Movie Info
Movie Name: All-Star Superman
Studio: Warner Bros. Animation
Genre(s): Animated/Superhero/Action/Adventure
Release Date(s): Febrary 22, 2011
MPAA Rating: PG
Follow me Lois…If you’re super woman enough!
Superman is dying. When Lex Luthor realizes Superman is a giant solar battery for energy, he tricks him into absorbing more solar energy than his body can handle. Now, Superman is out to make peace with the world and that means telling Lois his secret. Lex Luthor might be imprisoned, but that doesn’t mean he’s through ruining Superman’s life. It’s up to Superman to stop Lex Luthor and save the Earth for one last time.
Directed by Sam Lui, All-Star Superman is a DC Universe Animated Original Movie. Following Batman/Superman: Apocalypse in 2010, the film adapts Grant Morrison’s twelve issue All-Star Superman comic book series which ran from 2006-2008. The movie was relatively well received as an adaptation. It was released on DVD and Blu-Ray on February 22, 2011.
I read All-Star Superman before seeing the movie and thought it was a rather compelling comic book series that was different than the standard DC Comic. It took a “real” look at Superman and explored how a Superman endgame-storyline would develop.
God, Lois…I gave you the moon…what more do you want?
All-Star Superman is a great story. Both the comic and the movie put an unusual spin on the everyday Superman story by making it an endgame type story with Superman facing his unstoppable death. This also puts the character in a position for more range. Due to the length of the film, it wasn’t able to adapt the whole comic book series which was unfortunate but it does feel pretty seamless in what it was able to adapt.
The movie has a lot of fun with the whole Clark Kent/Superman aspect. For years everyone has said why don’t people recognize that Clark Kent is Superman, but in All-Star Superman, Clark Kent could scream it from the rooftops, then jump from them, and no one would believe him. Lois just thinks it is all a gag by Superman and Lex Luthor hints that he does know but then appears to only be joking.
So Lex…this Princess Mononoke reject is trying to eat us…any suggestions?
It is the Superman-Lex moments and Superman-Lois moments I enjoy the most in the movie and feel it gets a bit sidetracked at the end. The best portions have to be Clark’s farewell interview with Lex in the jail as they both try to avoid the Parasite who latches on to Clark’s suped-up powers and the Super-Lois portion also is a great moment in the story. Both shows the strength of Morrison’s writing because they are very close to the actual issues of the comic in plot and pacing.
All-Star Superman is definitely one of DC (or Marvel for that matter) best animated films. It is smart and feels bigger than the animation that still is able to carry it. If you are a fan of the character or a fan of the comic it should be sought out. DC followed All-Star Superman with Green Lantern: Emerald Knights also released in 2011.
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