Game Stooge

REVIEW: Superman: Doomsday (FILM)

• Scribbled on September 20th, 2007 by Jonah Falcon
• Filed in Off Topic, Reviews, Xbox Live Marketplace

It doesn’t take a comic book reader to remember the earth-shattering news back in the early 90’s that DC Comics was going to kill Superman. While everyone was fairly sure they would revive him again, DC Comics threw the public a curve by introducing four Supermen to take his place, and the final twist was that none of them were the real Superman. The Death and Return of Superman is one of the most purchased graphic novels.

Superman: Doomsday, now out on DVD and Xbox Live Marketplace in HD, is not exactly the same story. Lois Lane (voice of Anne Heche) is not married to Superman (voice of Adam Baldwin) - she doesn’t even know Clark Kent is Superman yet. Lex Luthor (voice of James Marsters) is not Lex II, the clone of Lex, and Pa Kent is dead. There’s no Four Supermen. There’s no Mongul. There’s no Justice League. Even Doomsday is changed, now a product of Jor-El’s, not ancient Kryptonian scientists.

However, the story, told in a tight 77 minutes, is just as powerful, and even though the details have been changed, the dialogue, the music, and the brutal action is some of the best ever seen in animation. It is noteworthy that this film is PG-13 - people die, and die in graphic ways.

Superman’s death comes fairly early in the story, and the fight between Superman and Doomsday is the first of two massive, impressively done fight sequences. After Doomsday is vanquished and Superman dies, the story only begins, as a new Superman appears, but with a different, more vigilante personality, possibly due to Lex Luthor’s involvement. To discuss the film more would reveal crucial spoilers.

Surprisingly, it doesn’t take too long to become used to the new voices (Tim Daly still works better as Superman, frankly), and the animation seems cheaper (perhaps due to Paul Dini’s lack of involvement). The film, however, retains a remarkable, unexpected emotional punch.

If you enjoy comic book stories, this is among the best you’ll find. Definitely a must-rent, if not must-buy.