I couldn't even decide on whether to give it a 7 or 8, and the 8 almost won out if it would have meant it would stay higher than SUPERMAN RETURNS: for that is the benchmark for how wrong Warners can get Superman and yet fool so many people into thinking it's "really Superman."
As for this film, it's a little better, but still has its problems, so it gets a 7.
The relationship between Lois and Superman is such that they appear to be sleeping together, but she doesn't know he's really Clark Kent. This IS decidedly un-Superman-like; however, the film is advertised as being one with more of a "badder" Superman and as generally being "darker." It doesn't pee on our shoes and tell us it's raining like SUPERMAN RETURNS.
The story is a loose adaptation of not one, but THREE Superman sagas, that were later graphic novels: "Doomsday" (a.k.a. THE DEATH OF SUPERMAN), "Funeral for a Friend," (a.k.a. WORLD WITHOUT A SUPERMAN), and "Reign of the Supermen" (a.k.a. THE RETURN OF SUPERMAN). Doomsday's origin is very different, as are aspects of Superman's life before the battle. No other super-heroes are mentioned. And perhaps most radical (and disappointing) is the exclusion of the four alternate Supermen of the comics.
Instead, Superman dies at the hands of Doomsday, who was unearthed by employees of Lex Luthor. He starts his rampage and Superman dies. Afterwards, a mysterious new Superman emerges. It's not long before we learn that he/it was created by Lex Luthor to take the place of Superman. The clone eventually becomes a tyrannical overlord of Metropolis and the real Superman--at reduced power--has to take him out.
Some will object to the language, the relationship of Lois and Supes, and some of the more violent scenes. The character of Toyman is the first victim of the faux Supes, but some might even find it justified in that he'd killed a little girl. Moreover, when we first see the Toyman (designed to look like something out of Tim Burton's sketchbook, which may be significant to note) he has a bus full of kids trapped. Nothing is ever stated, but one must wonder if he's trying to imply that he's a child molester in this version of reality. The character designs are okay, but Superman might look a little too old for some peoples' tastes, and like Kate Bosworth in SUPERMAN RETURNS, Lois might look a tad young. For longtime fans of the SUPERMAN/JUSTICE LEAGUE cartoons of recent years, the new voices might take some getting used to.
The biggest problem with the film is that everything seems to happen too fast. We barely feel the loss of Superman before the impostor shows up. And like many superhero vehicles, there are certain things that are, perhaps, somewhat comicbookish. For one thing, Superman is revived at, say, 67%. What does that mean to the typical viewer? That he's 67% as strong as he usually is? If so, what are the upper limits? Is the "Superman" he's battling necessarily at 100% himself? And like so many comics, the anti-hero (the faux Superman)'s big crime is that he murdered Toyman and the film regards it as wrong. However, Superman himself appears to be trying to kill his doppleganger, making it seem somewhat hypocritical to say the least.
Ultimately, the story about Lex's Superman clone is just not as interesting as "Reign of the Supermen," which kept comic book fans guessing in 1993. Sure, the cat's out of the bag now, and it would be in need of some changes, but it's simply a better story. This mixed with mediocre character designs and ideas that are created simply for shock value, make this outing just pretty good as an experiment. I just hope future direct-to-DVD DC (that's a mouthful) projects are better.
As for this film, it's a little better, but still has its problems, so it gets a 7.
The relationship between Lois and Superman is such that they appear to be sleeping together, but she doesn't know he's really Clark Kent. This IS decidedly un-Superman-like; however, the film is advertised as being one with more of a "badder" Superman and as generally being "darker." It doesn't pee on our shoes and tell us it's raining like SUPERMAN RETURNS.
The story is a loose adaptation of not one, but THREE Superman sagas, that were later graphic novels: "Doomsday" (a.k.a. THE DEATH OF SUPERMAN), "Funeral for a Friend," (a.k.a. WORLD WITHOUT A SUPERMAN), and "Reign of the Supermen" (a.k.a. THE RETURN OF SUPERMAN). Doomsday's origin is very different, as are aspects of Superman's life before the battle. No other super-heroes are mentioned. And perhaps most radical (and disappointing) is the exclusion of the four alternate Supermen of the comics.
Instead, Superman dies at the hands of Doomsday, who was unearthed by employees of Lex Luthor. He starts his rampage and Superman dies. Afterwards, a mysterious new Superman emerges. It's not long before we learn that he/it was created by Lex Luthor to take the place of Superman. The clone eventually becomes a tyrannical overlord of Metropolis and the real Superman--at reduced power--has to take him out.
Some will object to the language, the relationship of Lois and Supes, and some of the more violent scenes. The character of Toyman is the first victim of the faux Supes, but some might even find it justified in that he'd killed a little girl. Moreover, when we first see the Toyman (designed to look like something out of Tim Burton's sketchbook, which may be significant to note) he has a bus full of kids trapped. Nothing is ever stated, but one must wonder if he's trying to imply that he's a child molester in this version of reality. The character designs are okay, but Superman might look a little too old for some peoples' tastes, and like Kate Bosworth in SUPERMAN RETURNS, Lois might look a tad young. For longtime fans of the SUPERMAN/JUSTICE LEAGUE cartoons of recent years, the new voices might take some getting used to.
The biggest problem with the film is that everything seems to happen too fast. We barely feel the loss of Superman before the impostor shows up. And like many superhero vehicles, there are certain things that are, perhaps, somewhat comicbookish. For one thing, Superman is revived at, say, 67%. What does that mean to the typical viewer? That he's 67% as strong as he usually is? If so, what are the upper limits? Is the "Superman" he's battling necessarily at 100% himself? And like so many comics, the anti-hero (the faux Superman)'s big crime is that he murdered Toyman and the film regards it as wrong. However, Superman himself appears to be trying to kill his doppleganger, making it seem somewhat hypocritical to say the least.
Ultimately, the story about Lex's Superman clone is just not as interesting as "Reign of the Supermen," which kept comic book fans guessing in 1993. Sure, the cat's out of the bag now, and it would be in need of some changes, but it's simply a better story. This mixed with mediocre character designs and ideas that are created simply for shock value, make this outing just pretty good as an experiment. I just hope future direct-to-DVD DC (that's a mouthful) projects are better.