User reviews

as an animated movie,this one isn't too bad.i liked the story and the great action sequences and there are some great fight scenes.but if you're really into the history behind the battle between Superman and Doomsday and the aftermath(in other words,if you've read the comic version of the events)you might be disappointed,as i don't think it is that faithful to the source material.but beyond that,the movie does seem a little rushed.i think they may have tried to jam too much into the short 75 minute running time.still,the movie is entertaining.you shouldn't get bored watching it.DC has done better though and although i liked it,it wasn't as good as i had hoped or expected.all in all,though,i'd Give Superman:Doomsday a 7/10 based on it's entertainment value.

So many years, so many attempts at bringing this story arc to the movie format, so many talented people who at one point or another were involved in the project and after all their combined efforts we are left with a light animated version of one of the greatest superman stories ever told.

It is hard to judge this movie as a stand alone piece and ignore all the background explored in the comics, and all the drama and money spent over the course of more than a decade. As Bruce Timm put it in a promotional interview for this release "There is just so much story there, we can't do this in a movie", this adaptation had to be stripped down to its very basics to fit the 70-minute time frame given to the producers.

The movie itself works, it has a good pace and I think the viewers appreciate the effort put into not making it a kid movie but rather a more truthful adaptation of the graphic novel, the PG-13 rating proves it. The animation is excellent, the music makes the character shine with the heroism and the voice actors (except for Anne Heche) seem perfect for their parts.

What intrigues me the most is why after producing Superman: The Animated Series and Justice League, Timm and company didn't adapt this huge story arc to their animated series? It would have been perfect, they would have had time to include and adapt all the major stories from the comic books and truly explore this event. Instead they went for a straight to DVD feature that feels quite shallow.

I'm not a fan of Singer's Superman Returns, and sadly the last Superman animated feature "Brainiac Attacks" was so much full of action, that the characters became too pale. But here the action and character scenes are properly balanced. The animated Lex Luther is as always much better than any of the life-action versions. Clancy Brown voice gave Luthor a dangerous tone. I never thought it possible that James Marsters is up to the job to replace him. But he did it well. It's a different Luthor somehow. Much more psycho if you want. Bruce Timm and company did a good movie out of a rather boring Comic series from the 90's. After this I'm looking forward for more Bruce Timm movies. I would also welcome another Batman animated movie as long as it's Kevin Conroys version and not that crappy Batwave series.

Ah yes... this movie is far better than the new Marvel animated features. Only the first Avengers was fine and has to be excluded.

The start is really good. Well, except for every second spent on secondary characters or Clark Kent. Luthor, Doosmday and Superman create a really great start (30 minutes, more or less). Visually, it's specially good what they do with Doomsday, to recreate the horror that a monster like it would generate. Some shots are basically horror movie type of shots and work so well. (By the way, the criticism of Man of Steel "destructive and un-protective Superman" got even more stupid for me after watching this animated movie, with an even more reckless Superman). After the clash of these Titans, the pace slows down way too much and with understandably low IQ dialogue (movie for kids), bad jokes and the focus on the "wrong characters", the movie gets super boring. It finally gets better entering the third act, with a didactic but good and entertaining exposition of what makes Superman the hero, super hero, he is, and how important his mindset is besides his physical prowess. The conclusion gets a bit repetitive, but it's fine. The voice actors are terrible and all that isn't Superman or villains related, awful. But the start amazing and the ending fine. It's fine.

