Superman: Doomsday

2018's "The Death of Superman" is a far superior Superman vs Doomsday movie but this one is still really good. This movie is surprisingly dark for its PG-13 rating. At times, it feels like a horror movie with its monstrous Doomsday and creepy Toyman portrayers. While Superman comes off as a little dry, the romance between him and Lois adds much needed depth to his character.

For having to squeeze so much info into such a short amount of time, this DVD is a success. Of course the comic purists are going to complain and obsess over every little detail that has been changed. But for those of us who have the ability to accept a little change to benefit the masses, it is extremely enjoyable.

The animation is very similar to most DCAU (DC Animated Universe) incarnations, but a little sharper. They changed the look of a few characters...Lex's head looks like Brainiac's and James Marsters doesn't even come close to the masterful voice work of Clancy Brown, although he's not bad. Lois looks more like Kristen Kreuk's Lana now than Lois and Anne Heche's voice work isn't nearly as enjoyable as Dana Delaney's, but again she's not bad. Adam Baldwin does sound similar to past versions of Superman...that is probably the smallest change in the voices, although the way they draw his cheekbones in this version make him look old and decrepit. That was certainly a bad move, but you get over it.

The real deal is the fight between Superman and Doomsday. It is hard hitting, ultra violent and very intense. They change the way Supes finishes him off from how it happened in the comics, but the new way was really cool in my opinion. This is a more graphic cartoon and the way Doomsday kills some people will shock long time DCAU fans. You have never seen brutality like you will in this film.

The story goes way off the beaten path after Superman's death, but I think Bruce Timm's re-imagining was very well done. I don't think any logical person would expect them to follow the original story. It would have been a 6 hour movie. All in all, it's worth buying if you are a Superman fan. Some things could have been better, but in the end another great interpretation by Bruce Timm.

Now this is what Bryan Singer should have tried bringing to the big screen instead of Superman Returns.

This animated movie does more with the character than any live action movie has. Characters are well-drawn, well-animated and there is brilliant interplay between them to draw things out and tell a good story.

It explores the depth of the character of Superman, tasked with being an absolute pillar of morality to the public. And there is exploration into the character of Lois Lane, the journalist out to not just document all that he does, but also settle the conflict of her feelings for him. Interesting developments for other characters as well such as Jimmy and the editor, and the story packs it all into a highly entertaining hour and a half. The action is a highlight. The animation and the choreography of the fight scenes really stand out, putting the choreography of most live-action Hollywood movies to shame.

The script is excellent, it just feels a little rushed at times, but that's understandable given the short running times for animated movies. All the more reason why it would have been even better in live action, but the budget required to do it justice might be too much.

This is a very entertaining and thoughtful movie to watch even if you're not a fan of comics or cartoons. It's certainly not for children, the violence isn't graphic but it is certainly implied and a bit shocking.

Subject to some controversy surrounding its comic-book accuracy, 'Superman/Doomsday (2007)' does focus less on its eponymous characters than you might expect and actually only features around ten-minutes of the 'Doomsday' character, instead focusing on the aftermath of his battle with our hero and loosely amalgamating several story-strands from the Son Of Krypton's source-material. Ultimately, I think the title was meant to be more metaphorical than literal, with the 'Doomsday' referring to the severity of the flick's events rather than the character that causes much of the destruction, unnamed in the actual picture. What doesn't help this possible intention, and I'm about to get pedantic here, is the confusing punctuation used. I've seen it written with a colon, a dash and, as appears here on IMDb, a forward-slash; on the actual title-card, no punctuation appears. I think the intention was for a more traditional colon, which allows for my 'metaphorical double use' theory to stand, but the lack of actual punctuation on film caused some confusion and is the reason we end up with the current title, as it is the best way to represent two words that are shown together yet meant to be taken separately. Yet, the forward-slash implies the piece is a two-hander between the two characters and doesn't really leave much room for a double meaning. It's clumsy from many standpoints and sets the movie up as something it ultimately isn't, and wasn't ever intended to be. This could all be to further subvert expectation, however, by pointing the audience in one direction and then taking them in another. This ends up creating a genuinely surprising piece that may, at times, be somewhat outlandish but does tell a mostly mature tale that doesn't focus entirely on smash-'em-up action, though it does have its fair share of it. The sillier stuff becomes intrinsic with the narrative, consistent with the world and treated with the respect needed to make it mostly believable. The film is consistently entertaining and unexpected, placing more of its emphasis on a supporting cast that barely gets the time-of-day in other Superman stories to a refreshing result. It's in its unconventional approach that it finds its footing as a story with stakes far higher than the usual 'save the city from a big monster', stakes that are built upon meaty character dynamics and genuine morals twisted by believable motivations. Ultimately, it's pretty compelling stuff. 7/10

as an animated movie,this one isn't too bad.i liked the story and the great action sequences and there are some great fight scenes.but if you're really into the history behind the battle between Superman and Doomsday and the aftermath(in other words,if you've read the comic version of the events)you might be disappointed,as i don't think it is that faithful to the source material.but beyond that,the movie does seem a little rushed.i think they may have tried to jam too much into the short 75 minute running time.still,the movie is entertaining.you shouldn't get bored watching it.DC has done better though and although i liked it,it wasn't as good as i had hoped or expected.all in all,though,i'd Give Superman:Doomsday a 7/10 based on it's entertainment value.