All-Star Superman

• Directed by Sam Liu
• February 22, 2011
• Based on the 2005 to 2008 comic book series All-Star Superman by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely

Voice cast

• Kal-El/Clark Kent/Superman-James Denton
• Lois Lane/Superwoman-Christina Hendricks
• Lex Luthor-Anthony LaPaglia
• Perry White-Edward Asner
• Martha Kent-Frances Conroy
• Nasthalthia-Linda Cardellini
• Floral, Cat Grant-Cathy Cavadini
• Atlas, General Sam Lane-Steve Blum
• Judge, Bibliobot-Obba Babatundé
• Lead Agent-Chris Cox
• Dr. Leo Quintum-Alexis Denisof
• Samson, Ultra-Sphinx-John DiMaggio
• Solaris-Robin Atkin Downes
• Parasite-Michael Gough
• Jimmy Olsen-Matthew Gray Gubler
• Lilo-Finola Hughes
• Steve Lombard, Tyrannko-Kevin Michael Richardson
• Krull-Fred Tatasciore
• Bar-El-Arnold Vosloo

After getting an overdose of solar radiation, a dying Superman decides to fulfill his lifelong dreams while facing off against Lex Luthor.

All-Star Superman has a few characters and concepts that can be considered from the B-side of the DC universe and I kind of like that here. A story that uses appropriately AND creatively lesser known characters like Sampson feels much richer even if the viewer may not have heard of them. Aside from him the story digs up many characters or concepts that originated from the more whimsical days of DC comics. Sun eaters and the Ultra-Sphinx are not something that would be readily introduced today. I don’t think modern writers have that kind of imagination nor have the readers been conditioned to be okay with such.

The movie is partially a series of shorts demonstrating the high moral character of Superman. That can be attributed to this film being based on a comic book series with the strong possibility of the vignettes being quick adaptations of the stories therein. Each is connected by Supe’s desire to wrap up his life. That makes things a bit melancholy since he is checking off a bucket list of final wishes. All owed to a rather audacious plan by Lex Luthor.

Rather than be all about his death, All-Star Superman shows the audience what makes the character who he is and where his beliefs come from. There’s a tinge of desperation in the story with Superman trying to leave the world a safe place for everyone he cares about in the time he has left and a bit of melancholy because he knows he really can’t.

There’s one element after another and some of this stuff feels like they’re trying to move a little too quickly here and there. The Kryptonian astronauts that show up come and go. If that was part of the source material I think it could’ve been exercised in favor of developing the main story which is Superman facing his death and doing one last amazing thing. Either that or add more time to the movie so they can be developed.

There are a lot of little threads in this. I think the most undeveloped one is the romance between Lois and Clark. Though very good, I think Sam Liu and pals relied on familiarity with the material which is an almost completely forgivable sin. He finally can tell her the truth because there’s no time left, but it just doesn’t have the same level of emotion as him facing death. That has always been at the core of the character.

We get character analysis in the interactions between Superman-as-Kent and Luthor in the prison scene. It is great character examination of not only Superman’s Clark Kent identity but of Lex Luthor and his perception of Kent which in itself speaks about Luthor. Luthor’s ego cannot comprehend someone having such great power pretending to be someone so ineffective. It is the difference between the two characters. They are equal opposites.

Lois Lane’s state post climax implied a bit of a mental break. Superman is dead having merging with our sun to save Earth from a rogue star and it sounds like she’s actually willing to sit in a park in Metropolis until he comes back. Or maybe I’m just reading too much into an attempt to be poetic in some fashion. Regardless it is a good moment that drives home this was more than an inconsequential adventure.

This lays out the story very well with seeds planted early that pay off later like a need to replace Superman before we ever actually get the statement of that need. Early in the story Superman is working on a time communicator to deal with issues before they happen (what inspired this Minority Report-esque idea?) and we get an image of one of his descendants from the distant future. That issue gets solved but you might question why use an emotionally disturbed Lois?

So often the character of Lex Luthor gets humbled in some fashion. It’s usually brief with him unhumbling himself eventually. This does it in a way that is quite permanent and the megalomaniacal Luthor finally learns a lesson in just how wrong he always was.

All-Star Superman is a good Superman story. It needed to be extended here or there but as a whole, it’s very satisfying.