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Superman - The Last Son of Krypton

Superman - The Last Son of Krypton

List Price: $14.98
Your Price: $13.48
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Best Superman Filmed Material I've Seen
Review: Although the DC live-action adaptations have generally lagged well behind the Marvel adaptations, in the animation field DC wins hands-down. "Superman: Last Son Of Krypton", my personal favorite of the 'movie/tv' chronicles of the Man Of Steel is a stellar example of this. Like the Batman animated material, the animated Superman has admittedly been simplified and, to a lesser degree than Batman, toned down for the younger audience, but remains a faithful, spirit-capturing translation of the epic Superman comics. Unique animation style, tremendous scenes combining action and drama magnificently (including the legendary 'airplane-save' scene), and some of storytelling's alltime best characters add up to a great movie, one that, in my opinion, surpasses the ongoing animated series that followed it. The voice actors aren't who I would have picked for the parts - they sound utterly nothing like the characters I hear when I read the books, although admittedly that's a pretty subjective standard to judge on, with probably almost everybody who reads a tale in comic book format, novel format, or whatever hearing the voices differently - but they do indeed turn in good performances and prove worthy interpretors of their parts. Highly recommended for everybody; suitable for tots but DEFINATELY not a 'kids-only' picture; great stuff, overall almost on par with the best Superman comics.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Lightning CAN Strike Twice
Review: Bruce Timm and Paul Dini prove that lightning can strike twice when they switched creative gears from the dark streets of Gotham City to the bright lights, big city look of Metropolis. This animated epic begins on Krypton but quickly travels to Earth, with the arrival of baby Kalel to the Kents. Eventually, Clark Kent's trials lead him to Metropolis, where a rival/love interest named Lois Lane fights for headlines while a greedy businessman named Lex Luther fights for control of the planet! Outstanding family entertainment about the man of steel! A must for any serious Super-fan!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Lightning CAN Strike Twice
Review: Bruce Timm and Paul Dini prove that lightning can strike twice when they switched creative gears from the dark streets of Gotham City to the bright lights, big city look of Metropolis. This animated epic begins on Krypton but quickly travels to Earth, with the arrival of baby Kalel to the Kents. Eventually, Clark Kent's trials lead him to Metropolis, where a rival/love interest named Lois Lane fights for headlines while a greedy businessman named Lex Luther fights for control of the planet! Outstanding family entertainment about the man of steel! A must for any serious Super-fan!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A Legend Reborn
Review: From the creators of the popular "Batman: The Animated Series", the legendary Man of Steel returns in the promising animated adventure "Superman: The Last Son of Krypton". The young survivor of the doomed Planet Krypton grows to manhood on Earth with extraordinary abilities. Moving to Metropolis, the kind-hearted alien visitor arouses the interest of rival star journalist Lois Lane and ruthless industrialist Lex Luthor. This latest adaptation of the classic super hero is certainly the most faithful and well-produced series in recent decades. It features a simple but strong storyline, interesting characters, engrossing comicbook action and a rich music score. The animation is brighter and more colorful than the dark and gothic style used in "Batman: TAS". The voice cast includes Tim Daly, Dana Delany, Clancy Brown and Malcolm McDowell.

For under $15, "Superman: The Last Son of Krypton" is a good bargain DVD. This animated feature is presented in its original fullscreen format. The DVD contains a simple but well done video transfer with some bits of dust and grain, and a good 2.0 Dolby Digital sound. Among supplemental extras, it includes "Portrait of a Hero" featurette, Character Bios with video clips and "Escape from Planet Krypton" game. In terms of presentation and extras, "Superman" recieves a "B-".

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: RELEASE THE BOXED SET!!!!!!
Review: Great first three episodes, good introduction to the genesis of Superman.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: You will love this movie alot
Review: I have seen this movie before. To my father it is just a series but he is wrong. I rented this movie at blockbuster video. I like it alot. On the back of the cover you can see Superman fighting Braniac. The problem is that Braniac doesn't appear in that form. I like this movie anyway. It makes you go on adventures with Superman. I like it how Superman flies. It is a cool sight to see. I think Tim Daly did a great job doing Superman's voice in this movie. Dana Delany did excellent.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Superman
Review: I was quite pleased with the quality of this production. The animation is not nearly as refined as the work that may be found in those short cartoons produced by Max Fleisher; however, it is still light years beyond most of the cheap animation produced today.

I was really pleased with the initial flight sequences and the way super speed was presented. Later on in the film, the flight scenes seem far less dramatic. Also, there are a few points where the art work simply seems crude. What this film may lack in graphics is more than made up by a very original and concise telling of Superman's origin.

The origin story of Supeman, sole survivor from the doomed planet Krypton, has been told quite a number of times in both comics and film. This version expands greatly upon the original (and all too brief) origin story provided by Jerry Siegal and Joel Shuster. It also deviates dramatically from the retelling presented much later by John Byrne. In my opinion, this origin story is in many ways superior to Byrne's.

Without giving too much away, Byrne presented Krypton as a planet populated by a race of cold, unemotional beings. The animated version presents the Kryptonians as being a far more human like race. While this may lack scientific credability, it certainly makes it easier for the viewer to feel sympathy for the plight of Jor-El who must send his son off to another world.

Dini and company do decide to follow Byrne's lead and keep Clark Kent's adopted parents alive. This makes perfect sense to me. Superman is a very up beat character. Why impose gloom and doom on him? After all, he is not Bruce Wayne.

