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SUPERMAN/BATMAN: PUBLIC ENEMIES
(**½)
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DVD
Movie Review by:
Jim "Good Old JR" Rutkowski
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Directed by:
Sam Liu |
Written by:
Stan Berkowitz, based on the graphic novel of the same name |
Starring the Voices of:
Tim Daly, Kevin Conroy, Clancy Brown |
Running time:
67 minutes
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Released:
09/29/09-direct to dvd |
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Rated PG-13
for action violence
throughout and a crude comments. |
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"...a truncated script, inconsistent character animation, and dialogue
stripped of Loeb's wit and intelligence and you have an unfulfilling letdown."
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It's not easy being a fanboy. You might think the
prospect of an animated film featuring a team-up between DC Comics' most popular
characters would be a godsend; particularly one adapted from artist Ed
McGuinness and four-time Eisner Award-winning writer Jeph Loeb's satisfying
six-issue run on the ongoing "Superman/Batman" comic series. Alas, it merely
makes a mildly entertaining actioner like Public Enemies all the more
disappointing. What works on the page doesn't always work on the screen; what
functions in a panel doesn't necessarily function in motion; what pushes a
reader to flip a page doesn't always pull a viewer from scene to scene. Add to
that a truncated script, inconsistent character animation, and dialogue stripped
of Loeb's wit and intelligence and you have an unfulfilling letdown.
Public Enemies pits Superman (Tim Daly) and Batman (Kevin Conroy) in a fight for
their lives and freedom when longtime Supes nemesis Lex Luthor (Clancy Brown) is
elected President of the United States. As one of his first acts in office,
Luthor assembles a team of government sponsored heroes and villains at his side
-- Captain Atom (Xander Berkeley), Power Girl (Allison Mack), Major Force
(Ricardo Chavira), Black Lightning (LeVar Burton), Starfire (Grey DeLisle), and
Metallo (John C. McGinley), among others -- and labels any uncooperative
super-powered vigilantes as outlaws. The new president capitalizes on his
position even further by convincing the public that an approaching kryptonite
meteor has transformed Superman into a mentally unstable murderer. Struggling to
prove Luthor is the true villain, contend with a cadre of baddies pursuing a
bounty on Superman's head, and find a way to stop the deadly meteor headed
toward Earth, the Dark Knight and the Man of Steel elicit help from some
unexpected allies and come face to face with Luthor himself.
If you haven't had the pleasure of reading Loeb and McGuinness' first
Superman/Batman arc, Public Enemies will probably be a more enjoyable film.
However, readers will be puzzled by the removal of the comic's key asset:
internal dialogue that dissected each hero's personality as well as their
distinct crime-fighting philosophies. The panel-to-panel action was always
coupled with the thoughts and feelings of its protagonists, a story-telling
device that allowed the comic to simultaneously develop its characters and bring
each conflict to a physical and psychological head. The film disregards one of
these components altogether, leaving little room for depth or emotional
resonance. 'Splosions and super-punches are all well and good, but without the
mental meat that drives them, it's tough to feel a connection to the blocks of
muscle taking so much punishment. Since the film carries a PG-13 rating, I'm not
sure why its producers felt the need to dumb down such crucial aspects of its
original source. If the story isn't aimed at children, why is its not-so-complex
themes seemingly designed for them?
Green
Lantern: First Flight struck a better balance, giving audiences subtleties
to chew on. Public Enemies essentially fizzles, presenting Superman and Batman
as strictly reactionary warriors whose friendship is little more than a natural
pairing rather than a complicated relationship.
That being said, newcomers to the tale won't be leaping out of their seats
either. Plot holes run rampant, nuance is apparently a four-letter word, the
supporting voice actors barely sell their already limited lines, and character
motivations are flat and listless. Luckily, the fights are fierce and frequent,
pitting Bats and Supes against an assortment of bizarre third and fourth-tier
beasties plucked from the depths of DC lore. Yes, the appearance of a gigantic
robot designed to look like an amalgamation of Superman and Batman is at the
center of an eye-rolling anticlimax, and yes, Luthor's rise to power is given
little explanation or justification (the country is in economic turmoil and he
sweeps in to clean it up), but Conroy and Daly, deliver strong performances,
while the animation team finds new and interesting ways to make things explode
and disintegrate. All things considered, Public Enemies falls somewhere between
Superman: Doomsday (in my opinion, the worst of DC's animated films) and New
Frontier (the benchmark). I would recommend renting this one before investing
any cash -- or high expectations -- in a purchase. |
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SUPERMAN/BATMAN: PUBLIC ENEMIES
© 2009 Warner Premiere
All Rights Reserved
Review © 2009 Alternate Reality, Inc.
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