Subject to some controversy surrounding its comic-book accuracy, 'Superman/Doomsday (2007)' does focus less on its eponymous characters than you might expect and actually only features around ten-minutes of the 'Doomsday' character, instead focusing on the aftermath of his battle with our hero and loosely amalgamating several story-strands from the Son Of Krypton's source-material. Ultimately, I think the title was meant to be more metaphorical than literal, with the 'Doomsday' referring to the severity of the flick's events rather than the character that causes much of the destruction, unnamed in the actual picture. What doesn't help this possible intention, and I'm about to get pedantic here, is the confusing punctuation used. I've seen it written with a colon, a dash and, as appears here on IMDb, a forward-slash; on the actual title-card, no punctuation appears. I think the intention was for a more traditional colon, which allows for my 'metaphorical double use' theory to stand, but the lack of actual punctuation on film caused some confusion and is the reason we end up with the current title, as it is the best way to represent two words that are shown together yet meant to be taken separately. Yet, the forward-slash implies the piece is a two-hander between the two characters and doesn't really leave much room for a double meaning. It's clumsy from many standpoints and sets the movie up as something it ultimately isn't, and wasn't ever intended to be. This could all be to further subvert expectation, however, by pointing the audience in one direction and then taking them in another. This ends up creating a genuinely surprising piece that may, at times, be somewhat outlandish but does tell a mostly mature tale that doesn't focus entirely on smash-'em-up action, though it does have its fair share of it. The sillier stuff becomes intrinsic with the narrative, consistent with the world and treated with the respect needed to make it mostly believable. The film is consistently entertaining and unexpected, placing more of its emphasis on a supporting cast that barely gets the time-of-day in other Superman stories to a refreshing result. It's in its unconventional approach that it finds its footing as a story with stakes far higher than the usual 'save the city from a big monster', stakes that are built upon meaty character dynamics and genuine morals twisted by believable motivations. Ultimately, it's pretty compelling stuff. 7/10

Now this is what Bryan Singer should have tried bringing to the big screen instead of Superman Returns.

This animated movie does more with the character than any live action movie has. Characters are well-drawn, well-animated and there is brilliant interplay between them to draw things out and tell a good story.

It explores the depth of the character of Superman, tasked with being an absolute pillar of morality to the public. And there is exploration into the character of Lois Lane, the journalist out to not just document all that he does, but also settle the conflict of her feelings for him. Interesting developments for other characters as well such as Jimmy and the editor, and the story packs it all into a highly entertaining hour and a half. The action is a highlight. The animation and the choreography of the fight scenes really stand out, putting the choreography of most live-action Hollywood movies to shame.

The script is excellent, it just feels a little rushed at times, but that's understandable given the short running times for animated movies. All the more reason why it would have been even better in live action, but the budget required to do it justice might be too much.

This is a very entertaining and thoughtful movie to watch even if you're not a fan of comics or cartoons. It's certainly not for children, the violence isn't graphic but it is certainly implied and a bit shocking.

DC Animation is always very competent and engaging. They really have this great niche they've carved out for themselves in the animated world. This movie really encapsulates the issue I generally have with their animation though. There's just too much. They don't know how to dial it down and really focus in on one thing so by the time the movie is over it feels like they've gone through half a dozen different storylines rather than just telling a single, clean, cohesive story. It leaves their movies feeling fun but scattered and a bit empty. It's decent junk food but there's not enough substance to really bite down on.

Not disappointing, Superman vs Doomsday delivers some good action, but there are some plot holes and oddities in the script which made me feel the plot wasn't supposed to play like this and some of the subplots seemed rushed and some key questions(aftermath) were left unanswered.

Thus this movie did not give me everything I had expected and hoped. It's also important to note that this isn't really a kids movie.

If you liked Doomsday, I also highly recommend to watch the animated Justice League episodes "A Better World" and Justice League Unlimited "Doomsday Sanction" if you want to see more, and in my opinion better Doomsday action.

For having to squeeze so much info into such a short amount of time, this DVD is a success. Of course the comic purists are going to complain and obsess over every little detail that has been changed. But for those of us who have the ability to accept a little change to benefit the masses, it is extremely enjoyable.

The animation is very similar to most DCAU (DC Animated Universe) incarnations, but a little sharper. They changed the look of a few characters...Lex's head looks like Brainiac's and James Marsters doesn't even come close to the masterful voice work of Clancy Brown, although he's not bad. Lois looks more like Kristen Kreuk's Lana now than Lois and Anne Heche's voice work isn't nearly as enjoyable as Dana Delaney's, but again she's not bad. Adam Baldwin does sound similar to past versions of Superman...that is probably the smallest change in the voices, although the way they draw his cheekbones in this version make him look old and decrepit. That was certainly a bad move, but you get over it.

