Customer Reviews

All-Star Superman (Amazon Exclusive Limited Edition with Litho Cel) [Blu-ray]

5 star:		(45)
4 star:		(23)
3 star:		(19)
2 star:		(25)
1 star:		(24)

 

 

Lex Luthor (Anthony Lapaglia) had made a plan to poison Superman (James Denton) with solar radiation as the man-of-steel is dying. He has weeks to live as he must fulfill everything he's always dreamed of including revealing his secret identity to Lois (Christina Hendricks) and must do everything he can to live his life through the weeks of dying for he also must do battle against his old foes besides Lex like Parasite (Michel Gough, Atlas (Steve Blum) and even Samson (John Dimaggio).

Nicely done adaptation of Grant Morrison's graphic novel is an emotional and exciting Superman animated adventure and one of the better DC animated movies. The designs are quite different on the characters as if they appeared to look more like Peter "Aeon Flux creator" Chung's designs and i also like how this was the first appearence of Superwoman to appear. The animation is very good and so is the music, there is plenty of great action here and a great ending.

This Blu-Ray offers crystal picture and sound quality with terrific extras like featurettes, commentary, all-star Superman digital comic, sneek preview of "Green Lantern Emerald Knights" and two bonus Superman episodes.

This animated movie captures the essence of Superman, and portrays him as what he was meant to represent in the DC-Comics Universe: the most powerful being on Earth.

But not only that, we are shown how Superman connects with the rest of the world. It is not just that he is powerful, but how the people of earth have shaped his character for the best. This is perfectly captured in the sequence when two other Kriptonians arrive to earth, while Superman is completing a mission in outer space.

The new arrivals (space travelers/adventurers) come to earth as fully grown adults. They don't accept human beings as equals, but see them as inferiors (or as they say in the movie "apes"). They didn't come to coexist with us, humans, peacefully, and much less help humanity solving critical problems. This situation is heartbreaking for Superman, who in the story hopes these new Kriptonians could take his place (given that he is dying).

It is just a great contrast to Superman's character. It shows us why Superman is so well received all over the World (not just the USA). The movie, in a brilliant way, presents us with one of the most open secrets in the Superman saga: he was nurtured with the best humanity has to offer, namely a loving family. I just loved the little scene that they included between Superman and his adopted mother (Martha Kent), which perfectly illustrates the type of person the Kents raised.

Lois Lane is also portrayed beautifully. Usually Lois is translated into the animated medium or comic book world as a tomboy character, that doesn't care about the consequences of her actions, as long as she gets the story.

Lois is presented in this movie as an equal to Superman, not only because she gets to have superpowers for a short period of time, but because she gives Superman a reason to go on, even when everything seems lost. That is what great couples do, they complement each other.

I could go on and on, explaining every bit of the symbolical importance of each of the scenes in the movie, but suffice to say that the story captures the best from the Superman mythos and how they relate to us, the human race.

A master piece!

I never read the comic series of All-Star Superman so I didn't no anything about it except what I saw in the trailers. I saw Public Enemies and Apocalypse, the Superman/Batman team-ups, they were very good. The mood and the action in the story were driven by emotion and that was something I've never seen in a superhero story before, it was true to the character of who Superman is in my mind. It's heart felt, its funny, it has action and romance, its one of the best works from Dewayne McDuffie who recently deceased. The best Superman story I have ever seen a must for your collection.

Superman may be my favorite hero, though in recent years my young adult cynicism has had me leaning towards the Dark Knight who is in a veritable golden age of creative expression due in no small part to Nolan and Grant Morrison himself. With the constraints that a 75 minute animated film affords, this tale explodes in this format with some of the finest hand drawn animation I have seen from the DCU films and quite comparable to the slick action of Young Justice. That being said, this film is fully aware of its unique yet timeless take on the man of steel, and the spirit and style of the Morrison/Quietly comic is all here. As a fan of the big blue boy scout, I found this to be a very satisfying feature and an indispensable addition to not just the DCU library but the grand picture and myth of the last son of Krypton.
Did I mention the wonderful extras? It includes some insightful interviews with Dan Didio and Grant Morrison that give insight not just into this story but the creative process
I think I may have enjoyed the doc/featurette "Superman Now" as much as the animated movie.

