Home :: DVD :: Animation :: Anime & Manga  

Anime & Manga

Comedy
Computer Animation
General
International
Kids & Family
Science Fiction
Stop-Motion & Clay Animation
The Batman Superman Movie

The Batman Superman Movie

List Price: $14.97
Your Price: $11.98
Product Info Reviews

<< 1 2 3 4 5 >>

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: In ''Finest'' Form!
Review: *
There's a "Bat" in my "Supe"!

"The Batman-Superman Movie" is actually a 3-part episode from the Superman animated television series.

The episode's title, "World's Finest," comes from the DC Comics publication of the same name, which was a comic book series which regularly teamed-up DC's flagship characters -- Metropolis' "Man of Tomorrow" and Gotham City's "Dark Knight Detective."

However, unlike the comic book version of "World's Finest," where DC's two top dogs were all chummy buddy-buddies, this animated feature more closely reflects the relationship they were reassigned with as part of DC's "post-Crisis" reconstruction ("FanBoys" of the genre know of what I speak). Here we have a Batman and Superman as polar opposites: Wayne/Batman perceives his space orphan counterpart as too much of a strictly by-the-numbers rulebook-following Boy Scout; Kent/Superman disapproves of the cowled outsider's heavy-handed vigilante tactics. Yet, they are more or less forced to set their disagreements with each other aside and form an uneasy temporary "partnership" when the Bat reveals that his arch-nemisis, The Joker, has arrived in Metropolis to form something of an aliance of his own with Superman's #1 foe, Lex Luthor.

The Joker is hurting for cash, and is not having very good results filling his coffers via the usual illegally acquired means, so he breaks with "tradition," so to speak, and offers to "sell his services," as it were, to someone whom he knows has lots and lots of cash on hand -- Lex Luthor. And what he has to sell Luthor is definately something Luthor wants to buy... the death of Superman! (What else?)

But even more so than our two costumed dancing partners, Luthor and Joker are extreme opposites, and their business arrangement is set on even less stable ground: Luthor is calm, methodical and patient, whereas Joker is hyper, manic and impulsive... not to mention deranged. Soon, the Joker is becoming an even bigger pain for Luthor than Superman and he eventually regrets having ever entered into any sort of a deal with the clown-faced lunatic.

A romantic subplot between Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent's journalism colleague Lois Lane acts as filler.

... After having viewed it, though, I was actually kind of glad that it was sent.

Not only was "Bat Soup" (as I affectionately call it) a good ride in and of itself (though the animation isn't exactly what one would call sophisticated by any means), but it also got me stoked in anticipation of seeing the Joker's return to face the two 'Batmen' of the 'old' AND the 'new' eras in the "Batman Beyond" OAV.

* * *

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: John Hancock hates Batman?!?!
Review: Although i agree with the previous reviewer's SUPRISING 5 star rating of this GREAT movie, (Don't read his other reviews unless you've got a box of tissue and a dose of prozac ready to go... The guy HATES everything), this is not the forum to debate which version of Batman (classic or modern) is better. Oh, and WHY COMPARE SUPERMAN TO BATMAN?!?!? 2 COMPLETELY DIFFRENT CHARACTERS! It's all about personal prefrence!!! John, do everyone a favor and DON'T WRITE ANYMORE REVIEWS.

On to THIS review... I just watched this movie this past weekend and LOVED every minute of it, although the overall experience leaves you wanting more. I continue to be amazed at the quality of these DC comics animated movies and shows that they keep putting out. Also see Batman Mask of The Phantasm; Sub-Zero; Mystery of the Batgirl; as well as Batman Beyond, and the Justice League movies (plus a few more titles), ALL GOOD, and highly recommended, however some are better than others.



Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Very good and full of action.
Review: An exellent movie with a great story line. The animation is also very good. This is one of the best Batman movies out there.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: a little lesson in animation
Review: As always, Dini's and Timm's (producers/writers of the series) have a great story and great takes on classic characters. I just want to write a quick note to say that I take exception at the Amazon reviewer's comments. He says "The stylized animation and sharp design of the TV series give the LIMITED animation a sleek, smooth quality and an energetic sense of movement." This is partially true..there cant be a limited amount of animation if it has an energetic sense of movement. Now for a quick lesson in animation: Actually this and all other Batman, Superman, Batman Beyond, Justice League series don't have limited animation at all. In fact, because of the sleek and "simple" design MORE animation is allowed, not less. It is because of the fewer lines and detail that the animation is allowed to flow. It is the exact opposite of Japanese animation where the designs are very detailed with many lines. They look awesome but if you actually look at Japanese animation (anime) there is actually very very little animating at all. In about 90% of all Anime they do everything they can to avoid animating....giving characters mustaches, having backs turned or simply cropping off the mouth of a charcater talking or giving expository dialogue. Or they have the open/close/open/close style of mouth movement. If you think it doesnt synch up well in English I assure you that it doesnt synch up in Japanese either. In Japan they animate first then do the voices to "match" second, whereas in American animation, the voices are recorded first and animation comes second. Another thing, in amime they simply move cels across one another to show motion as with mecha or planes etc. You can really see examples of this in Patlabor or Robotech. I'm not knocking it as I am a fan of it but it is rooted in the super low budget of anime's origins...see Speed Racer or Astro Boy for more. It was primarily because of this lack of animation in TV shows, when this show was designed in the early 90's, that Timm wanted simple lines in the design of the show to allow for more actual animation. Anyway...take care...I love you all.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: undescribable!!!
Review: best animated action yet!! this is a must see film for any age

