Superman: Unbound

Superman: Unbound - Dir. James Tucker (2013)

Since 2007, Warner Premiere has been producing a line of direct-to-video animated films based on DC Comics' extensive library of characters. They've actually have a better track record at bringing to life superheroes like Green Lantern and Wonder Woman than WB's live-action division. Lately, they have released some of their best pictures yet with Justice League: Doom and the much-anticipated 2-part adaptation of Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns. Their latest effort is Superman: Unbound, which is scheduled to be released in May and was recently screened at WonderCon.

Unbound is based on a five-issue story arc by Geoff Johns with art by Gary Frank and taking place in Action Comics #866 through #870. The film opens with Superman (Matt Bomer) and Supergirl (Molly Quinn) flying through Metropolis in an attempt to rescue Lois Lane (Stana Katic) from a group of armed men. From there, the Man of Steel has a heart-to-heart talk with his cousin about her difficulties in adapting to life on Earth. Superman is also having relationship problems with Lois. Before those can be ironed out, Kal-El speeds off to the desert to investigate a robot that crash landed from space. He takes the remains back to the Fortress of Solitude where Supergirl recognizes it as a drone belonging to Brainiac (John Noble). A fusion of flesh and machine, Brainiac collects all the knowledge of a world, shrinks one of its cities to keep as a specimen, and then destroys the entire planet. Long ago, he came to Krypton and took the city of Kandor. Supergirl and her parents barely escaped. Rather than wait for Brainiac's arrival, Superman decides to take the fight to him.

Warner Premiere has struggled working within the limitation of their budget. This has resulted in many movies being released with truncated run times. In some cases, the films barely break the hour mark (Superman/Batman: Public Enemies, Batman: Year One). Although, Superman: Unbound runs 76 minutes, it never plays like huge chunks are missing. In fact, the film feels a lot longer than it is. The script by Bob Goodman (who also adapted Dark Knight Returns) goes deeper in exploring Superman's relationships with Supergirl and Lois Lane. The main characters are fully realized in spite of their relatively short screen time. For all his powers, Superman still has trouble figuring out Lois. Meanwhile, Lois is depicted as quick-witted and fiercely independent, hardly the typical damsel in distress though she regularly gets into trouble. Unbound also earns a PG-13 because of a rude gesture Lois flashes at Brainiac. Supergirl has all the complexities of a teenage girl topped off with super-strength and heat vision.

The animation doesn't look cheap at all and the art style doesn't resemble one used in previous pictures or of Gary Frank's artwork from the original comics. The style has a slight anime influence. Unbound is action-packed as the title refers to a rare instance where Superman faces an enemy formidable enough that he doesn't have to hold back. Brainiac is a creepy foe that is Superman's match both physically and mentally.

The cast is one of the finest assembled by voice director Andrea Romano. Matt Bomer and Castle stars Molly Quinn and Stana Katic are perfect in their roles and it helps that they could portray them in a live-action version. John Noble of Fringe fame is excellent as Brainiac with a booming voice full of menace and arrogance. Rounding out the ensemble are Frances Conroy as Martha Kent, Wade Williams as Perry White, Stephen Root as Supergirl's father Zor-El, and Diedrich Bader as the Daily Planet's resident meathead Steve Lombard.

Superman: Unbound definitely ranks as the best Superman release from DC and Warner as well as one of the best releases in the line.

Rating: *** (*****)

The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1

The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1 - Dir. Jay Oliva (2012)

"You don't get it, boy. This isn't a mudhole, it's an operating table…and I'm the surgeon."

The 80's were the "grim 'n' gritty" era of comic book superheroes with readers favoring mature content over brightly colored spandex. Watchmen was one of the most heralded works of the time along with Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns and Batman: Year One, which bookended the Caped Crusader's crime fighting career. Warner Premiere previously adapted Year One into an animated feature with a scant runtime of 64 minutes. Fans were justifiably worried that Dark Knight Returns might receive similar treatment with the majority of Miller's epic left on the cutting room floor. Warner has wisely split Dark Knight Returns into two parts with the first installment comprising of the first two issues.

It has been years since Bruce Wayne (Peter Weller) has worn the cape and cowl. The elderly millionaire is still a bachelor and estranged from his former ward Dick Grayson. His loyal butler Alfred is still by his side and Bruce has regular dinners with Commissioner Gordon, who is now aware of his dual identities. There are times when Bruce searches for a new thrill to replace the adrenaline rush of nocturnal vigilantism. The film opens with Gotham's favorite son wrecking a Formula-1 racer.

The city itself hasn't changed much. Crime is still rampant though Batman's rogues gallery has nearly vanished. Citizens live in fear of a violent street gang known as the Mutants. Bruce can hardly stand watching the news with daily reports about murders, robberies, and kidnappings. Meanwhile, Harvey Dent (Wade Williams), once known as Two-Face, has undergone facial reconstructive surgery. However, when the fallen district attorney returns to his former identity, Bruce once again dons the tights. The return of Batman inspires streetwise Carrie Kelly (Ariel Winter) to dress up as Robin and become the Dark Knight's new sidekick.

Inspired by Dirty Harry, Frank Miller's Batman is hardly the genial Adam West version. This Batman is built like a brick house with a voice like grinding gravel. Many fans envisioned Clint Eastwood playing the older Bruce Wayne, but the filmmakers went with Robocop himself, Peter Weller. Weller has a deep, authoritarian voice though Michael Ironside, who played the character on an episode of Batman: The Animated Series, was closely to the way I imagined the older Batman would sound. Ariel Winter from Modern Family provides just the right amount of spunk to play the first female Robin. Other voice actors include: Michael McKean as Harvey Dent's psychiatrist, Paget Brewster as Lana Lang, and Maria Canals (who played Hawkgirl on Justice League) as Gordon's successor Ellen Yindel.

The animators have done a splendid job in melding Miller's angular art style with their sleeker look. Many of the iconic images from the comics are present in the movie. There's the silhouette of Batman against the night sky as lightning strikes the background, an image that adorned the debut issue. The majority of Miller's pulpy dialogue has been lifted almost verbatim such as, "He was a good soldier. He honored me," in reference to the late-Jason Todd, Batman's second Robin. Ironically, Dark Knight Returns was published two years before Todd would actually die in Batman #428.

Batman: Year One provided inspiration for Christopher Nolan as he developed Batman Begins and The Dark Knight Returns served a similar capacity for The Dark Knight Rises. Bruce Wayne coming out of retirement and dealing with a broken down body are the most obvious elements. The scene where a veteran cop tells his rookie partner he is, "…in for a show," is taken straight from the source material. Inspiration goes both ways as Returns composer Christopher Drake attempts to approximate Hans Zimmer's score to less than successful results.

The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1 is an exhilarating adaptation of Frank Miller's seminal mini-series. WB made the wise choice of splitting the film into two volumes. On the plus side, this allowed screenwriter Bob Goodman to craft something faithful and action-packed. On the other hand, it's hard to judge Part 1 on its own since it is only half the story.

Rating: *** (*****)