Superman vs. The Elite

2012 • 74 minutes

About this movie

This unusual chapter in the Superman saga finds the Man of Steel questioning his relevance when a new, more aggressive, crop of superhero crusaders captures the public's imagination. When catastrophe hits Earth, Superman springs into action as usual, but this time he gets some unexpected help from a new squad of superheroes who call themselves The Elite. Composed of four powerful beings and led by the brash and calculating Manchester Black, this new force brings a raw, wild mentality to the battle against evil, never hesitating to kill their foes -- even on a massive scale -- something Superman would never consider. Despite public support for the bloody methods of The Elite, Superman knows they are in the wrong, creating more harm than good. Tensions between Superman and The Elite rise until Superman challenges them to a showdown. The residents of Metropolis watch from a safe distance as the superheroes fight on the Moon.

Ratings and reviews

Animation was cartoony. Also, the story ripped off elements of Kingdom Come... replacing Magog with the Elite as the 'new breed' of superhero, one willing to kill. However, the aftereffects of choosing the new breed was greatly reduced in this. Also, it almost had a Scooby-doo ending, with Superman explaining everything that happened that led to the 'bad guy' being captured. All the was missing was Krypto the superdog showing up to do a Scooby laugh before the credits rolled.

DC falls a bit short in this topical Superman story. The characters feel flat & aren't particularly interesting. The main villain's character trait is that he's British. That's it. Another's is being an alcoholic. That's it. Lois stands out as she's actually interesting. The themes hit interesting points, but they scratch the surface. By the final showdown, you're not invested w/ the characters & the stakes feel forced. I didn't love the animation. Not terrible, simply has its flaws.

Im not really a Superman fan. I dont like his methods sometimes. He will stand there and take a direct hit from a missle or laser beams that will knock him down for a couple of seconds. Where as Batman will find a way to dodge or redirect things like that. I know, Superman is super and he can take it but he also has super speed and can dodge it as well. Well when I played Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes I honestly got a new respect for Superman. That led me to watch this movie. To me it still had the same "Superman formula" but it was altered slightly in another direction. I look forward to seeing more action anime if they continue the route they're taking.