All-Star Superman | |
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Directed by | Sam Liu |
Written by | Dwayne McDuffie |
Based on | |
Produced by | |
Starring | |
Music by | Christopher Drake |
Production companies | |
Distributed by | Warner Home Video |
Release date |
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Running time | 78 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
All-Star Superman is a 2011 American animated superhero film based on the comic book series of the same name by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely. Released direct-to-video by Warner Bros. Animation on February 22, 2011, it is the tenth film of the DC Universe Animated Original Movies.
It is the first film in the series to not receive a PG-13 rating from the Motion Picture Association, instead being rated PG for “sequences of action and violence, language including brief innuendo, and some sensuality”. It is also one of the final projects by writer Dwayne McDuffie, releasing the day after his death.
Dr. Leo Quintum and his team are exploring the Sun when they are sabotaged by a booby-trapped genetically-enhanced time-bomb clone made by Lex Luthor. Superman stops the clone but in doing so receives an overdose of solar radiation; it has given him increased powers, but is slowly killing him. Luthor is arrested thanks to Clark Kent's article and sentenced to death.
Wanting to spend as much time as possible with Lois Lane, Superman reveals to her that he is Clark Kent, and takes her to the Fortress of Solitude. During this visit, Superman's secretive behavior and her indirect exposure to alien chemicals heightens Lois' paranoia. Superman is able to calm her, explaining his caginess was to hide her birthday present, a serum granting her superpowers for 24 hours. Now as Superwoman, she and Superman stop an attack by Subterranosauri led by Krull in Metropolis just as Samson and Atlas arrive. After the Subterranosauri are returned to the center of the Earth, Samson flirts with Lois and gives her a necklace, the crown jewels of the Ultra-Sphinx. When Superman tells him to back off, he challenges Superman to contests to win Lois. After the contests, Superman finally defeats Atlas and Samson in a double arm-wrestling match before spending the rest of the day with Lois as her powers fade.
Later, Clark tells Lois he is dying, before leaving to take the city of Kandor to a new planet to thrive, despite it being permanently shrunk, as he does not believe he will survive the trip back. Clark leaves with Lois promising to wait for his return.
Two months later, Superman returns to find Metropolis has been repaired with Kryptonian architecture and that Earth has been protected by Bar-El and Lilo, lost astronauts from Krypton. They followed the trail of the vessel that brought Superman to Earth. To his dismay, the two have less altruistic goals and intend to turn Earth into a new Krypton. As they fight Superman, Bar-El and Lilo begin showing signs of illness from Kryptonite that they were exposed to from passing through Krypton's remains. At their request, Superman places the two in the Phantom Zone until a cure can be found.
Unbeknownst to anyone, Luthor reprogrammed one of the Fortress' robots to steal the serum Superman made for Lois' birthday. Having the powers of Superman, Luthor's death by electric chair failed and he escapes unfettered. Superman learns that Luthor's secret ally Solaris has betrayed him by turning Earth's sun blue. With his robots, Superman engages Solaris in space. However, all seems lost until Superman's pet Sun-Eater sacrifices itself to weaken Solaris, which allows Superman to destroy it.
Clark returns to the Daily Planet , very ill, and collapses upon completing his article, "SUPERMAN DEAD". When the staff tries to save him, they realize that he has stopped breathing and his heart has stopped. But before they can do anything to help Clark, the super-powered Lex Luthor arrives and attempts to kill Lois. Clark revives and fires a gravity gun at Luthor. As his powers fade, Luthor briefly sees the world as Superman does and weeps as he gains a measure of understanding. Luthor wishes the experience to continue, but when he reaches for his next vial of serum, he realizes that Superman has stolen his supply. Superman then destroys the serum over Luthor's protests, pointing out that if Luthor truly cared about solving the world's problems, he would have done so long ago. Luthor somberly admits Superman is right.
With Superman's body starting to turn into pure energy, he proclaims his love for Lois and gives her his cape as a way to remember him before he leaves and flies into the sun (seemingly) sacrificing himself to save the Earth.
