‘Superman: Doomsday’ DVD review
“Superman: Doomsday” is a pleasant surprise.
Ever since I heard about its Sept. 18, 2007 release, I was skeptical. While I thought – and with subsequent endeavors still think – it’s exceptionally cool for DC to have its own line of animated features, I thought their first choice was less than stellar.
I mean, hadn’t we seen the “Doomsday” storyline many, many times? I’d even say too many. After all, the “Doomsday”-”Funeral for a Friend”-”Reign of the Supermen” storyline is certainly the most well known Man of Steel story arc of recent memory, if not of all time. And Hollywood had been playing around with some variation of that to be the jumping-off point to reintroduce Supes to movie audiences in the mid- to late 1990s. Plus – and I know it came out well after this DVD – but the “Smallville” TV series even had its own version of Doomsday established in that continuity.
Now this tired storyline was going to launch the series of unrelated DC Universe Animated Movies? Puh-lease. It’s no wonder I didn’t seen it until 2 1/2 years later.
As I said, I was pleasantly surprised. There’s a lot packed into this 77-minute feature. As always, I wish these movies were closer to the 90-minute mark, but you can’t have everything. …
Now I’m not going to rehash the entire plot. (For one, I don’t think critics need to take the time to summarize the story; they should spend it giving their opinion. And two, I don’t want to ruin it for those of you who haven’t seen it. I detest reading spoilers!) But things move at a pretty good clip without feeling rushed.
Fifteen minutes into the story and: It’s established Lex Luthor is up to no good and doesn’t any of it traced to him (naturally!); despises Superman (of course!); the Man of Steel has only been in Metropolis for about six months; he and Lois Lane have been dating secretly for most of that time; Lois gives a valid reason for wanting to know his secret identity; Doomsday escapes imprisonment and the genetically-created soldier gives Supes the worst beat-down I’ve ever seen. And of course, Superman dies. Whew!
The Big Fight between the Big Blue Boy Scout and his killer truly is. It is one heck of an adrenaline-pumping sequence. I’ve never seen any city sustain so much property damage. And I actually half-wondered at one point if Superman was going to triumph, even by sacrificing himself.
From there, the writers go off in a different direction than “Funeral” and most certainly, “Reign of the Superman.” I’ll give you this much, it’s vaguely based on what transpired in ACTION COMICS, but the “Doomsday” creative team manages to make it even creepier. And making fans hate Luthor even more is a compliment!
In the time Superman is dead, Lois becomes the central driving force. Anne Heche does a fine voice job – her outpouring of feelings about Superman to Ma Kent is especially well done – but my one complaint is Lois is a bit too “ethnic” looking for my tastes here. Lois from the animated series is exotic looking and gorgeous, but still resonates with me as being Lois; this one took a bit more getting used to. I can’t say the same for the extra lines in Superman’s cheeks and chin here; it just makes him look old and awkward as opposed to differentiating itself from the Bruce Timm universe version. My last complaint was not giving a bit more for Ma Kent to do. Seeing her more emotionally distraught after her son’s “death” and over his supposed return would have given the producers more of a reason to actually include her in the first place.
Not only was the resurrection twist a surprise, so were some extremely violent ends to two other characters. Even after seeing the other DC animated features, I was stunned at how brutal their deaths were. PG-13 indeed!
Kudos also to the creative team for slowly and surely transforming the “resurrected” Superman into someone who is the “cracked mirror reflection” of the real deal. Again, when you make someone you originally thought was a hero into someone who is almost as nasty as Luthor, you’ve accomplished something.
The greatest surprises were the homages to “Superman: The Movie” and ”Superman II.” Well-versed fans will notice them. I expected Lois to call Clark Kent “Smallville” (as she does in the animated series); that’s become a given in virtually every subsequent animated incarnation of their relationship. But I didn’t expect the uncomfortably evil twist on the scene in the first Richard Donner film in which Superman saves the cat from the tree. I really thought that feline was going to be a goner. Thanks for keeping me guessing – and entertained. Grade: B
