Superman/Batman: Public Enemies

The sixth DVD project from Warner Bros's DC Animated Universe unit, "Superman/Batman: Public Enemies" is a fun, socially-conscious adaptation of the six-part comic book story/graphic novel by writer Jeph Loeb and artists Ed McGuinness and Dexter Vines. Sure, it's short (67 minutes) and not to the letter (no continuity-oriented sidebars), but it's action-packed coolness.

America's plagued with crime, economic despair and war, making it easy for unethical corporate shark Lex Luthor (Clancy Brown, "The Shawshank Redemption" ) to run for and win the White House. There, he initiates that meta-humans and costumed crime-fighters serve the U.S. government, but the Big Two, optimistic Kryptonian boy scout Superman (Tim Daly, "Private Practice") and brooding urban detective Batman (Kevin Conroy, "Dynasty") rightfully feel he's full of it (including the "sh"). That gives the mastermind reason to frame the Man of Steel with the murder of "reformed" Kryptonite-powered cyborg Metallo (John C McGingley, "Scrubs"), marking him a wanted criminal and Bats as an accessory. As the Big Two fight both friends and foes, there's a huge chunk of Kryptonite headed towards Earth. The stakes are very high.

With a script by Stan Berkowitz ("Justice League: The Animated Series"), director Sam Liu ("Jackie Chan Adventures", "The Batman") gives "Public Enemies" the blockbuster-with-a-brain treatment, a fashion used in previous DC animated projects. Reprising their roles from the heroes' solo shows, Conroy and Daly are great, emphasizing their characters's differences on how to mete out justice. Brown, also doing a reprisal, nearly counters with their heroism with his callous insanity. The standard but lively animation interestingly echoes the art by McGuinness and Vines.

The other voice actors are competent: CCH Pounder ("The Shield") replaying government liaison Amanda Waller from "League"; Xander Berkeley ("Shanghai Noon", "Year One") as the noble Captain Atom and Richard Chavira ("Desperate Housewives") as his volatile counterpart Major Force. It's weird hearing Allison Mack ("Smallville") as Power Girl, due to the character's…well, you know, but she's durable in the role, even with a subtle, but funny sexual gag, validating the PG-13 rating.

"Public Enemies" should be on every DC Comics fan's wanted DVD's list.

Superman/Batman: Public Enemies is a really decent awesome DC animated movie! I really enjoy this film, more than Man of Steel and the new horrible DC Zack Snyder's film Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice! This is the real Superman/Batman movie in here our two superhero's teams up together to stop Lex Luthor and the meteor destroying our world. In here Superman and Batman does not kill people, Batman wanted to kill those guards, but Superman didn't allowed it. In this movie you have a heart, justice and hope! So yea I love this flick it is a fun film to watch. This is a real good movie, the animation fit the characters, the characters look good! The film is not too long, you have only 1 hr. and 4 Mins. long without credits.

Plot: When Lex Luthor gets elected US President, he uses the threat of an oncoming kryptonite meteor striking Earth as a rationale to frame Superman.

The story is about more Lex Luthor and America is going downhill people are losing jobs and the economics falls down. Pretty much Lex Luthor becomes president that is where the story starts. So we have Tim Daly as Superman, Kevin Conroy as Batman, Clancy Brown as Lex Luthor and Lex Luthor has his own group of superheroes, who's powers will be used for America for good, it is like hey if you want to volunteer to be part of us be my guest, but no one is going to be above the law anymore. It takes place couple of months after that, Luthor is been president, America is been turned around and been doing good, there is this meteor/kryptonite coming down to earth and Luthor is like I don't need superheroes and I got all the calculations and I am going to do this. Later we found out that Luthor is and always was insane, his taking this kryptonite gun and putting this stuff in his arm like steroids, he thinks he can take care of this problem and he will get all the credits for him self. First we see Superman chasing down this car that flips over and Superman actually saves people in here he saves people.

Superman doesn't want to admit that Luthor did a good job, because he doesn't trust Luthor. Since Luthor comes in to presidency crime is been down and things are going well, but Superman doesn't want to admit it and I really don't blame him. Even when he talks to Batman he still says "I don't trust this guy." Luthor wants Superman to meet him, he does and of course it is a trap and you have Metallo, Metallo is there and superman goes in to a big fight with Metallo and I thought it was really well done fight and the animation was good. That is what I like about this film! This film is pretty much a lot of action, Superman and batman beating other super heroes who are a treat and are working for Luthor. Superman goes in to a big fight with Metallo he is shot with kryptonite and he falls down on graveyard and Batman saves him and he try's to get the bullet out of Superman and they both on a run and Superman is accused of murdering Metallo of course he didn't do it and Batman stood's with by and cheers him up. Batman says they both have to stop that Meteor I love the wend when a Toyman creates a rocket launcher and super Luthor wants to stop our hero and Batman fly's there alone and Superman says "That was my best friend and you just killed him"! than he gets mad and he punches Luthor out and that hard on the end Batman destroys the Meteor and Superman saves him.

