Ticket Stubs: Superman: Brainiac Attacks

When it comes to animated movies based off of comic books I am usually wary. I learned a hard lesson with Marvel’s Ultimate Avengers and Ultimate Avengers 2, but DC seems to know a thing or two about transplanting their iconic characters from the printed page to the big screen.

I think one of the problems of adapting comic books into movies, both animated and live action, are the time restraints. There is only so much you can do in a 90-minute film, whereas the comic book medium allows for longer and more well developed stories. Despite the medium, Superman: Brainiac Attacks still manages to deliver a fairly complex story.

Embittered by Superman’s heroic successes and soaring popularity, Lex Luthor forms a dangerous alliance with the powerful computer/villain Brainiac. Using advanced weaponry and a special strain of kryptonite harvested from the far reaches of outer space, Luthor specifically redesigns Brainiac to defeat the Man of Steel. But when Brainiac betrays Luthor and reveals its sinister plans for world domination, Superman must brave the mysterious Phantom Zone to find the strength to survive this deadly showdown.

The film takes Superman from Smallville, to Metropolis, to the Phantom Zone and back all in 75 action-packed minutes. The film moves faster than a speeding bullet as Superman wages battle after brutal battle. The fight scenes are numerous but they are also well integrated into the flow of the narrative. Superman really takes a beating in this film as does the city of Metropolis.

I really enjoyed how Brainiac exploited Superman’s weakness. No, not kryptonite but his love for the people of earth. He launches nuclear weapons and destroys aerial metro lines with the sole purpose of distracting Superman, and it works every time. We even see Superman returning a baby to her mother in the midst of a raging battle. I admire Brainiac for his intelligence but I admire Superman even more for his social conscience.

Like any good Superman story, there is more to this film than just fight sequences. There are several smaller plot threads that add a lot to the film’s charm. The Jimmy Olsen love triangle is especially well done: The Daily Planet’s food critic Sarah is smitten with Jimmy but he is infatuated with Lex Luthor’s voluptuous sidekick Mercy Graves.

The plot is fairly linear but it does manage to throw in a few twists along the way. The climatic final battle segues into a romantic finale that provides closure to this whirlwind of a movie.

Superman: Brainiac Attacks wrestles with themes Superman has been facing since his first appearance in 1938. Superman’s internal struggle revolves around the issue of his secret identity and love for Lois Lane. He wants to reveal his secret to Lois but fears that by doing so her life will be put in danger. Superman battles with this paradox as he simultaneously battles Brainiac.

Lois Lane plays her typical role in this film, the ambitious news reporter who is in love with Superman but is oblivious to his secret identity. When she puts herself in harms way, it is up to Superman to rescue her. Nothing new here. My favorite character in the film is Lex Luthor. He provides most of the comic relief and it is actually funny. Yes he is a villain, but when compared to Brainiac he’s not that evil. Brainiac is evil personified… even though he is a robot. He upgrades several times throughout the movie and by the end, he is a hulking behemoth of metal and wires.

The film’s score is excellent and echoes John William’s classic motifs from Superman: The Movie (1978). It all feels very epic and well suited for a story about Superman. The voice acting is equally as impressive. Tim Daly voices Clark Kent/Superman, Dana Delany voices Lois Lane and Powers Boothe voices a fantastic Lex Luthor. 

I enjoyed this movie so much I couldn’t wait to get to the special features. I directed my remote to the extras and what I found was not that special. The extras consist of trailers for upcoming DC and Warner Bros. Move. No deleted scenes. No director commentary. No animation stills. Nothing.

Superman: Brainiac Attacks has everything I look for in an animated movie: good voice acting, an emotional musical score, quality animation and most importantly, an engaging storyline. There’s humor, there’s romance and there is no shortage of high-octane fight scenes. DC did a fantastic job of taking Superman from the pages of Action Comics to the television screen. I hope to see more animated movies of this quality from DC in the future.