Super Dud

When you hear or see something about Superman, many things come to mind: the powerful man of an adopted planet. He is a force of justice. And the “S” in the emblem often is ingrained in your thoughts.

The character has been around for many decades and shows no signs of retiring anytime soon. Perhaps it is the awkward charm of the character that attracts comic book readers to him.

It's not a surprise that another animated film that comes directly to DVD has Superman for the main character. They're trying something new and different.

But I feel the film “All Star Superman” falls flat.

I'll tell you why.

Though the film is excellently drawn. It is modeled after the clear cutting details from Frank Quitely's art from the comic books. There is a wide gallery of colors filling the movie in every scene. It's a nice film to look at. And the characters do look like that they take giant leaps out of the comic book pages.

But that's where all semblance between the animated film and the comic books stop.

Superman is all about awe and wonder... the man who fell from the cosmos like an angel falling out of the heavens. His mystery is one of bewilderment.

You don't see any of that here in the “All Star Superman” cartoon film. You don't feel very close to the characters. You don't have the childlike sense for the character. It's gone and drowned out by the commotion of the film.

I didn't enjoy the comic books of “All Star Superman” or the animated film itself either. Perhaps I've been spoiled by the most recognized performance of otherworldly character: Christopher Reeve. Perhaps he brings the human element into the character so well.

You don't get it here in the “All Star Superman” animated film. The characters seem too cold and flimsy. I didn't find the conversations between Lois Lane and Superman to be believable when she learns of his secret identity.

Much of the mystery of the character has been trampled by an all too rigid story of Lex Luther trying to dominate the world. Again.

Grant Morrison's original story inspired the film here. He is a very good comic book writer. He's written a few of the memorable stories for Hellblazer along with Animal Man from the Vertigo line of comics. He's done other things worthy of note.

But I never thought Morrison was a proper writer for Superman. Nor was he a proper writer for the likes of Fantastic Four. He doesn't the right fit for the superhero type books. His best books are often non-superhero books. Hellblazer for one.

I felt that I wasn't getting involved in the lives of these characters. Instead they were simply milling around in an fashion throughout the story. I wanted to see more of the relationship between Superman and Lois Lane. But they are more of a mismatched pair.

It's unfortunate that I'm saying all this. Bruce Timm does still produce the best of the cartoons of today. His legend is already in stone when he produced the Batman animated series which became a milestone in cartoon history.

But “All Star Superman” isn't one of the milestones. It's an all dud.

I kept hoping to they would bring something positive out in the film, but it's drowned out by the monotonous sour mood. I feel like I'm watching everyone on a grouchy day. It's no fun.

They wasted a remarkably good actor Michael Gough in the part of the Parasite. His talents are totally thrown out the window and you'll see why. The character of Parasite simply does a lot of mumbling. That's about it. Wasted.

These comic books or the "All Star Superman" didn't need to have an adult oriented theme to the stories to make them feel modern. They need to have a childlike wonder to the stories.

That was what they did with the new Doctor Who series when they tapped into our childlike imagination. They need to do the same thing with the Superman character.

And perhaps it was Christopher Reeve who made us believe that a man could fly. It's true enough. Even after thirty years this actor still haunts our imagination with his unforgettable performance.