Director – Sam Liu (Wonder Woman: Bloodlines, Batman: Gotham By Gaslight)
Starring – Jason Isaacs (The Patriot, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets), Amy Acker (The Cabin in the Woods, Angel), and Diedrich Bader (The Drew Carey Show, Dead and Breakfast)
Release Date – 2020
Rating – 2.5/5
Tagline – “The Cold War is heating up”
The last year or so I’ve found myself falling in love with the DC animated movies. This started with Batman: Gotham by Gaslight and soon after I found myself grabbing everyone I came across. Since then there has been several DC animated movies hit store shelves that I was lucky enough to review. Most were very impressive but there was one or two that just didn’t work for me. Regardless, I always go into these things excited to see what they are going to give me next. A few days back I received the newest DC animated film Superman: Red Son for review. The trailer looked awesome and I couldn’t wait to dive into it.
The film follows Superman if he would have landed in Russia as a baby instead of the U.S. He grows up into Superman during the Cold War with Stalin in power over the Soviet Union. When he discovers that Stalin has secretly been using slaves to mine he kills him and takes over as ruler molding the country into his own vision while Lex Luthor, now POTUS, and the American people worry that his power will some day be used to take over the entire world. **Spoiler Alert**
I was very excited for this one but when it was all said and done I found myself very disappointed with the end product. The same can be said about the horror film Brightburn. Both films suffered the same fate due to the popularity of the Superman origin story.
The voice acting in this one is strange but fits the film. It’s so strange hearing Diedrich Bader as a DC character especially one as well known as Lex Luthor but he works for the film. The same can be said for Jason Isaacs with a Russian accent. It’s out of place for that actor but it definitely fits the film. The supporting cast is very similar. Amazing talents taking on strange roles.
The story for this one is different but predictable especially considering how iconic the Superman origin story is mixed with the Cold War that has also found itself engrained in pop culture. However, the story still works if you put the predictability aside. Seeing Superman as the villain and Luthor as the hero of sorts is refreshing but not enough to actually carry the film. By the 40 minute mark you are waiting for Luthor to win like we know he will and for the movie to end.
Finally, the animation is what you would expect from a DC animated movie. I was more impressed by some of the older releases but this one has nice color and crisp images which makes it easy for the viewer to follow. Overall, Superman: Red Son is a solid watch that is painfully predictable and no rewatch value. The film does dive deep into the Cold War which is a plus for those of you that are history inclined but aside from that the film is rather dull. If you dig the other DC releases you will appreciate this one but don’t expect something mesmerizing.
