Director(s) – Jake Castorena (Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Batman Unlimited) and Sam Liu (Wonder Woman: Bloodlines, Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay)
Starring – Jerry O’Connell (Sliders, Joe’s Apartment), Rebecca Romijn (X-Men, Satanic Panic), and Rainn Wilson (House of 1000 Corpses, The Office)
Release Date – 2018/2019
Rating – 4/5
Tagline – “Nothing ever truly dies”
I’ve been lucky enough to review a few of the DC animated movies over the years. I became interested in them after receiving Justice League Dark for a Christmas present from my wife. I’m a huge fan of Constantine character and was very butt hurt when the live action show was cancelled. The animated movie was fantastic and opened me up to the DC movies. I’ve seen a few and really enjoyed them but I’m always hesitant for some unknown reason. After watching Superman/Doomsday I hoped that The Death and Return of Superman was better…and it was! The film is The Death of Superman and The Reign of Supermen combined to make one seamless viewing experience.
**Spoiler Alert**The film follows Clark Kent/Superman who is struggling with juggling saving the world, being the boyfriend Lois Lane deserves, and the duties of Clark Kent. During this time a meteor crashes in the ocean and Lex Luthor races to get to the crash site before anyone else can. Something is alive in the meteor and kills his rescue team along with some Atlanteans. Soon the beast, Doomsday, makes his way to Metropolis killing everyone he meets. The Justice League steps in but is unable to subdue to alien creature. When all seems lost Superman arrives and is able to stop him but is mortally wounded dying soon after.
Some time passes after his death and imposter Supermen spring up to “help” the city. Steel, Cyborg Superman, Eradicator, and Superboy make appearances around the city for different reasons with Cyborg Superman deceiving the public into believing that he is the original Superman that was reconstructed after his battle with Doomsday. Lois Lane refuses to believe this and starts an investigation into the whole ordeal while Lex Luthor uses Superboy, a Superman clone, to do his own evil work. Luthor then uncovers that Darkseid sent Cyborg Superman to prepare for his arrival and soon the world is set against an invasion before the real Superman arrives to save the day.**Spoiler Alert**
I was a little nervious going into this one but in the end I didn’t want the movie to stop. It was utterly fantastic and just as epic as it should have been. Superman dying is a big fucking deal and, unlike Superman/Doomsday, the film properly portrayed that and put it on the scale that it should have been.
The voice acting in this one is great. The voices actually sound like they were meant for the characters and they actually bring about different emotions and reactions from just using their voice. Superman/Doomsday didn’t work for me because the voice acting showed no enthusiasm or charm. They didn’t get into character or make you feel like they are more than just actors voicing a cartoon.
The story for this one is action packed and offers up a lot for the viewer to retain. We go from an evil force killing Superman before moving on to several Supermen taking over the mantle of Superman before being tossed into a planetary invasion from Darkseid. The story for this one is rich and doesn’t feel rushed which makes sense considering it’s two films together.
Finally, the animation is a little better than the film I previously mentioned but Superman still looks silly to me. I don’t know why I hate his design so much but he just look ridiculous. Aside from that, it looks like every other DC animated film and I dig it. Overall, The Death and Return of Superman is a must see for any DC or superhero fans. The film is extremely fun and well worth your time. Check it out now!
