Based on the classic "Death of Superman" and "Return of Superman" storylines, it tells the story of Superman's death whilst battling the near-unstoppable creature Doomsday, the world's reaction to his death, and his subsequent return.
It's important to understand that, while the film is produced by the legendary Bruce Timm, it doesn't take place within the regular DC Animated Universe. The film takes place in a continuity where Superman is the only superhero on Earth, so don't expect the members of the Justice League to be involved (as they were in the original comic).
The film rates as a PG-13, which is a little unusual for an animated feature, but by the end of the first half-hour, you know why.
Seriously, the violence in this is brutal at times. When Doomsday finally appears on the scene, the carnage he causes, and the way he remorslesly kills every living thing he comes across is quite shocking, for an animated film. Granted, it's mostly a bloodless affair, but the brutallity of it all is enough. He hits and smashes regular Humans with the same force he hits Superman with, and nothing is safe from his killing spree.
Then comes the battle between him and Superman - which rages on for over 8 minutes. The fight is nothing short of epic. The moves they use on each other, and the power of the blows they trade really capture the essence of a titanic battle between two super-powerful beings.
There's some great character work in there too - the relationship between Lois and Superman has an interesting dynamic, and James Marster's Lex Luthor is nothing short of perfect. His reaction to Superman's death, and what it means to him to lose his greatest foe is really well handled and brings some extra depth to him as a character. Not to mention how ruthlessly evil he is - there's one scene in particular that demonstrates this. You'll know which one I mean when you see it.
Adam Baldwin's voice fits Superman perfectly, and he carries the role off to a tee. I'd love to hear him voice Superman in future animated movies.
The animation is pretty damn good, and the voice actors are all on top form. There are some great iconic images throughout the film too that harken back to the comics.
I really could go on forever about this because I honestly can't think of a single fault with it. I thought it was absolutely spot on. I'm going to stop writing now before this post becomes as long as the film. I'll just say one thing; watch this film, as soon as you can get a copy. It's thoroughly enjoyable, and I think any fan of Superman, or superhero films/animations in general, will enjoy it.
Here's a few stills. As ever, click to enlarge...
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