DVD : Superman: Brainiac Attacks - (Original Movie)

In association with Amazon.com

Rating:

- Are the 1-star reviewers even watching the movie?

Come on, people! Yes, this is not a Timm/Dini production, but it still rocks! "Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman" also wasn't a Bruce/Timm production, and it was one of the best DC Animated Universe movies ever! True, I hate "The Batman," but still - the writer did an excellent job here.

Pros (good things):
1) The plot is very good.
2) Tim Daly is back as the voice of Superman.
3) Finally - the Super Kiss!
4) Funny like Timm/Dini humor, and no overdone jokes.
5) Jimmy Olsen has a better hair style.
6) Brainiac is the villain, image a movie with Luminus as the villain - NO WAY!
7) Lex Luthor is more like in the live-action movies.
8) The Phantom Zone and the Fortress of Solite are better drawn, in my opinion.
9) Clarks's and Louis' romantic relationship is very improving.
10) It's a Superman animated movie!

Cons (bad things):
1. The voice actors providing the voice of Lex Luthor, Mercy Graves, and Brainiac are different.
2. No SUBTITLES or SPECIAL FEATURES (besdies Trailers) whatsover, regarless of the DVD's back cover.

In conclusion, buy it! It's not the animated series, but it still rocks!

Rating:

- IT'S JUST FAIR!!!!
I, too, am a big Superman fan, and I have enjoyed the Superman Animated Series as well as Justice League and, even though I am not a big Batman fan, I always liked the Batman animated series from the early to mid '90's. Considering how good the animated movies were that spun off of that series (Mask of the Phantasm, Sub Zero, etc.), it is hard to understand why similar attention was not paid to a Superman animated movie. Perhaps this was rushed to coincide with the Superman Returns film, so fans were ultimately shortchanged. I agree with the negative reviews, and especially those that ridicule the characterization of Lex Luthor. Lex has always been portrayed as a sinister genius; here is portrayed as a goofy oaf.
If you intend to buy this movie because you are a completist, like me, do it now. The only redeeming quality is that it comes prepackaged with a free ticket to Superman Returns. When you subtract the value of the ticket from the purchase price, this movie is not quite as bad.

Rating:

- Questions and Answers for DC Animated Universe Completists...
You know who you are. You are the kind of person who is going to buy DVDs related to to Bruce Timm's DC Animated Universe to have a complete collection of everything DCAU. Here are some questions that completists who have not seen Superman: Brainiac Attacks yet may ask themselves when thinking about whether or not to buy this DVD.

If you are not a geek feel free to ignore this review.

Q: All the reviews say it's really bad, but internet critics are ALWAYS unnessecarily harsh. Is it really THAT bad?

A: Yes, it is. Static Shock's "Hoop Squad" has always been widely considered the single worst thing to come out of the DCAU ever. This is only marginally related to the DCAU and it is roughly twenty times worse. Sixty if you consider it's 22 minute running time one of "Hoop Squad"'s virtues. It is a pile of dried monkey vomit.

Q: But I want a complete DCAU collection!

A: The movie only uses character designs and some of the voices from the old Superman cartoon but it flatly contradicts things that have come before in the DCAU. Lex Luthor and Brainiac act INCREDIBLY out of character (buffoonish and melodramatic respectively) and the movie is at complete odds with how the Fortress of Solitude and Phantom Zone are portrayed on the old show.

Q: CAN it fit into the DCAU if I REALLY tried to make it?

A: I suppose you could come up with explainations for everything and wedge it into it if you really wanted to but it fits about as well as Teen Titans and Krypto the Superdog. Only those two cartoons are cool.

Q: Is Bruce Timm or any of the major creative forces of the DCAU involved?

A: None of the major creators are involved. It is written by Dwayne Capizzi of The Batman fame.

Q: Is it considered official canon by the fans or the creators?

A: The is a near-consensus of DCAU fans who don't believe it can fit. The DTV's writer, The Batman's Duane Capizzi has stated in an interview that it is NOT in continuity with the DCAU, probably in a desperate attempt to get people to keep an open mind about this abomination. Or as I said, monkey vomit.

Q: Well, even if it ISN'T DCAU I plan to buy every single cartoon DVD related to a DC property ever so where should I put it on my priorities list?

A: After The Batman season sets, Superfriends season sets, and the movie Scooby Doo Meets Batman but BEFORE The Batman or Superfriends single disc releases.

Q: Hey, The Batman isn't THAT bad. In fact, Duane Capizzi wrote The Batman versus Dracula and that was pretty cool.

A: Any talent Capizzi showed in the Dracula movie is missing here. Brainiac Attacks is worse than almost every episode of The Batman.

Q: Does the DVD at least come with any interesting extras?

A: Only a batch of trailers that can be found on both the superior Superman: The Animated Series Volume Three and Justice League Season Two sets. You'll be better off buying those.

Q: Sigh. Well, shouldn't I buy this anyways? Justice League Unlimited has been cancelled and there are no new real DCAU projects in the pipeline. Won't skipping this just send a message to Warner Bros. Animation that nobody ever wants to see new DCAU material again?

A: There is no easy answer for this. It's the ultimate no-win scenario for DCAU fans. If we DON'T buy it we may never see any new DCAU stuff again. If we DO buy it, it sends a message to Warner Home Video that they can release sub-standard DCAU related stuff with no imput from the creative forces that made it great. I reccommend using your money to buy the season sets of Batman, Superman, Batman Beyond and Justice League. It will tell WHV there is still a huge audience for this franchise without letting them think they can get away with quicky cheap-o releases designed for four year olds who frankly have much better children's programming options. And to be honest, if the only new "DCAU" projects we get in the future are on the same level as Brainiac Attacks I would just rather not see anything new from this franchise.

Rating:

- Brainiac Attacks, and Lex Luthor Ruins the movie
I can't beleive they included this movie as part of the DCAU. There was no continuity with the rest of the DCAU and the movie had a comic slapstick overtone that completely went astray from the rest of the series. I'd of given this movie a negative rating if I could.

Rating:

- Call it "Super-Duper Man"
Yeah, call it "Super-Duper Man" because the story, the animation, and most of the voicework is on par with something only a 3 year-old could watch and be entertained.

All the reviews you've read here (and I haven't found a single positive one yet) . . . believe them!!! STAS was one of the best animated shows around. This garbage is insulting to think of it as being related in any way whatsoever to STAS.

Warner Brothers, the production company, the animators, and the horrible writers should be ashamed to put their names on this. Do yourself a favor - watch an episode of Scrappy-Doo. Even that puts this to shame.

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