Movie Review - The Death of Superman (DC Universe Animated Original Movie)

After the disappointment of Superman: Doomsday, I really had no desire to see this remake. But then I subscribed to the DC Universe app and this was included, so I decided to watch it. I am so glad I did.

The Death of Superman is a 2018 action superhero DC Universe Animated Original Movie based on characters created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. It is rated PG-13 for language, violence, and unnecessary gore and is appropriate for tweens and up.

The Good

Faithfulness to the Source Material. This movie was surprisingly faithful to the 90s comic books from including major characters and plot lines to even capturing some of the look and feel. I appreciated how they snuck in a nod to the red-headed, red-bearded Lex Luthor II.

Action. The movie featured some nice action that was paced well and was the right amount for the story. I didn't feel like it was over too quickly nor like it got boring because there was so much of it. Doomsday was shown as a real threat by the way he tore thru the Justice League with so little effort. I also like the additions including the bridge scene and the fight in the sky.

Story. The film had a really good story. From the Lois & Clark love story arc to the Lex looking for a way to destroy Superman arc to Doomsday arriving and attacking, everything made sense, fit together, and was sufficiently explored.

The Bad

Lois. Lois had a really important role in this film, but it was really hard to care about her or feel anything for her. She seemed so indifferent and dispassionate, like she was just going thru the motions with no real spirit behind anything.

Animation. I'm not sure who came up with the New 52 look or why they've stuck with it for so long, because it doesn't look great, nor does it animate well. The movements are jerky and awkward. There is so little emotion communicated.

Voices. The voice casting was awful. Everyone sounded strange. After the great work from Andrea Romano and her amazing voice casting, fans have come to expect a certain level of quality that just wasn't matched here.

Music. The music was pretty generic. DC has had some really great Superman themes and music, and it is a shame they didn't use any of it here or try to reach the same level of quality.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I wish the art direction had matched the style of the comics. Dan Jurgens and Tom Grummet both draw great classic Superman that would both animate well.

Overall

The Death of Superman (DC Universe Animated Original Movie) was a surprisingly enjoyable movie. It had a solid story, great action, and was fairly faithful to the original comics. I couldn't understand why they needed to tell this story for a third time in a decade, but this time they got it right. I'm excited for Reign of the Supermen. I give this film 4 out of 5 boxes of popcorn.