Allow me, for the sake of justifying my complaints about this piece from the onset, to say that I am a subscriber to the theory that the DCAU crew is responsible for the absolute best incarnations of the DC comic characters of all time. Whenever I begin to burn out on the whole animated comic hero industry, a trip to my Batman the Animated Series collection or through a few Justice League Unlimited episodes are all it takes to remind me of everything that is right about the concept of turning static comic panels into animated life.

That said, I've noticed many of the crew responsible for the aforementioned properties (Bruce Timm, Alan Burnett, the late Dwayne McDuffie and company) have since shifted gears from weekly serial production to animated feature film work exclusively. While a few of these features have been pretty darn impressive (I enjoyed Batman: Under the Red Hood, Superman/ Batman Public Enemies and Justice League Crisis on Two Earths to mention a few) but All Star Superman is one of the oddest animated films I've encountered, DCAU or otherwise, in quite some time.

All-Star Superman, on which this picture is based, is a twelve-issue comic book series featuring Superman that ran from November 2005 to October 2008. The series was written by Grant Morrison, drawn by Frank Quitely, digitally inked by Jamie Grant and published by DC Comics.

The film incarnation is actually the tenth in the DC Universe Animated Original Movies line released by Warner Premiere and the first in the line that is rated PG (as opposed to the usual PG-13 rating).

The plot goes like this: Dr. Leo Quintum and his P.R.O.J.E.C.T. Team are exploring the Sun when they are sabotaged by a booby-trapped, genetically enhanced Lex Luthor clone. Superman saves the doomed crew, but it turns out that in the process has been overdosed with radiation that, while responsible for increasing his power initially, is actually slowly killing him. Luthor, having orchestrated the death of Superman while under the employment of General Sam Lane, is arrested thanks to Clark Kent's article and sentenced to death.

Playing off the unique angle of the arch nemeses responsible for the inevitable death of the other, there is a lot of potential in this plot structure. Sadly, I felt as though the delivery of these ideals never manages to live up to the possibilities.

For starters, this 76-minute film suffers from the undeniable feeling of trying to fit entirely too many key moments from the 12-issue book run into a little over an hour's worth of narrative. As expected, this mash of plot threads often comes off as completely disconnected from one another. Characters appear frequently, do something completely contrived, then vanish for the duration of the film. Detours like Superman's encounter with Samson and Atlas and even the Kryptonian scientists will leave even the most diehard fans of the franchise scratching their heads in "what in the world was that?" theatrics.

These threads work out in the books on which this film is based simply because they are given due time to develop. Perhaps had they been integrated here more subtly earlier on and allowed to play out in the background to the seriousness of the larger issues at hand, they may have worked out here as well. Instead they come off as unnecessary plot devices.

However, in all fairness there are a few qualities here that prevent this one from sinking like a cinder block. Among these are the opportunity to witness Frank Quitely's bright crisp art work come to animated life and a modern take on the Lois Lane character.

In all though the end result here is quite a muddled mess. The story itself is interesting and arguably tragic enough to warrant looking into the mini-series but the film will most certainly under-whelm both fans of the books and of past DCAU efforts alike.

Superman is one of the most recognizable icons in the world today. He has many adoring fans of all his media. He has been seen in comic books television and films and heard through radio serials and word of mouth. In the mid 1990s Bruce Timm, after much success with his animated series of Batman, decided to move his talents to Superman. What he gave us was a true strait off the page Superman that was yet to be seen in visual media. This was a Superman that showed weaknesses just as deep as his strengths. His ability to care as well as his ability to slug it out with super natural threats. Most importantly this was a Superman that the fans have wanted to see brought to life Still, over time this vision remained in the shadow of its film counterpart which lacked his characteristics we still had yet to see that were as authentic as Bruce Timm's vision.

