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The Death And Return Of Superman: The Complete Film Collection: Limited-Edition Gift Set 4K Review

“The Death And Return Of Superman” is a tale of 2 movies.

Much like “The Dark Knight Returns: Deluxe Edition”, “The Death And Return Of Superman” combines 2 films (“The Death Of Superman” and “Reign Of The Supermen”) into 1 big 166 minute film. In the first half (“The Death Of Superman”), Doomsday arrives on Earth and causes mass destruction. The only hope of stopping the villain is Superman and the Justice League. Elsewhere in this story, Lex is up to not good (as per usual) and Lois and Clark’s relationship is explored. In the second half (“Reign Of The Supermen”), the story primarily deals with Superman’s absence and those that step up to the plate to fight for Earth (Superboy, Steel, Eradicator, and Cyborg Superman). However, not all of them are who they appear to be. Matters worsen when the Justice League vanishes and a new villain enters the fray.

“The Death And Return Of Superman” actually works better as two separate films mostly because “The Death Of Superman” is the superior movie. While it is strange to see the Superman V Doomsday battle yet again as it has been done before in “Superman: Doomsday” and “Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice,” the script by Peter J. Tomasi has a surprising amount of emotion and heart thanks to a well scripted exploration of Lois and Clark’s relationship. It’s not often you see a DC animated film with some real character depth. Of course, given that this is an action sci-fi film, there’s plenty of high flying action that will thrill fans as well. The only element out of sorts here is Lex Luthor (voiced by Rainn Wilson) who feels like a distraction here (not to mention out of character in parts).

The second half of the film ie “Reign Of The Superman” lacks the depth of the first half. While the new characters are a welcome addition, you can’t help but feel like they could have been explored more here. It would have been beneficial to learn more about what a Superman free world looks like too. Perhaps the biggest blunder here is just how rushed it all feels. The drama and big reveals are underplayed and the ending is unsatisfactory. Sure, there’s plenty of action spectacles to behold, but again, you’re left wanting more.

I couldn’t end this review without giving praise to both Jerry O’Connell and Rebecca Romijin who deserve credit for their performances as Lois and Clark/Superman. They really bring the characters to life.

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 1.78:1 2160p. How does it look? A nice upgrade from the Blu-ray version. The colors really pop here.

Audio Track: 5.1 DTS-HD MA. How does it sound? It would have been nice to see a higher quality audio, but it does the job.

Extras:
* Blu-ray copy and Digital copy
* A Steel action figure
* Warner and DC trailers including previews of “Justice League Vs. The Fatal Five,” “Reign of the Supermen” “The Dark Knight Returns Parts 1 and 2,” and a sneak peek at the forthcoming “Wonder Woman: Bloodlines.”
* Episodes of “Justice League Unlimited (“The Doomsday Sanction” and “Panic In The Sky”), “Batman: The Brave and the Bold” (“Darkseid Descending!”), “Legion of Super Heroes (“Dark Victory Parts 1 and 2”), and “Superman: The Animated Series (“Heavy Metal”).
* “The Death Of Superman: The Brawl That Topped Them All”- A featurette on “The Death Of Superman” story.
* “Lex Luthor: The Greatest Nemesis”- A featurette on the iconic Superman foe.
* “Long Live Superman”- A new 45 minute documentary about the history and legacy of the beloved DC Comics character. A fantastic extra (especially for Superman fans).
* The crown jewel of the bonus features here is the inclusion of “Superman: Doomsday” in 4K for the first time. The 2007 film (which was the very DC Universe animated film) still holds up and offers up plenty of action. In fact, I actually prefer it to “The Death And Return Of Superman.”

September 30, 2019 - Posted by nicklyons1 | 4K UHD Review | DC Animated Films, DC Comics, Justice League, Lex Luthor, Reign Of The Supermen, Steel Figure, Superman, Superman: Doomsday 4K, The Death And Return Of Superman: The Complete Film Collection: Limited-Edition Gift Set 4K Review, The Death of Superman, The Death Of Superman 4K Review