As someone who has read the original "Death of Superman" and "Superman Lives" storyline, I must say I was sorely disappointed.
The entire epic is compacted into a 75-minute story and many key components are removed: the Justice League, Supergirl, the DC superhero Steel (who made his first appearance during this storyarc), the emergence of several different "Supermen" who claim to be the original Superman (including Superboy and the villain Cyborg Superman), etc.
Lois Lane is unaware that Clark Kent and Superman are the same person. Oh, she suspects it, but that's as far as it goes. She even goes so far as to ask Supes his true identity, to which he replies "Kal-El," tiptoeing around the question when Lois presses further. What made even less sense was a relationship Lois and Superman had for many months, even showing it to be a sexual one. Now I could buy her having a relationship with his CK persona and not knowing about his Superman identity, but I didn't quite see the point of giving her a relationship with Superman and make her unaware he was Clark Kent.
Lex Luthor accidentally frees Doomsday, who goes on a killing spree leading him to Metropolis. Superman intervenes and there is an epic fight. And though I have no major complaints about the fight, it was pretty short and didn't really do the original battle justice.
Superman dies. The entire city--even Lex Luthor--mourns. Crime is up in the city. Toyman makes an appearance. Lois and a bunch of kids almost die. Jimmy leaves the Daily Planet for a job at a sleezy tabloid. Yadda, yadda, yadda...
Superman returns. Saves Lois. Begins patrolling the city, being the hero he once was, but with a different attitude about himself, with a warped sense of justice. He even kills Toyman as he's being brought into custody (after hearing Toyman killed a 4-year-old girl).
It's revealed that this isn't the real Superman, but a clone by Lex Luthor, who had stolen the body of Superman and was keeping it as something of a trophy. (I suppose this was to represent the five or so different Supermen who showed up during the storyarc).
Superman's body disappears, only to be revealed to actually be alive and regaining much of his strength at the Fortress of Solitude. While the Superman Clone betrays Lex. He destroys an army of Supermen clone and is thought to have killed the man who made him, LL.
The military shows up, attempts to take the Man of Steel down. The original Superman returns, though he hasn't regained his full strength, to take down his evil clone. A fight later Lois and Jimmy intervene. Superman destroys his clone and Lex Luthor is revealed to be alive.
Lois learns Clark Kent is Superman and their relationship progresses. The End.
Now with the exception of a couple fight scenes and a cameo by Kevin Smith, who gave a rant about giant spiders (a reference to his Superman Lives script, which had a giant spider forced unto him by the film's producer), this film was a disappointment to me.
Oh, and while I'm giving my complaints, I also thought the voice cast was terrible. The way Adam Baldwin tried to sound meek and nerdy as Clark Kent (and failed miserably), Anne Heche as Lois Lane (she seemed very uncomfortable in the role), and James Marsters as Lex Luthor.
The entire epic is compacted into a 75-minute story and many key components are removed: the Justice League, Supergirl, the DC superhero Steel (who made his first appearance during this storyarc), the emergence of several different "Supermen" who claim to be the original Superman (including Superboy and the villain Cyborg Superman), etc.
Lois Lane is unaware that Clark Kent and Superman are the same person. Oh, she suspects it, but that's as far as it goes. She even goes so far as to ask Supes his true identity, to which he replies "Kal-El," tiptoeing around the question when Lois presses further. What made even less sense was a relationship Lois and Superman had for many months, even showing it to be a sexual one. Now I could buy her having a relationship with his CK persona and not knowing about his Superman identity, but I didn't quite see the point of giving her a relationship with Superman and make her unaware he was Clark Kent.
Lex Luthor accidentally frees Doomsday, who goes on a killing spree leading him to Metropolis. Superman intervenes and there is an epic fight. And though I have no major complaints about the fight, it was pretty short and didn't really do the original battle justice.
Superman dies. The entire city--even Lex Luthor--mourns. Crime is up in the city. Toyman makes an appearance. Lois and a bunch of kids almost die. Jimmy leaves the Daily Planet for a job at a sleezy tabloid. Yadda, yadda, yadda...
Superman returns. Saves Lois. Begins patrolling the city, being the hero he once was, but with a different attitude about himself, with a warped sense of justice. He even kills Toyman as he's being brought into custody (after hearing Toyman killed a 4-year-old girl).
It's revealed that this isn't the real Superman, but a clone by Lex Luthor, who had stolen the body of Superman and was keeping it as something of a trophy. (I suppose this was to represent the five or so different Supermen who showed up during the storyarc).
Superman's body disappears, only to be revealed to actually be alive and regaining much of his strength at the Fortress of Solitude. While the Superman Clone betrays Lex. He destroys an army of Supermen clone and is thought to have killed the man who made him, LL.
The military shows up, attempts to take the Man of Steel down. The original Superman returns, though he hasn't regained his full strength, to take down his evil clone. A fight later Lois and Jimmy intervene. Superman destroys his clone and Lex Luthor is revealed to be alive.
Lois learns Clark Kent is Superman and their relationship progresses. The End.
Now with the exception of a couple fight scenes and a cameo by Kevin Smith, who gave a rant about giant spiders (a reference to his Superman Lives script, which had a giant spider forced unto him by the film's producer), this film was a disappointment to me.
Oh, and while I'm giving my complaints, I also thought the voice cast was terrible. The way Adam Baldwin tried to sound meek and nerdy as Clark Kent (and failed miserably), Anne Heche as Lois Lane (she seemed very uncomfortable in the role), and James Marsters as Lex Luthor.