All-Star Superman

• Title:  All-Star Superman
• Director:  Sam Liu
• Voice Director:  Andrea Romano
• Date:  2011
• Studio:  Warner Brothers Animation
• Genre:  Action, Fantasy, Drama, Animation
• Cast:  James Denton, Christina Hendricks, Anthony La Pagulia, Edward Asner, Alexis Denisoff, John Dimaggio, Robin Atkins Downes
• Format:  Widescreen, Color
• DVD Format: R1, Blu-Ray

"Lex Luthor, you're under arrest for attempted murder and crimes against humanity!" - SWAT Captain

All-Star Superman opens with a group of scientists in a spaceship that's about to crash into the Sun, in no small part due to evil goings-on by Lex Luthor. Superman flies near the Sun and rescues the scientists but soon finds out that he suffered and overdose of solar radiation and he's dying. Essentially, the theme of the story is Superman with cancer. You would think that would be depressing, but this animated film has a wonderful tone to it. The story is very episodic, but in a very real sense we're seeing Superman actually fulfilling the items on his bucket list.

Superman, tells Lois Lane he's Clark Kent - something she barely believes, and brings her to his fortress of solitude. There he gives her a serum that gives her his powers for a day, and the two have a romantic day playing superheroes together. They even stop a fight between Samson and Atlas and intelligent dinosaurs from the center of the Earth. When Superman brings the creatures back where they belong, he's goaded into a fight with Samson and Atlas. However, he ends-up besting them with his intelligence solving the Riddle of the Ultra Sphinx. The riddle is what happens when "the irresistible force meets an immovable object", Superman answers, "They surrender", and rescues Lois. He then bests Samson and Atlas in arm wrestling.

Meanwhile, the Daily Planet has exposed Luthor's water crisis scheme, and Luthor's been charged by the International Court of Justice. Not only is Luthor found guilty he's sentenced to die in the electric chair even though it's been banned for years.

Clark goes to interview Luthor in prison, and Luthor states he likes Clark Kent but he hates Superman - and he's happy that even though he will die, Superman will die first. The Parasite escapes during Luthor and Kent's discussion and starts a riot in the prison, killing guards and prisoners alike. Luthor escapes.

Superman, in his fortress with her, tells Lois he's dying. Lois insists he will figure out an answer.

Superman takes the bottle city of Kandor to a planet that they can safely colonize. Two months later he returns to Earth.

Two Kryptonians show up and prove to be spoiled, superior, colonials bent on cultural imperialism. Superman discovers, however, they have been poisoned by Kryptonite. In the end, they are sent to the Phantom Zone.

Superman even goes to his father's grave, leaving a Kryptonian flower there. He says hi to his mother, Martha Kent, but doesn't stay long.

Lex Luthor is "executed" but he doesn't die - he's stolen some of Superman's serum to give himself super powers for 24 hours.

Superman records his final journal entry in the Fortress of Solitude.

Luthor's next stratagem arrives - Solaris a living, intelligent sun eater who will poison the sun and turn it blue. Luthor thinks he's gotten Solaris to turn the Earth's Sun red, which will leave Superman helpless - but Solaris betrays even Luthor and poisons the Sun to turn it blue.  There's a classic fight scene.  Superman has his pet sun-eater attack Solaris, but Solaris rips it to shreds. Superman then faces the super-powered Luthor, including firing a gravity gun at him. The gun eventually speeds up Luthor's personal time, so just as Luthor is beginning to see the real meaning of things, and that everything is connected, he collapses because he's burned through the serum.

But Superman is also dying. As his face cracks with light, he kisses Lois then flies off to the Sun to "fix it" and reverse the poisoning done by Solaris. The film ends with Lois sitting in a park. Jimmy Olsen drops by and asks her if she's "going to the memorial". Lois says no because she knows that Superman isn't dead, he's fixing the Sun and he will be back.

All-Star Superman has a wonderful 50s/early 60s quality to it. It has innocence and sweetness without being saccharin. The story is episodic, but underlining the individual bits is the very real threat that Superman is dying, essentially from cancer, and there's nothing that can be done about it. You'd think that would be depressing, but Superman takes the news in stride and does take the time to do the things he wants or needs to do. It's even Clark Kent who writes the "Superman Dead" newspaper story then collapses at his desk. The animation style also has a wonderful retro look to it that works wonderfully with the story.

There are some lovely special features as well, including interviews with Grant Morrison who wrote the original graphic novel. Overall, it's an enjoyable and feel-good Superman story that doesn't get bogged down in just fight sequences but shows the audience a human side to the Man of Steel.

Recommendation: See it, especially if you're a fan of Superman or Classic DC Comics
Rating: 4 Stars