The real deal is the fight between Superman and Doomsday. It is hard hitting, ultra violent and very intense. They change the way Supes finishes him off from how it happened in the comics, but the new way was really cool in my opinion. This is a more graphic cartoon and the way Doomsday kills some people will shock long time DCAU fans. You have never seen brutality like you will in this film.

The story goes way off the beaten path after Superman's death, but I think Bruce Timm's re-imagining was very well done. I don't think any logical person would expect them to follow the original story. It would have been a 6 hour movie. All in all, it's worth buying if you are a Superman fan. Some things could have been better, but in the end another great interpretation by Bruce Timm.

Superman/Doomsday is sadly suffering from a short runtime which makes it feel choppy at times, and especially when it tries to adapt both the death and return of our beloved hero from the 90's comic book run.

But with that said, the movie has some of the heart of the comic and is still giving us a whole lot of action. Both things work as its own thing, even if the characters end up becoming pretty black/white.

I prefer the 2018 remake which packed a bigger punch, but this wasn't bad.

OK, I admit the animation here isn't the best--but the dark story line and a wide variety of "small touches" (like Lois Lane watching the battle, unflinching, as a shard of glass cuts her cheek) more than make up for that. However, there are quite a few Superman fans who hate the turn in recent years towards darker, grittier story lines (as in the widely unappreciated graphic novel, "For Tomorrow"), which is probably why the reviews for this are as low as they are.

The scene-by-scene script and choreography for "Superman: Doomsday" are simply amazing, as anyone who actually stayed in the room to watch this would concede. ;) Some jerky animation aside, "Superman: Doomsday" more than holds its own--in part because it is obviously intended for a more mature audience. For example, people are actually KILLED in this one, instead of stumbling stupidly out of a fire with some soot on their faces.

Though I respect Bruce Timm and his team for attempting to bring The Death of Superman story to the screen, the result is an uneven affair.

Superman/Doomsday moves at a breakneck pace, refashioning the epic Death of Superman saga with only the core characters of Superman, Doomsday, Luthor, & Lois, and excising the entire Reign of The Supermen storyline.

With crisp animation and a strong plot, this darker, more violent Superman story suffers mightily from some weak vocal performances from it's key cast.

Adam Baldwin seems a natural for the title role of Superman, but he somehow manages to anchor the entirety of his vocal delivery into a monotone whisper that speaks nothing of the optimistic Clark Kent, or the heroic Superman.

The only character Baldwin seems able to bring to life in any fashion is the surprise character he portrays in the second & third act, but again, his flat, withered vocals seriously dampen this Superman's persona.

Fairing even worse is Anne Heche as Lois Lane. Her scant, flimsy vocals do absolutely nothing for the character, and her emoting feels forced and weak, failing to deliver to us a strong, hard-nosed woman pushed to the brink by the death of her hero.

Trust me, when the two of them are asked to play sexual innuendo back and forth, it's painful to watch.

Thankfully, James Marsters knocks it out of the park with his turn as the sneakiest, slimiest, most calculating Lex Luthor yet. Instead of Clancy Brown's version of Luthor as evil tycoon, we get Marster's take on a brainiac Luthor (no pun intended, JLU fans) watching over his city with a plotting, watchful eye.

Supporting cast members Tom Kenny, Adam Wylie, and Ray Wise are all fabulous. The violence is intense and kinetic, exhausting the viewer as well as it's titular opponents in unbelievable, super heroic displays of cataclysmic violence.

The second act suffers a bit from not having enough time to fully develop a world without a Superman, but at the end of the day, the biggest problem lies in the lead actor's failures to bring these iconic characters to life.

I applaud the filmmakers once again for going out on a limb and taking a chance with this film, but the results speak for themselves. This is not Superman, or Lois.

This is a mediocre, stand-alone film with a few bright spots of wit, surprises, and exciting turns.

Oh, and what's with Superman's face? I understand the edginess, but the designers went a little too far.

Somebody call Tim Daly and Dana Delany...