Later, Jimmy Olsen invites Lois to attend a memorial service being held for Superman. Lois does not go as she believes that Superman is not dead and will return after he repairs the sun. Quintum visits Luthor in his cell. Now enlightened from his ordeal and accepting his impending death, Luthor presents Quintum with the only thing that could redeem him for his actions: a formula to recreate Superman's genetic structure through a healthy human ovum.
The film was well received by critics. Based on 5 reviews collected on Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 80% with an average rating of 7.10. [4]
IGN gave the Blu-ray release a score of 7 out of 10, praising the visuals but stating that "there are too many threads, too many characters and too many detours down paths that don't amount to much in the end." [5] ComicsAlliance criticized some of the changes made in the adaptation, specifically those which involve Superman killing or allowing others to die, but concluded by calling the film "a highly enjoyable picture, and one of DC's best offerings. [6]
The film earned $4,701,620 from domestic DVD sales and $2,474,410 from domestic Blu-ray sales, bringing its total domestic home video earnings to $7,176,030. [7]
The film comes in both DVD and Blu-ray and includes two bonus episodes from Superman: The Animated Series (Blasts From the Past, Part 1, Blasts From the Past, Part 2) selected by Bruce Timm and a preview of the next DC Universe Animated Original Movie, Green Lantern: Emerald Knights . [2]
Kryptonite is a fictional material that appears primarily in Superman stories published by DC Comics. In its best-known form, it is a green, crystalline material originating from Superman's home world of Krypton that emits a unique, poisonous radiation that can weaken and even kill Kryptonians. Kryptonite radiation can be transmitted through any element except lead. Thus, Superman has a special lead suit to protect himself from the radiation. There are other varieties of kryptonite, such as red and gold kryptonite, which have different but still generally negative effects.
The Fortress of Solitude is a fictional fortress appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with Superman. It is the place where Superman first learned about his true identity, heritage, and purpose on Earth. The fortress functions as a place of solace/occasional headquarters for Superman and is typically depicted as being in frozen tundra, away from civilization. Its predecessor, Superman's "Secret Citadel", first appeared in Superman #17, where it was said to be built into a mountain on the outskirts of Metropolis. By issue #58 it is referred to as the Fortress of Solitude, seems at a glance to be a freestanding castle, and is said to be located in a "polar waste". When the Fortress reappears in 1958 and for the first time takes center stage in a story, it is again an underground complex in a mountainous cliffside.
Superwoman is the name of several fictional characters from DC Comics. Most of them are, like Supergirl, women with powers similar to those of Superman, like flight, invulnerability, and enhanced strength.
Superman: Birthright is a twelve-issue comic book limited series published by DC Comics in 2003 and 2004, written by Mark Waid and drawn by Leinil Francis Yu and Gerry Alanguilan.
All-Star Superman is a twelve-issue American comic book series featuring Superman that was published by DC Comics. The series ran from November 2005 to October 2008. The series was written by Grant Morrison, drawn by Frank Quitely, and digitally inked by Jamie Grant. The series revolves around Superman, who is dying due to overexposure to the Sun, as he accomplishes many heroic feats and attempts to make peace with the world before his imminent death.
Superman is an American fictional character created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster and featured pervasively in DC Comic books. The character debuted in Action Comics issue #1 in June 1938 and has since become a paradigm for superhero characters.
Superman: Brainiac Attacks is a 2006 American animated superhero film from Warner Bros. Animation. Released on June 20, 2006, as a marketing tie in with Superman Returns, the film features Superman battling the forces of Lex Luthor and Brainiac, and his relationship with Lois Lane.
The Superman dynasty, an extension of the House of El, is a lineage of DC Comics superheroes. The term is used for the descendants of Kal-El, the original Superman, who continue to uphold his legacy of heroism well into the 853rd century, as depicted in the DC One Million crossover. Repeated references to members of the Superman dynasty, as Superman's "descendants" and at least one reference to them as the "blood of his blood" would seem to indicate that they are, in fact, the biological descendants of Superman in some fashion.
