Many people's complaints about this film come from the standpoint of a comic fan and/or fan of the Justice League animated series. They definitely get some of the characters wrong, especially the two main antagonists. Lex Luthor is way too childish and carefree, and his motivation is completely off. Brainiac is similarly quite different from his original character not only in design but personality. But judging it as a standalone film, without comparisons to the comics or animated series, I think it really holds up. The synopsis is one the Superman character is familiar to, and really brings nothing new to the table. But even so, it's well structured and keeps a tense pace from beginning to end. Other than some of the parts with Jimmy Olsen, there are hardly any scenes in the movie that feel meaningless. A lot of plot dumping in the dialogue, though. While animated Superhero films can be pretty predictable, there are some good twists that keep you engaged and curious. The main reason I liked this movie though was the animation. Very flashy and fluid action scenes, mixed with excellent color grading, really makes it feel like a comic playing out in front of you. This isn't like a DCAU film where everything seems gray and navy blue. The soundtrack is very reminiscent of the 1970's Superman films and really captures the essence of Superman's pure hearted heroism. Overall, even though there are a few gripes, I think the film hit the nail on the head for what it was attempting. Which was a fun, light hearted Superman story that the whole family could enjoy. Don't listen to the haters, they judge the movie not for what it is but what they want it to be.
Superman: Brainiac Attacks
(2006 Video)
Pretty Good, Just Not the Film that "Fans" Wanted
19 November 2020