***By the way, it was refreshing to see Superman actually hit something again after witnessing him, GASP!, pickup a rock at the end of Bryan Singer's film. **

It's funny really, about two years ago, when Serenity came out and I was first turned on to Joss Whedon's Firefly universe I thought to myself, "gee, Adam Baldwin would make an excellent older, experienced Superman". I suspect that the movie gods were listening to me. It helps that Baldwin is a serious and experienced character actor who never gives anything less than his all to each character he plays. Among other great casting is an emotionally resonating Anne Heche as Lois Lane and a sinister James Marsters as Lex Luthor. For the first five minutes or so, as a fan of the 1990's animated series, it was a little odd hearing these new voices, but they quickly fell into place and one realizes that this is not going to be your parents Superman cartoons. The first thing to be noticeably different is an edginess that wasn't as common or explicit in previous animated versions, and it even outdoes the live action films in this regard. This is the first time that any Superman project has been rated PG-13, and it wasn't just violence amped up to make slack-jaws happy, this film forgets that it is a cartoon and deals with a fantastic story with a lion's share of adult drama. Just about everybody and their mom's know that Warner tried for several years to get a live action Death of Superman movie made, coming close once or twice, and making a seemingly endless string of missteps along the way before abandoning the project. There are innumerable sources for the back story on the project so I won't go into details, but let me say that for every possible mistake Tim Burton and Jon Peters could have made, this film does it right. For not following the actual comic book story very closely, it gets the look, feel, and characterizations perfect. The animation quality is outstanding, it actually looks better than its predecessors in most regards, though it takes a few minutes to get used to the new looks of many of the central characters. And the music is strong and fitting, though the film misses the traditional blaring triad of Superman projects. All in all, this film is far superior to either Superman Returns or the current run of Smallville, and deserves as high a profile as it can achieve.

I never read the comic books but I enjoyed the Animateds SEries and the JLA on TV so I bought this DVD and watched it. It was okay for what it was. This is definitely an adult cartoon. With lots of violence but I guess so is the JLA and JLA unlimited, even though some young kids watch it. But this movie was very weak. Number one I didn't like the animation of Superman. I didn't get the reason for all the lines in his face. Lex Luther though voiced okay was too thin and not imposing enough. I have read that some other superheroes try to take Superman's place after he dies. That would have been interesting. I agree with another comment that refers to an episode of the JLA where they did a funeral for superman. It was done a whole lot better there. So this was just average. 5/10

Mining for a new power source from the earth's core, LexCorp scientists uncover an alien craft that has been on earth since sometime BC. A message plays when they breach the hull of the craft but it is too late as a alien creature breaks from the ship and kills all those in its way. When it reaches the city, Superman is the only real hope of stopping it in its path, which is ironic as Lex Luther requires the creature to be stopped to prevent the trail of destruction being traced back to his company. The ramifications of these events stretch much further than just one monster though – others of many names are still out there.

Not really a massive fan of Superman but figured that the cartoon might be a better bet than Bryan Singers recent version. Watching this I think I was right but this is not to say that it is brilliant. What it does bring though is a certain amount of comic book style, big action and easy story-telling. It does benefit from being able to draw destruction and action that would cost hundreds of millions in the real world. What really benefits the film though is the dark and more adult tone to it; although it is still for children to a degree, it does have a nasty streak that strengthens the story by injecting a serious edge and a genuine threat of violence.

Is it enough to win over those who would dismiss this as a cartoon? Well, no to be honest; it is still a cartoon and as such the depth isn't really there and the focus is on style and action more than anything else. The voicework is unremarkable but not bad. Baldwin (Adam) and Heche barely registered with me although in a way I suppose it was good that I was not thinking "hey, that's etc" the whole way through. Marsters' Lex Luthor and Wise's Perry White are equally so-so; suffice to say that the film is not carried by the performances.

With Doomsday it is the presence of death and violence in the story that makes it better than it could have been. The animation is not too stylised but is still effective in what it does – it certainly is not basic. Good enough to win over non-cartoon viewers? No, but it is a satisfyingly dark film for those content to meet the film on its own terms.