Review – SUPERMAN UNBOUND
Based on the graphic novel by Geoff Johns, Superman Unbound tells the tale of Superman’s (voiced by Matt Bomer – White Collar, Chuck ) first encounter with Brainiac (voiced by John Noble – Lord of the Rings, Fringe), and is the second time we see Supergirl (voiced by Molly C. Quinn – Castle) in the DC Universe DVD series.
Brainiac is a computerized villain whose thirst for ultimate knowledge extracts all information from any planet he encounters. He keeps a piece of the culture from each world he visits and destroys the planet so he alone has the knowledge of that world and now he’s setting his sights on earth – as if we didn’t see this coming, when Supergirl explains to her cousin Brainiac’s origins and how he operates. This story touches on a few underlying plotlines, such as the Lois Lane/Superman relationship: Lois’s (voiced by Stana Katic – Castle) frustration with Clark’s double life and his withdrawal from her in case some wacko figures out his dual identity and uses Lois as bait.
There is a message in this story about how you have to stand up to bullies and not run away, as Superman coaches a scared Supergirl whose home world of Kandor was ravaged by Brainiac.
Looking at the animation of Superman Unbound, the movie once again achieves Warner Brothers’ goal of making each DC Universe DVD unique in the style of animation. Supergirl’s hair looks painted rather than drawn and there are some psychedelic looking parts to the animation of this piece – mainly the opening and closing credits. One of the highlights of the film is Lois Lane showing Brainiac how unimpressed she is with two finger gestures.
Superman Unbound is a much different take on the man of steel than previous Superman animated movies within the DC Universe series, such as Superman: Doomsday (dealing with Superman’s death,) All Star Superman (a more relaxed Superman ) and Superman vs. The Elite (testing the man of steel’s moral compass).
Fans of Superman and those who will become fans of the boy in blue (due to the upcoming Man of Steel Movie,) will enjoy this animated feature. Superman Unbound is available where ever DVDs are sold.
