Review: Superman: Man of Tomorrow

 

 

 

Overview (Spoilers):

Superman’s origin is a modern fable that we have all heard done to death. This new take on the Kryptonian brings us back to when he was young, ambitious, and still trying to figure out what the hell he is going to do with all this power.

Clark Kent is still trying to land his job at the Daily Bugle while still doing the right thing by using his powers to protect people. Though he is in fear of how the world will react when they discover their new champion is also an alien. Unsure of himself, the Superman we know today is just stumbling out of the gates.

When a bounty hunter named Lobo comes for his head, Clark Kent discovers not only who he is but where his limits are. And as something far more sinister begins to attack Metropolis this start-up crusader needs to put it all on the line while defining what being a superhero means.

 

Our Take:

DC has been making some heavy waves in the entertainment industry this weekend. DC FanDome was the company’s virtual convention amid the absence of a live San Diego Comic-Con for 2020. The event featured announcements involving video games, comics, TV shows, and first-looks at the multiple blockbusters including the upcoming Batman movie. The information was abundant, struck from every corner of the publishing company, and most of it was overwhelmingly exciting.

Then today, lost in the background of James Gunn’s new Suicide Squad trailer, and sneak peeks at Gotham Knights, DC launched a whole new animated film universe. Superman: Man of Tomorrow officially launches off the second iteration of the DC Animated Movie Universe. The first of which included 16 movies starting in 2013 and concluding Spring of this year with the impressive Justice League Dark: Apokolips War. 

DC, who just loves to reboot and relaunch things, is taking another crack at their Direct-to-Video expanded universe. And they are doing it with some new talents and faces (err… voices).  

Superman: Man of Tomorrow boasts an emerging talented director in Chris Palmer, as well as a whole new cast of voice talents for characters that have appeared in multiple animations before. Zachery Quinto is a twisted variant on Lex Luthor, and Lois Lane gets new life from Alexandra Daddario. Meanwhile, Superman gets his new voice from the unexpected talents of Darren Criss of Glee fame. Whether these A-list talents will reprise their roles in future additions to the DC Animated Universe is uncertain as of yet.

Regardless this is a kick-off to a comic book-based film universe that stands its ground. The stories have been reset, and our first endeavour involves the bare bones of this superhero universe. And where else could DC start this train than with their most iconic character, Superman.

When it comes to Kal-El, it is a challenge to develop a captivating original story. Every aspect of the Kryptonians life has been covered and beaten to death. We are all aware of where Supes came from, where he grew up, what his capabilities are, and what his life is like. Equally, the characters natural abilities make him extremely overpowered and therefore difficult to relate to as an audience. It takes strong writing to achieve a quality plot for a character that is not only a cookie-cutter design of perfection but also wields the power of a god.

That is the same reason why every other DC film universe has involved Superman’s death in one way or another. The death of a god is a great story, and at the same time takes out a character that stands above the rest.

This film universe is being defined from the beginning by its brightest star. And it is shaping it by bringing the Superman we know from lore into our modern times. Superheroes are not quite a thing yet in this iteration, besides a man in a cowl lurking around Gotham, Supes is the first. Now the characters are coming into his world. A good change-up from the usual manner of having Batman be our guide.

This story takes some liberties and isn’t afraid to do something new. Thankfully we got to skip the whole origin story, and instead dive into Superman finding himself and purpose as a hero. Having Lobo be his first interaction with life beyond Earth is a new take, especially having the bounty hunter be the one to break the news about Krypton to Kal-El.

Aside from some plot shifts, the basis of a classic Superman is still there. Lois Lane is still the one that beats his heart. Lex Luthor is still stabbing him in the back at every turn. 

And despite taking place in today’s era, he still works for a newspaper. Even the animation style reflects the dated cartoons of the last few decades. Still, there is enough distinction and modernization to make this film unique visually and plot-wise.

The glowing part of this story is it involving three orphaned aliens out of their element. Lobo was a surprising choice to bring into this origin; however, he fits right in. The humour and darkness of the character also helped to lift the entertainment component. 

Meanwhile, Martian Manhunter is a cool addition. Though teasing his death would have been cooler had it paid off, it would mean that this universe would be more disposable with major characters.  

But maybe we are not ready for that, we are still new to cinematic universe storytelling.

There are parts of this movie that fall flat. It paces slowly when there is no action. When there is action it gives off major Dragon Ball vibes with powering up and overambitious tactics. Yet as I mentioned, expectations aren’t usually as high when it comes to Superman stories. 

It does the job of delivering a good plot while laying the groundwork for something much larger. And it accomplishes it without throwing it in your face or shoehorning a bunch of unnecessary characters in.

This is a decent Superman movie. It lands somewhere in the middle of the pack when compared to other DC animated superhero films. Hopefully, it will be the catalyst for bigger things in this next go-round at a cinematic universe. And maybe this time they can do it without having to kill the big guy off.

 

Score

7/10

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