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Superman: Doomsday
Superman: Doomsday

The 2007 DC Universe Animated Original Movie in which Superman is killed and reborn.

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DOOMed? Or Not DOOMed? That Is The Question

  • Nov 9, 2010
  • by
Rating:
+4
Face facts, Super-fans: there is no way possible a film adaptation of the entire Superman/Doomsday saga could possibly have been attempted much less pleased everyone ... so we all may as well dispense with comparisons, per se, to the comics saga that took well over a year to tell AND to read. It's nice to understand that SUPERMAN - DOOMSDAY had its basis on that stellar reality because, in the end, at least Bruce Timm and company knew which elements to keep and, arguably, which to shelve for some other project.

That said, I heartily enjoyed SUPERMAN - DOOMSDAY as a passing interpretation of the 'Death of Superman' storyline. On the commentary track, the creators and other 'creative' folk admit that there were painful choices that had to be made in fashioned this adaptation into a workable project, and I'd give 'em props for taking the seminal moment -- the best slugmatch in town, the one that results in two deaths -- and giving it serious screen time. Once Supes and his ultimate foe, Doomsday, come together, the streets of Metropolis will never be the same.

Largely, it's mostly Saturday morning animation here, despite what some of the more technically skilled folks will tell you. Despite Timm and company's strong desire to distance themselves from THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN, the look is still largely the same. Characters -- Lois, Jimmy, Mr. White -- are given greater re-invention than Supes -- who curiously has some jagged Clint Eastwood-esque cheekbones that look horribly out of place on his skin of steel. It's a gripe. It's a distraction. Does it ruin the film? No. Does it separate it enough from THE ADV. OF SUPES? Not really.

Content-wise, there are a few surprising additions. The violence is whacked up more than a few notches (parents note: it's rated PG-13 for good reasons), and Lex Luther is given one particularly gruesome scene (yes, it's the one involving a certain blonde) that took me by surprise. Doomsday's 'birth' of sorts is also graphic but thankfully it's mostly washed over in darkness to spare the faint of heart. The second half of the film -- it's what most strongly deviates from the 'Death of Supes' story -- is a bit of a letdown; very little is retained from the source material, but I didn't find it terribly disappointing ... on its own, SUPERMAN - DOOMSDAY had far more heart, drama, and relevance than did Bryan Singer's SUPERMAN RETURNS, if you ask me, a film that I found mostly dull, forced, and flat.

On the MAJOR PLUS side, one of the Special Features is "Requiem and Rebirth: Superman Lives!" documentary, a terrific look back at the phenomenon that was the real 'Death' storyline, and that alone made this disc worth the price of admission.

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November 11, 2010
Great write up! I miss my Saturday animation glut something fierce, but at least we can still get great material, like this one, on DVD. :o) wishing you laughter
 
November 09, 2010
Great review. I saw this at San Diego Comicon in 2007 when it was pre-released. I liked the Bruce Timm look and the up-tick in being darker than other similar animated features I have seen. I do not own the DVD, so I should probably do that to get those great features you mentioned.
 
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More Superman: Doomsday reviews
review by . May 03, 2010
posted in Speech Bubbles: Comics & Graphic Novels
Insignificant and Felt a Little Too Rushed in Storytelling
      I'm a comic book fan, I actually own the "Death and return of Superman" in its original comic crossover form. This event in comic history was very significant (while it lasted) in the early 1990's because of the repercussions felt throughout the DC universe. The comic story arc came at a time when DC’s sales were dwindling and they were desperate to make a quick profit. The “Death of Superman” actually preceded “Knightfall” …
review by . September 09, 2010
posted in Movie Hype
There was a brief time in my life when I collected comics on a semi-regular basis. It was a very short period of just about a year that ended when DC announced that Superman would be killed. The creature that brought about the ultimate battle was a completely nihilistic character named Doomsday a creature that couldn't be killed and could only "feel" hate. The comic where Superman died sold more comics in one day than any other comic book in history had done up to that point. Of course, …
review by . July 01, 2010
Ok I can't let such an injustice go on much longer. I was surprised that this Movie didn't get much respect here. Let's all go back to the 90's folks. I'm an 80's baby. I grew up with the Transformers, He-man and the freakin Smurfs for crying out loud! The Biggest thing those years in the Comic Book world was Superman Doomsday! The Moment I heard of his arrival in the Comics I figured Sups could finally have someone he could let loose on. But Sadly the writers took a whole …
review by . December 15, 2007
posted in Movie Hype
I've long been a fan of the animated DC universe. Batman - The Animated Series, Volume One (DC Comics Classic Collection) was an amazingly well-done show, following on the heels of Batman (Two-Disc Special Edition), and bringing a much more "adult" feel to cartoons. When Superman - The Animated Series, Volume One (DC Comics Classic Collection) began to air, I enjoyed it, but not as much as the Batman series.    Now we have this, a 70 minute movie covering roughly the same matieral …
see all Superman: Doomsday reviews (6)
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What? You don't know enough about me from the picture? Get a clue! I'm a graduate from the School of Hard Knocks! You can find me around the web as "Trekscribbler" or "Manchops".   … more
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About this movie

Wiki

The most shocking showdown in Superman history! When Lexcorp accidentally unearths the intergalactic serial killer Doomsday, Superman battles the creature head on in the fight of his life...literally. The world collectively mourns their fallen hero; humanity realizes it will never feel truly safe again. Superman's enemies rejoice all but Lex Luthor, who grieves the loss in his own demented manner, setting off a chilling chain of events that even he couldn't have foreseen. Inspired by the bestselling graphic novel of all time, DC Comics' The Death of Superman, this feature-length animated adventure boasts exciting action sequences that rivals anything you've ever seen starring the Man of Steel!
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Tags

Movies, Action Movies, Action, Animated Movies, Dc Comics, Superheroes, Comic Book And Graphic Novel Adaptations, Superman, Dc Animated Universe
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Details

Genre: Action, Animation, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Release Date: September 18, 2007
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Screen Writer: Duane Capizzi
DVD Release Date: September 18, 2007
Runtime: 75 minutes
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures, DC Comics, Warner Bros. Animation, Warner Premiere
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