Movie Monday: Superman/Batman: Public Enemies

Director: Sam Liu

Writer: Stan Berkowitz

Starring: Kevin Conroy, Tim Daly, Clancy Brown, Allison Mack, John C. McGinley, LeVar Burton, CCH Pounder

Release: 2009

Lex Luthor has (somehow) been elected President of the United States, building a government-sponsored group of superheroes. Batman and Superman remain distrustful and this is only reinforced when Luthor uses Metallo's death following a battle with Superman to frame the Man of Steel for Metallo's murder. Batman and Superman are forced to go on the run, hunted by both former allies and villains who are eager to collect the bounty offered.

Meanwhile, a kryptonite asteroid gets closer and closer to Earth. Refusing aid from superheroes, President Luthor attempts to use nuclear weapons to destroy it. When this fails, he decides that it will be easier to rebuild civilisation after the asteroid has destroyed it. When Batman and Superman learn of this, they must find a way to stop Luthor, the asteroid and clear their names. But with allies and enemies on their tails, they may not have enough time.

Adapted from the Jeph Loeb story of the same name, Superman/Batman: Public Enemies, the film features the voice actors that had become iconic for voicing the characters in the animated series, but the film isn't directly associated with those series beyond this. Conroy and Daly have really captured the spirit of both Batman and Superman over the years to the point where it seems almost unnatural to hear someone else playing either of them.

The story itself is just as convoluted as the comic it comes from, but it features some great action sequences. As an adaptation, it's superb – save for a few minor changes, it's basically the same story. This is great for people who loved the book and want to see it as a movie, but it's not a perfect jumping off point for newcomers. It does rely heavily on knowledge of the characters from other sources – which to be fair, if you're buying a direct-to-DVD animated movie about Superman and Batman on the run, you probably have an idea who they are.

Honestly, I think this film is better for younger audiences and truly devoted fans. While the acting is amazing and it's great to see well-made adaptations (and all of the DC animated films are amazing adaptations), this is one that it's probably best to just read the book.

Superman/Batman: Public Enemies – 9781401248185 - $32.99 – 336 pages