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Love the show but that copy was just bad..
Review: First off, this series of episodes was one of my favorites as I liked the bit of tension between Batman and Superman. The animation was great when it was released so why does the dvd look like garbage? Okay, okay, it's not that bad, but it's no Batman Beyond either. The Batman Beyond Return of the Joker disc was beautiful to watch while the Batman/Supeman movie made me wince with each line noise I saw. It's definitely a weathered copy and if clear visuals is your thing(I'm assuming it is if you own a dvd player), you'd be thoroughly annoyed like I was. I guess that's why they can keep that low price point. No really good extras on the disc and deterioted animated to boot. Oh well, if you can get oer that, you'll see what a great storyline this disc has, but for me, it's really hard considering how a dvd copy should always look crisp and clear.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Its fine if you want your child to come out punching!!
Review: For adults into Batman and Superman its okay.
I made the mistake of buying it for my 3 year old, and its just too violent. For starters Batman and Superman aren't exactly friends, in fact they have a punch up. As Clarke Kent and Bruce Wayne, they are both chasing Lois Lane - who is beautifully drawn by the way. I would have thought Batman and Superman would have gotten along really well, well they don't. Sure they work together at the end but its forced.

Too much violence for the young ones, probably okay for the adult fans.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: FANTASTIC MUST-SEE SUPER-HEROIC ACTION.
Review: FORGET THE "SUPERFRIENDS" THIS IS THE ULTIMATE SUPERMAN/BATMAN TEAM UP. HATS OFF TO PAUL DINI AND BRUCE W. TIMM (THE PRODUCERS OF FILM AND THE DAILY TV SERIES, THE NEW BATMAN/SUPERMAN ADVENTURES ON THE WB NETWORK) FOR CREATING THIS LONG AWAITED AND OVERDUE PAIRING. THE BEAUTY OF THIS FILM IS HOW THE DIFFERENCES AND THE SIMILARITIES BETWEEN THE TWO OF THEM ARE EXPLORED, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY ARE BOTH VYING FOR THE AFFECTION OF LOIS LANE. THE BEST PART OF THE FILM IS WHEN THE MAN OF STEEL AND THE DARK KNIGHT FIRST MEET AND BATMAN CATCHES SUPERMAN OFF GUARD AND THROWS HIM ACROSS THE ROOM WHEN HE INTERRUPTS AN "INTERROGATION" OF A GANGSTER. THE MAN OF STEEL RESPONDS BY USING HIS SUPER SPEED TO TACKLE BATMAN AND KNOCKING HIM AGAINST THE WALL AND SAYS "I HEARD YOU WERE CRAZY, I DIDN'T THINK YOU WERE STUPID." THE VOCAL TALENT OF KEVIN CONROY AS BATMAN AND TIM DALY (FROM NBC'S "WINGS") AS SUPERMAN ARE COMPLIMENTED BY THE MEN WHO PORTRAY THEIR ADVERSARIES, MARK HAMILL (STAR WARS) AS THE JOKER AND CLANCY BROWN (THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION) AS LEX LUTHOR. I WOULD BE VERY REMISS IF I EXCLUDED DANA DELANY'S (CHINA BEACH) PERFORMANCE AS LOIS LANE. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS VIDEO TO ALL COMIC BOOK PURISTS AS WELL AS TO THOSE WHO APPRECIATE GREAT ANIMATION.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Super!
Review: I am a long time Superman fan and this story is a wonderful way to combine the two greatest crimefighters in fictional history. It's top notch entertainment and worth every penny. The Batman and Superman cartoon series episodes were probably the finest written stories ever set to the small screen and this story is no exception. This story along with many others have changed the faces of Superman and Batman forever as serious writing for an audience who wants to see a captivating plot. I highly recommend this video to anyone and I am glad to hear that this video will soon be released as a DVD this year.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: World's VERY Finest
Review: I had forgotten how much I enjoyed the work of Paul Dini and Bruce Timm in their quest to bring the greatest adventures of Batman and Superman to the small screen in a throwback animation style, and I was overwhelmed with joy upon seeing THE BATMAN SUPERMAN MOVIE released on DVD.

Not only do you get the world's greatest detective with Batman but also you're treated to the world's greatest superhero (Supes) in a tale that combines their arch rivals, Lex Luthor and the Joker, in a tale linking Gotham to Metropolis. In short, a money-hungry joker offers his services to murder Superman to Lex Luthor for nothing short of one billion dollars. However, complications arise when Lois Lane falls head over heels for ... Bruce Wayne?

Kid-friendly in its cartoon violence, THE BATMAN SUPERMAN MOVIE is a must-see for family entertainment.

What always worked about these animated series was the fact that the characters were always starkly portrayed in vocal direction yet simply drawn in fundamental lines. The circa 1940s artwork to the buildings and cityscapes only further enhanced the viewing pleasure.

The transfer is crisp and beautiful, and the colors are as vibrant as ever. The soundtrack is only 2 channel, but it works well for the presentation.

The disc includes an introduction by Bruce Timm, a DVD game linked to watching the movie, as well as how-to exercises in teaching anyone who likes how to draw the animated versions of Batman and Superman.

This is truly one of the world's finest!


<< 1 2 3 4 5 >>

© 2004, ReviewFocus or its affiliates