Review of Superman/Batman: Apocalypse (2010) by Shane J — 17 Jul 2012

I like superheroes. I like Batman and Superman. I like comic books; by no means am I a collector, or someone who considers himself an avid comic book fanatic. I like good stories more than all of the above, especially in my comic book superhero movies. So, like the previously released "Public Enemies" team up, I had a hard time getting into such a typical BLAMPHKAZAMBAMBOOZLE comic-booky storyline. "The Avengers" goes over the top and retains its comic book feel while simultaneously telling a quality story. "Apocalypse," on the other hand, is so convoluted that it makes "Public Enemies" look like it deserves an Oscar for storytelling. Nothing makes sense. Things happen so that the heroes can bam, punch, and zlap the bad guys. Zero consequence. Batman goes to space. Can the heroes save the world? Who cares, we already know Superman will laser eye something and it will look cool.

It's not all bad. It's fun to watch. Batman flies around on a jetpack on the hellish planet Apocalypse. Superman punches things. Wonder Woman leads an army into battle. There's a grandma supervilian. Supergirl is Paris Hilton. The production values are on par with other Warner Premiere animations (even though Superman seemingly puts on eye shadow), though nothing stands out like the animation does in "Gotham Knight." It's a story that will entertain those that know of the comic book and enjoy the ridiculous explanations for story events that the medium can fall into sometimes. Don't think about it, and watch the bingbangboom if that's your bag of Ruffles. Otherwise, steer clear of the bad jokes and cliché comic book storytelling.