Superman Batman: Public Enemies

Perhaps a better title for this feature would have been “Superman Batman : Nonstop action.” The latest comic based animated adaption born from Warner Home Video combines arguably the two most popular icons of the comic book genre to face off against a veritable who’s who of Heroes and Villains on their quest to put a stop to Lex Luthor once and for all. Based off the first six issues of the bestselling Superman Batman graphic novel by Jeph Loeb, this film is as faithful to the source material as one could hope given its limited run time.

It opens with a quick succession of images displaying poverty and economic turmoil followed by Luthor’s ascension to the presidency. Soon, the stock market balances itself and wars cease, calling into question what type of man Lex Luthor is. Should all his past crimes be forgiven? Can he really be trusted to continue running the country? This creates conflicts within the caped community with Superman and Batman on one side, and everyone else on the other.

The movie does an admirable job of explaining both sides of the argument even if it was done in less than five minutes. The film’s run time has to be taken into account as it barely exceeds an hour. As a result, much of the plot feels rushed and some things are easily lost in the process; one of which is the examination of Superman’s and Batman’s duality through inner monologue which is absent here. In the graphic novel, the reader was allowed the pleasure of reading the two character’s thoughts giving them insight into what makes them such close friend despite having almost nothing in common. For those who have the extra cash, there is an extra feature on the special edition that attempts to add more focus to it.

This movie should be a fanboy’s dream as several characters face off in an all out brawl that spans the majority of the film. Seeing Superman square off with notable foes such as Metallo, Mongul, and Lex Luthor all in one movie, should be a delight for anyone who recognizes those names.

Considering the nature of the movie, none of it feels over the top but rather, it has a mature feel to it. It never talks down to the audience, considering it’s targets are those above the age of sixteen.

Though it’s animation quality is not the best to come out of DC, (that honor is held by the exceptionally well done Green Lantern movie) it is easily on par with their recent efforts. Character designs may seem bulky, but that is more to do with the source material than the animators. Character’s movements are decent, but not overly impressive; however something has to be said about the animation used for Superman’s cape. The way it blows in the wind is smooth and well done and whoever worked on it should be commended.

As has come to be expected from DC, the voice work is top notch. The trio of Clancy Brown, Tim Daly, and Kevin Conroy have been voicing these characters for years to the point that they are now associated with them. This is especially true of Kevin Conroy, whom many fans consider the definitive voice of Batman, having voiced him for seventeen years. These three easily give the film extra credibility among the fans thanks to their countless performances.

As previously mentioned, the film’s meager running time has to be considered a drawback which keeps it from achieving it’s true potential. Its just too short, jumping from one scene to the next without any lasting impact. If this were part of a larger series, it would be easy to over look but because each DC animated movie is self contained, it unfortunately is not.

Though it accomplishes everything it wished to with it’s allotted time, one cant help but wonder what could have been if given an extra thirty minutes. Fans of the characters and the genre however will find more than enough to whet their appetite until the next animated installment.

Superman Batman: Public Enemies – B-