The Man of Steel is a 1986 comic book limited series featuring the DC Comics character Superman. Written and drawn by John Byrne, the series was presented in six issues which were inked by Dick Giordano. The series told the story of Superman's modern origin, which had been rebooted following the 1985–1986 series Crisis on Infinite Earths.
The character of Superman was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, and has been continually published in a variety of DC Comics book titles since its premiere in 1938. There have been several versions of Superman over the years, both as the main hero in the stories as well as several alternative versions.
Samuel Lane is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He is the father of Lucy Lane and Lois Lane and the father-in-law of Clark Kent / Superman.
Superman: Doomsday is a 2007 American animated superhero film adapted from the DC Comics storyline "The Death of Superman", which focuses on the death and return of the superhero Superman. Released by Warner Home Video, it is the first film of the DC Universe Animated Original Movies. The film received generally positive reviews from critics, and made $10 million in home media sales on a budget of $3.5 million.
The origin of Superman and his superhuman powers have been a central narrative for Superman since his inception, with the story of the destruction of his home planet, his arrival on Earth and emergence as a superhero evolving from Jerry Siegel's original story into a broad narrative archetype over the course of Superman's literary history and as the character's scope continues to expand across comics, radio, television and film.
Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths is a 2010 American animated superhero film directed by Lauren Montgomery and Sam Liu and written by Dwayne McDuffie. It is based on the abandoned direct-to-video feature Justice League: Worlds Collide, which was intended as a bridge between the DC Animated Universe series Justice League and Justice League Unlimited, and reworked to act as a standalone story. It is the seventh film of the DC Universe Animated Original Movies.
Superman/Batman: Apocalypse is a 2010 American animated superhero film based on the Superman/Batman comic book storyline "The Supergirl from Krypton" and is a standalone sequel to Superman/Batman: Public Enemies. The art style is partly based on that of Michael Turner, who penciled the Superman/Batman comic book arc. Directed by Lauren Montgomery. it is the ninth film of the DC Universe Animated Original Movies. The film stars Andre Braugher, Kevin Conroy, Tim Daly and Summer Glau. Despite the title, the film focuses primarily on Supergirl and Superman, with Batman playing a supporting role.
Superman: Unbound is a 2013 American animated superhero film based on the 2008 comic book story arc "Superman: Brainiac" by Geoff Johns. It was directed by James Tucker and scripted by Bob Goodman. It is the 17th film of the DC Universe Animated Original Movies. The film's sneak preview was included with Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 2 and Injustice: Gods Among Us.
Superman (Kal-El) or Clark Kent is a fictional character portrayed by Christopher Reeve in the Warner Bros. Superman film series produced by Ilya and Alexander Salkind and Cannon Films, and is an adaptation of the original DC Comics character, Superman. Many actors were interviewed for the part before Christopher Reeve was chosen to fill the role. Superman is portrayed as a superhero who stands for "truth, justice and the American way".
Lois Lane is a fictional character first appearing in DC Comics Action Comics #1, an intrepid reporter commonly portrayed as the romantic interest of the superhero Superman and his alter-ego Clark Kent. Since her debut in comic books, she has appeared in various media adaptations, including radio, animations, films, television and video games. Actresses who have portrayed Lois Lane include Noel Neill, Phyllis Coates, Margot Kidder, Teri Hatcher, Erica Durance, Kate Bosworth, Amy Adams, and Elizabeth Tulloch.
Superman: Man of Tomorrow is a 2020 American animated superhero film based on the DC Comics character Superman. Produced by Warner Bros. Animation, and DC Entertainment, and distributed by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, it is the first installment in the DC Animated Movie Universe's second phase, and the sixteenth overall. The film is directed by Chris Palmer, and written by Tim Sheridan, and stars Darren Criss and Zachary Quinto. The film depicts the early days of Clark Kent's career as the superhero Superman. It is the 41st film in the DC Universe Animated Original Movies.