Overall: I love Superman/Batman: Public Enemies DC Animated Film it is a decent awesome super hero movie. The rating this film get's 9/10 it deserves it.

Superman/Batman: Public Enemies is a 2009 original direct-to-video animated superhero film adaptation of "Public Enemies"—the opening story arc of DC Comics' Superman/Batman—which focuses on Superman and Batman teaming up to prevent a meteorite from striking Earth and take down Lex Luthor, who has been elected President of the United States.

9/10 Grade: A- Studio: Warner Bros. Animation Warner Premiere DC Comics Starring: Kevin Conroy, Tim Daly, Clancy Brown, Xander Berkeley, Corey Burton, Ricardo Chavira, Allison Mack, John C. McGinley, C. C. H. Pounder, LeVar Burton, Calvin Tran Director: Sam Liu Producers: Bruce Timm, Alan Burnett, Michael Goguen, Bobbie Page, Sam Register, Benjamin Melniker, Michael Uslan Screenplay: Stan Berkowitz Rated: PG-13 Running Time: 1 Hr. 7 Mins. Budget: $3.500.000 Box Office: $10,328,363

In the middle of a deep recession, Lex Luthor's third party alternative manages to win the race for the presidency on promises of change and tough orders. As part of his winning campaign he brings in several superheroes and aliens to be part of his team and work directly for the government rather than being a law onto themselves. Neither Superman or Batman follow this dictate and, at a meeting to discuss a meteorite heading towards Earth, Superman is framed for murder by President Luthor, who then turns the public against the vigilante superheroes with spin and presentation. Whenever Superman escapes capture, Luthor offers a billion dollar reward for Superman which brings every hero and alien on the hunt for him and Batman.

I stumbled onto this cartoon by chance but gave it a shot since I have enjoyed this sort of DVD before and am a Batman fan. Things start really well with a lot of promise. The opening sequence depicts a society in collapse, with "normal" people turning to petty crime just to stay alive, communities living in tent lots and an economy collapsed, leading to the election of Luthor and a well designed title sequence and dramatic score. This scale and excitement either is followed up or isn't followed up, depending on your point of view. What follows is essentially one fight sequence after another and, as such it is distracting fare for those that are happy with this. It looks good with typically square-jawed heroes and well animated sequences throughout.

The downside of it is that there doesn't appear to be much to it beyond the punching and the flying. Dialogue is minimal but more disappointingly the film seems to lack the dramatic atmosphere that the first few minutes and the title sequence created. It was a problem for me simply because I do look for some darkness in these cartoons and it is disappointing for them to have none – making it harder for me to swallow the spectacle of the whole thing. The voice cast has some good names in there but the lack of any meaningful substances means that they can't really bring anything other than their names and their "oh it's on the tip of my tongue" recognisable voices. Brown, Berkeley, Pounder, McGinley and a few others are strange finds while Conroy and Daly do solid enough work with their deep voices in the title characters.

Public Enemies is a solid enough cartoon. The fights and animation are big and distracting enough but it is a little disappointing to find it lacking atmosphere or genuine drama – particularly when it all starts with so much promise ahead of the titles. Good enough for a look if you like this sort of thing but not good enough to win over the casual viewer.

President Luthor learns that a meteor made of Kryptonite is headed for earth. When the plan to nuke it out of existence doesn't work, he declares Superman an enemy of earth. Batman stands by him, but while the rest of the heroes are hunting them, they need help to stop the meteor, help only a young genius from Japan can make happen. Fun!

Kevin Conroy and Tim Daly work well off each other in their quest to prove Superman's innocence. The animation is smooth and seamless. Everything has a clean texture. The action's cool. The fight scenes are intense and every blow delivered you can feel. The voicing acting's pretty good. While mostly serious, there're some well placed comedic moments such as the Toynaster attempting to ask about Supergirl's bust size. All in all, it's a good movie for both fans and regular movie goers. Fly in and check it out.