Brainiac is given an entirely new origin story in this film. It is chilling. In fact, I hope that Warner Brothers will make the Braniac episodes available sometime in the future. His (or ITs) appearance here is all too brief.

Fans of H.P. Lovecraft should pay close attention to the scene following the action in the ice cavern. There is a very brief allusion to _At the Mountains of Madness_.

There is, of course, quite a bit of gunfire. This is to be expected in a film about a man who is bullet proof. It does not bother me, but it may concern some parents.

Overall, it is a lot of fun. I think quite a number of adults will appreciate it as much if not more than their kids. Some of the humour is obviously directed at an older crowd. At one point Lois Lane gazes at a photographic image of Superman. She quips, "Nice 'S'."

Regards and Best Wishes,

Donald Eric Kesler

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: It Flies!
Review: Since The Man Of Steel made his debut in the pages of Action Comics during the month of June, in the year 1938, his origin has been told and retold many times. Each time those in charge of crafting the well known story, putting a new spin on how the last son of Krypton became Earth's greatest protector against the forces of evil. Following the success of the Emmy Award winning Batman: The Animated Series, Bruce Timm and his fantastic team of collaborators, decided to launch Superman in 1996...in prime time, just as they did with the Caped Crusader.

The feature length "pilot" is animated in the same style as the Batman series, using sharp edges, ala'from the 1940s, giving the show a classic feel. Yet it still maintained a modern sensibility, with more adult storylines that kids could also enjoy.

The voice cast is a talented group, that helped bring very familiar characters to life, with much believability and authority. Playing Superman and his alter ego Clark Kent, Tim Daly (from the TV sit-com Wings), plays it straight. Dana Delany as Lois Lane, reminds me of the way Phylis Coates and Noel Neil played her in the classic 50's live action series. Character actor Clancy Brown voiced arch enemy Lex Luthor in a way that he made me forget the cheesy way the character came across in the now retro Superfriends incarnation. Anyone familiar with the way John Byrne retooled the mythology in 1988, will surely recognize his influences throughout, as well.

Essentially, The Last Son Of Kryton, is the first three episodes of the series, that aired as a 90 minute special, for its premiere. The DVD takes a look at the characters, with the feature called "Superman: Family, Friends & Foes". How To Draw Superman will give you a brieff look behind the scenes and "Escape From Planet Krypton" is a fairly easy game.

This release is recommended for any fan of the show who doesn't want to buy the box sets

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The Man of Steel at his finest
Review: Superman: The Last Son of Krypton is a classic--the very first episode of the Superman animated series, which sadly, I was too young to appreciate when it came on TV regularly. The simple fact that Superman really does seem utterly invincible in this first episode (apparently before everybody and his cousin discovers Kryptonite)--that's enough to enjoy the experience. I, for one, enjoy seeing the good guys win. If you're into collecting the Batman animated series, then this, too, is a must-have. There's just no other way to say it--this is Superman at his finest.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: It's 3 episodes, not a movie
Review: Superman: The Last Son of Krypton is the first three episodes of the acclaimed animated series that ran on KidsWB! in the late 90's. As became par for the WB marketing department, rather than give fans fresh Superman material, they were content to edit and repackage episodes together into "movies". The resulting video is worth your attention and collection, but it's not a movie, and it's nowhere near the best that the series had to offer.

Superman: LSK was produced by Bruce Timm, Paul Dini, and the many talented people that created Batman: The Animated Series, and later, Batman Beyond and Justice League. While the group has had no problems with Batman, they never quite got the hang of Superman, and it's evident in these episodes. Like Richard Donner's 1978 Superman movie, the origin of Superman is told in three distinct parts: Starting on Krypton, we learn of the planet's demise and follow scientist Jor-El as he rockets his son to Earth. We see Clark grow up in Smallville and learn of his heritage, then we move on to Metropolis and the introduction of Lois Lane, the Daily Planet, and Lex Luthor. The scenes on Krypton are the best part of the "movie". In a wise move, the villain Brainiac is re-imagined as Krypton's supercomputer, and lets everyone die so it can save itself.

Kal-El is rocketed to Earth, and the "movie" starts going downhill. Too little time is spent on Clark finding out about his powers in Smallville. I would've liked to see more of Lana Lang, and more of Clark gradually accepting that he's different. The story skips by these important scenes too quickly as it moves us to Metropolis. Lex Luthor has designed a prototype battle suit that is appearantly stolen by terrorist John Corben. Too much time is spent on this plot thread, and at times it overwealms Superman's introduction to the citizens of Metropolis. I would've liked to see more of a shock among the bad guys when they find out they're being chased by a flying man, Superman's interview with Lois, and the scene of Superman finding acceptance after his final victory is too short. The fight sequences go on a tad too long, and Superman is knocked about repeatedly until he suddenly cuts loose and finishes the fights in a matter of seconds. Worst of all, the "movie" ends with the foreshadowing of the return of Brainiac. Nothing wrong with that, but it only makes sense in the context of the entire series. Fans who haven't seen the other episodes will be left hanging.

Despite all this, there are also many positives. All the characterization is dead on, from eager Jimmy Olsen to hardened Perry White, Lana Lang, Jor-El, and especially the three big stars, Clark, Luthor, and Lois. While actors Tim Daly and Clancy Brown are still struggling with their voices here, they find themselves by the third episode's end, and give great performances.

For those wanting to watch a "movie", try the "Batman-Superman Movie". It's the only other three episodes of the Superman series released, but its story is more self-contained and more enjoyable. Superman: The Last Son of Krypton is not the best introduction the character could've recieved, but it's still an important part of the series, and essential viewing.


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