Review: Superman vs. The Elite

Right now, DC owns animated movies. Like, seriously, DC has put out some of the best animated films of all time, and every time I see a new one, I get reasonably excited. I was naturally excited about this one when I saw previews for it. But did it live up to the standard set by other DCAU films?

Superman doesn't kill. It's as simple as that. He doesn't view himself as above the law, so he doesn't break it. But when he teams up with some new, famous, "heroes" that don't think he goes far enough, he has to reevaluate his morals, and discover how far he'd go to save the world.

Okay, alright. That's not a bad idea. I like the idea of Superman putting his foot down when it comes to killing. After all of the New 52 stuff, it's nice to see a decent Superman. But that's all Superman really was. Decent. There was nothing special about him, nothing that really stood out. He was just... Superman. That's not a bad thing, but I feel like you need to do a bit more than give us a stereotypical Superman. I guess that's a nitpick, but there was nothing special about him. He just felt like another character. Oh well, I won't count the movie off for that.

The movie had some really good voice actors. George Newbern voiced Superman. He did a good job... I guess. Pauley Perrette voiced Lois Lane, and we all know that she's a decent actress. But I think the shining star of this movie, was Paul Eiding as Pa Kent. I love that voice actor, and he does a great job with everything. Even though he was only in the movie for a brief few minutes, he might have made the movie worth it.

Lois Lane was annoying. That's the best way I can put it. Everything she said was a put down. I liked her character, honestly, only a few times during the movie. She didn't feel like what Lois Lane should. Honestly, I feel like the writers of this movie didn't know much about Superman.

Manchester Black was pretty cool. He wants to clean up the Earth, but he's not afraid to kill to do it. He was just a really cool character, and he had some really cool powers. The whole Elite team was actually written well. Each one was kinda cool in their own way, but there was no real chemistry between them. It was a cartoon, sure, but there should have been SOME kind of dynamic between them.

The animation wasn't bad. I mean, it was... there. There was really nothing special about it, but it was by no means bad. The fighting and action sequences were actually quite good. I enjoyed watching the movies for those, but not for much more.

The ultimate good thing about the movie was the question it asks. Is it right to kill? Is it okay to kill for the sake of others? I think there's a real lesson there. The problem is, the movie never answers that question, really. But is that a problem? I think the answer is up to you. Would Superman be justified in killing someone who would undoubtedly end countless lives in the future? That's the best part about this film. It doesn't ask itself the question, it asks YOU.

This review was brief, because there's really not much to say. There's some cool stuff in the movie, but that stuff is continually weighed down. Everything else is, honestly, completely mediocre. It's a disappointing addition to the DCAU, and had much more potential. This movie wasn't bad, but it was nothing special. Sorry, Superman.

Final Score: 3/5 or 60% 

I wrote this review while I was sick, so sorry for the lack of detail. But I wanted to get it done while the movie was still fresh in my mind. Anyway, what's you're favorite DCAU film so far? Mine's Batman: Under the Red Hood, but what's yours? Let me know in the comments, and I'll see ya next time!