Talia_the_StoryMaker Let me preface this review by saying that this is the first DC animated movie I've watched, unless you count a compilation of the first episodes of Justice League, and I also haven't read the comic this film is based on, so I'm not going to be comparing it to either of those other things. I've watched most of Superman: The Animated Series, but other than that even my DCAU experience is rather limited. However, I am a big fan of Superman, if a relatively new and inexperienced one, so there's that.Overall, I found this movie very enjoyable, and it successfully captured much of what I love about the character while also telling a really interesting, thought-provoking story that went beyond costumed characters beating each other up. As others have pointed out, the analysis is pretty simple and one-sided, and while a more thorough treatment could've been nice, I still liked it the way it was. The point of the movie was to defend Superman's idealistic way of doing things in a cynical and angry age, and personally I don't have a problem with that - heck, I actually really like it. Yes, there's certainly a need in the world for a more thorough treatment of these issues, but that doesn't mean this film has to do it all.The depiction of Clark/Superman in this film was very nice. I think they captured his most important traits just about perfectly. He comes across as authentically human and an embodiment of our highest ideals at the same time. I also really loved their portrayal of Lois and Clark's relationship. An especially cute aspect was seeing them maintaining their journalistic rivalry despite being a married couple now. We also saw that their relationship has its ups and downs, just like everybody's, but that their love and commitment for each other is incredibly strong. It just reinforced in my mind how awesome and important an aspect of the series Clark and Lois' relationship can be, and I'm so glad they paid it attention. I have to say, Lois came across as a little too whiny, especially with the voice they gave her, but I do like that she's far from perfect.The Elite were entertaining and interesting in both personalities and powers, which I was grateful for - I'm glad they weren't just generic bad guys. Still, I wished they hadn't tried quite as hard to dial down the viewers' sympathy for them, as it's one thing that could've made the film a little more nuanced easily.If you accept its one-sided nature, the moral conflict and Clark's quest to restore justice and morality is a beauty to behold. I loved how they explored how Superman is more than someone who just solves our problems - he's an inspiration to us, someone we can aspire to be like. He doesn't just beat up the bad guys. He shows us that there's a better way. And that's what the Elite, and the "edgy" superheroes they were designed to spoof, just don't get. Superman's quest isn't just to stop some villain from doing something - he's actually trying to convince the people of earth, us, to hope for better things and not settle for violent solutions. Their depiction of the conflict, and especially how it was resolved, was very compelling.The artwork and animation was serviceable at worst, but I'd be lying if I said they were super impressive. Probably the worst thing of all was, at the risk of sounding a little silly, Superman's chin. For some reason they decided to make it really big and odd-looking. There were also a few moments that looked just a little cheap in the animation department, such as one near the start where it was very obvious that everything was absolutely still and rigid other than Superman's mouth. Overall, this aspect of the film wasn't bad, certainly, but it wasn't particularly great either.This is pretty minor, but I just have to make a quick note of this - Superman's alter ego of Clark Kent is an aspect of the character I love, and while he didn't play a huge role in the story, he did get some nice screen time and he was portrayed nicely. (To be clear, there was no visible difference in personality between him and Superman, but I'm a-OK with that.) I just feel compelled to mention this because, in my personal opinion, the Clark Kent from Superman: The Animated Series is one of the worst versions of the mild-mannered reporter ever created (despite the overall solid-ness of that show), and so it was just really nice seeing a well-done version of him in a modern animation - so nice I felt compelled to comment on it.Oh, and, I just have to say it - the idea of people rallying around and singing the praises of total jerks who talk about how they're going to solve problems in the harshest possible ways reminds me a bit of a certain presidential candidate, which will certainly date this review, but whatever.Overall, if you have any interest in Superman, superhero cartoons, etc., I definitely recommend you give this a watch.

Neil Welch Superman's role as purveyor of justice is challenged by The Elite, a super-powered group led by Manchester Black, who kill super-villains so that they can't escape and commit more mayhem. But is the only way to deal with The Elite to use their own methods against them? I have mixed feelings about this animated movie which adapts a story arc by Joe Kelly. It's a good story, well told, which raises interesting questions about the morality of misusing power over others. On the other hand, it is a very dark piece, with some inappropriate language for an all-ages character like Superman (Superman would not use the expression "w*nkers", for instance). So my verdict is mixed.And the assorted British regional accents are inconsistent: Black has a generic "oop north" accent while his father and younger sister have London accents!

Adam Foidart "Superman vs. the Elite" isn't entirely successful in its discussions on politics and the price of power, but it's a decent superhero story. The story concerns a new group of superhero vigilantes that call themselves "The Elite". Manchester Black (voiced by Robin Atkin Downes), Coldcast (voiced by Catero Colbert), Menagerie (voiced by Melissa Disney) deal with supervillains their way: by killing them. The world seems to embrace these new heroes and shun Superman (voiced by George Newbern) as "old fashioned" and "cheesy". The conflicting ideals of these heroes pit them against each other.The quality of the animation varies from excellent to just OK and while most of the story seems grounded in semi-reality, with the fantasy and "comic-bookiness" being reduced to create parallels to our world, a scene with giant mutant insect tanks is really glaring and doesn't fit the tone of the story. What works is the chemistry between Superman/Clark Kent and Lois Lane (voiced by Pauley Perrette), the themes and ideas brought up by the conflicts and the discussions between our characters spread throughout the film. Adults that are familiar with the debate, which essentially is that of whether or not the death penalty should be a form of punishment, will find that they don't last long enough but it's refreshing to see the film take a stand on an issue it really believes in and stick with it. For younger audiences that haven't seen this material before, this is a good starting point and a way to generate some great conversation. Superman believes that killing is wrong under any circumstances, but he's also nearly invulnerable so does he really grasp the danger these villains he goes up against regularly really pose? To what extent is it OK to interfere with another country's politics and disagreements when you have the power to do so? If it is OK to take the life of another person, who judges how much is enough? When accompanied with the special features and commentary the film is a more complete experience and a lot more satisfying than just the feature by itself so it's preferable to set a generous amount of time aside and enjoying the special features immediately after to complement the faults of the film. The film is only OK by itself, mostly because it doesn't really have as much bite as you wish it would considering the themes, but it's worth your while. (On Blu-ray, September 29, 2012)

lupingodoy That's all! "The Authority" is taken and transformed into "The Elite". The whole concept of "The Authority" from Warren Ellis is taken without any respect or copyright. Jenny Sparks is really Manchester. Irreverence looks throughout the movie. At the end, DC heroes prevail just because they made the movie. In the World of Wildstorm we know what would have happened. Too bad the general public does not know deeply these comics classics that were the first to challenge the pro-establishment of DC and Marvel. This film is an example of how DC is decadent and desperate to change his line of heroes and "freshen" a bit to fit more into the modern world, ruthless and cruel, but idealistic in the background.