are the real heroes, we instantly think of Lois. Heche is able to sell some of the sentimental moments, which will most likely have the more cynical in the crowd snickering. However, I believe those viewers will be ones less accustomed to seeing high emotion displayed in an animated superhero movie. Heche makes one wish that she were Lois Lane in SUPERMAN RETURNS.
And now that we're on the subject of SUPERMAN RETURNS, unlike some parts of the Bryan Singer live-action feature, the makers of this film obviously know these characters. Though they may have changed large parts of the story, the characters and their feelings are true to the source material. The animation from Warner Bros. Animation is solid. The timing is very good, creating real tension, and a few flinches at unexpected violence from time to time. For parents, the violence results in many deaths, but there are not copious amounts of blood. It's definitely too intense for the younger viewers, but for kids 8 and up, it's nothing they haven't already seen before.
This production is starting off a line of mature DC Universe direct-to-DVDs. From the success of this one, there is a good foundation set for the future. With smaller stories not needing to cram so much in a short running time, the potential for something great is promising. Unlike other recent animated superhero DVDs, SUPERMAN: DOOMSDAY doesn't pander too the immature or emphasize action over story and character. The filmmakers clearly understand that talking down to its audience only shrinks the size of its audience.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