Bruce Timm's DCAU film projects have featured Superman doing what he does best, saving humanity and punishing evil. Now we have the newest film `All Star Superman'. This was a film I was eager to see much like all the others, but what I got was something I never would have expected. I was aware of the plot and aware of the films basis, but this was the first time I have ever seen a specific side of the Man of Steel . That was a side of his I always knew was there, but this film brought it right out into the open and that is the Man of Steel's heart of gold. This film is very different from all the other films as a matter of fact, it is a work of art. The film touches on Superman's want to love and care for others. In the moments where he feels the most vulnerable are the moments he wears his heart on his sleeve for all to see. We see his relationship to Lois taken to brand new heights, his caring for his parents and even the urge to save the fallen like his arch nemesis Lex Luthor. Of course we are not without some amazing battles, but even in the bloodshed there is a deep emotion thrown into every punch that Superman throws. The voice cast for this film is amazing. While so many want the regular voices of the DCAU greats, they are not always perfect for the films. Anthony LaPaglia was a perfect Luthor for this film because he was able to show a heartless Lex as well as one who seeks redemption. Christina Hendricks brings a brand new spunk to Lois with her perfect comedic timing as well as her most vulnerable of moments. James Denton could not have been a more perfect Superman for this project. He gave his all to bring out the Superman you see in this film. He gave Superman a heart and made this Superman so real and that is why I think I enjoyed this film.

There was a lot of negative feedback about this film so far, but I think it's because in order to love this film, you need to have a true love for Superman. You have to remember all the major factors that made him who he is from his origin story to the legendary quote "Look...up in the sky!" You have to have know, not just the names Clark Kent or Lois Lane, but Christopher Reeve, George Reeves and Teri Hatcher. This is a movie that will lift you possibly make you cry, and make you feel emotions of love, loss and hope. 'All Star Superman', is a film that we Superman fans have secretly been waiting for, because it shows us fans of the DCAU and its creators that there is so much more than can be brought to a superhero besides the powers and flashy costumes. Because under the mask and the symbol, we all share the most important similarity of all, we are all human.

Also this was a perfect final project for DCAU writer Dwayne McDuffie who passed away one day after this DVD release. He gave us some of the DCAUs best work and this is couldn't be a better send off.

This movie hit the very core of Superman's character. It has many strong moments for all the characters and for Lex Luthor in particular. My true score for this movie would be 4.5, given an oddly stiff voice performance for Lois and one awkward storyline transition. Other than that, the movie was perfect and definitely the best animated Superman movie to date.

This is a story true to the essence of Superman. Although the plot device is his powers, this story shows off the basic decency that defines the Man of Steel. I didn't want it to end, was hoping for more. The only reason for not giving 5 stars is that the voice acting wasn't great. Anyone who enjoys Superman for what he is, a symbol of hope and decency, will love this movie.

I am a huge fan of the Superman comicbook titles as well as the Superman All Star limited series. This movie will remind everyone why Superman is the greatest superhero of all time. Superman may have "old fashion" values (yes, I know that im talking about him as though he actually exist :) but I think these are values that we need in today's world. Even though its 2011, Truth, Justice and the American way still mean something.

This is a great film, the casting is fantastic, and the animation is the best that DC-Warner Animation has produced so far.

There are some reviewers in this site complaining that the movie feels like "episodic", and the only thing that comes to mind is: Duh!!

First of all, epic movies are a series of scenes that usually take the audience through a long journey with the main characters. This is perfectly captured in this film. We accompany Superman from the moment he arrives to earth (short intro) to the end of his life. Of course there has to be jumps from one point in Superman's life to the next important milestone!

I believe the problem with folks that complain about the way the movie is presented is that they are usually comic-book fans that are used to simple stories, where the topic of the animated film is basically a long fight, with a few breaks along the way. This is certainly true for most of the previous DC-Warner direct to video projects, where we follow the main character from one big fight to the next. There is no time left for character development.

The formula that previous DC Comics animated movies followed was to increase the violence, to almost an R-rated level, trying to make the characters more "realistic" in the eyes of a small target group: comic-book fans. This approach doesn't work for a larger, more cosmopolitan audience.

All-Star Superman will not only appeal to the usual comic book fan, but it is a great movie that will be loved from audiences all over the world!

I guess that is why the folks at Warner-Video gave us several audio tracks (in the single disc and two-disc DVD editions) so the movie can be shared with families all over the world (the additional languages include: Spanish, Portuguese, French, and Thai).

All in all, a great product!