Buy Superman/Batman: Public Enemies (Two-Disc Special Edition)
or Superman/Batman: Public Enemies [Blu-ray]
*contains very light spoilers*
I start this review by saying I have not read the comics this movie is based on. I have heard from other, however, that it’s done very well in relation to the story in the comics. This review will be based on my opinions coming solely from viewing the DVD. There will be light spoilers, but I won’t reveal large plot points.
To begin, Lex Luthor is elected President of the United States. President Luthor wants all superheroes in service of the government. Those who don’t agree to work for him will find out they are not above the law. Superman, of course, refuses to work for Luthor. He knows he’s up to something.
There is a massive meteor made of Kryptonite heading towards earth. Luthor wants to be the one to destroy it, so he can get the credit. That is behind closed doors though. He publicly announced that he wants to work with Superman to destroy the meteor.
Superman meets with Luthor, but Luthor brought Metallo with him. This weakens Superman and he pushes Luthor down. Luthor flees, while Superman is left to have an all out brawl with Metallo. This fight is awesome! Batman steps in, but he and Superman are no match for the machine that just keeps coming. They escape to Batman’s cave.
They find out, however, that Metallo is dead. Luthor is saying that Superman killed the innocent John Corbin and must be stopped. He has a video of Superman pushing him down and part of the fight with Metallo. Luthor claims the Kryptonite in the meteor is affecting Superman’s mind and offers a 1 billion dollar reward for his defeat.
This causes Superman and Batman to be confronted by a hoard of super villains, plus the super heroes working for Luthor. There are some great fights here as well. They must try to convince the other super heroes that they are on the wrong side. That’s all I’ll say about the plot, except four words: Lex Luthor Kryptonite Suit.
The story is really entertaining, with plenty of twists to keep your attention. There are loads of names you’ll recognize if you’re a DC comics fan. I didn’t know all of them, but that gives me the excuse to pull out my DC Encyclopedia. Powergirl, Hawkman, and Toy Man are just a few of the names of appear. I also really enjoyed the relationship between Superman and Batman. They had a lot of great jokes between the two. I’d highly recommend this movie. It’s one of my favorites among the DC animated features.
(Photo: Warner Home Video)