Superman: Man of Tomorrow Review

The latest game news from IGN - one of my fave channels ever - check it out Note: this is a spoiler-free review of Superman: Man of Tomorrow, which is available to purchase now in Digital HD and will be released on DVD, Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD on September 8. [poilib element="accentDivider"] It's telling that so many of the Superman-focused entries in the animated DC Universe Movies line have dealt with Superman's death in some way, either literally or metaphorically. Many superhero fans may have trouble connecting with a hero they see as too decent and too powerful for his own good, and so these movies have tried to compensate by either placing the Man of Steel in mortal peril or challenging the relevance of Truth, Justice and the American Way. There's something refreshingly simply about Superman: Man of Tomorrow's approach. Rather than reinvent the Kryptonian wheel, it simply seeks to show us how a lonely boy from Kansas became the hero his city needed. Man of Tomorrow is the first of these direct-to-video projects to arrive since Justice League Dark: Apokolips War closed the door on the animated DC Universe Movies continuity earlier in 2020. It seems only fitting to usher in what looks to be a brand new animated universe by heading back to the beginning and chronicling Superman's origin. Man of Tomorrow is set very early in his superhero career, before Kal-El (Darren Criss) has donned his iconic costume or even fully come to terms with his Kryptonian heritage. His struggle to reconcile his human and alien sides forms the crux of the conflict. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=superman-man-of-tomorrow&captions=true"] Man of Tomorrow packs in most of the Superman mainstays fans would expect, including Lex Luthor (Zachary Quinto), Lois Lane, (Alexandra Daddario) and Ma and Pa Kent (Bellamy Young and Neil Flynn), with Parasite (Brett Dalton) serving as the fledgling hero's first real opponent. Only Superman's pal Jimmy Olsen is strangely MIA. Man of Tomorrow also begins laying the foundation for what is presumably a new shared universe. Both Lobo (Ryan Hurst) and Martian Manhunter (Ike Amadi) play major roles in the story, and there are various other nods to the larger DC Universe along the way. Man of Tomorrow rarely deviates from the established path when it comes to chronicling Superman's origin. Naturally, that conservative approach has its benefits and drawbacks. The movie definitely plays it too safe in terms of plot. If you've read any of the classic origin comics like Man of Steel or Superman: Birthright - or just watched the 1978 live-action movie - you'll know more or less exactly what to expect from Clark's journey. Thankfully, at least, this version doesn't get caught up in trying to chronicle life on Krypton or even Clark's childhood. The movie takes place almost entirely in one time period, and that streamlined approach helps avoid some of the tiresome tropes and maintain the focus needed with such a tight runtime. The main benefit to this safe, traditional storytelling approach is that it helps establish a much different tone for both Superman himself and the wider DCU. Too many of these direct-to-video animated movies have been pointlessly grim and violent. There's been too much emphasis on adapting the storylines and faux-edgy tone of DC's New 52 comics and not enough on celebrating the hope and optimism at the core of these characters (not that this problem is exclusive to the animated movies). So there's something refreshing about a Superman movie with relatively smaller stakes that's more concerned with the man beneath the suit than the spectacle of it all. As is so often the case with these movies, the rigid 80-minute runtime doesn't really do the story any favors. Tim Sheridan's screenplay captures the key character relationships well, but in most could have really benefited from an extra scene or two. That's especially true with the Superman/Luthor dynamic, which doesn't really start to be fleshed out until the final act. But again, the hope is that we'll be seeing more of these particular incarnations in future DC animated movies. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/23/superman-man-of-tomorrow-exclusive-official-trailer"] Apart from jump-starting a new animated universe, Man of Tomorrow is most notable for employing a fairly novel animation style. Gone is the generic house style that defined nearly all of these movies in the past. In its place is a cel-shaded style where the CG-animated characters are outlined in thick, black lines. This style doesn't necessarily look great in still photos, but in motion it becomes clear this is a big improvement. The flat colors heavy lines give the film an appropriately comic book-y feel. And where many of these movies suffer from a strange Uncanny Valley effect whenever two-dimensional figures are juxtaposed with CG vehicles and buildings, this new approach allows the characters to fit more seamlessly into their environments. The voice cast is also generally strong, with Quinto's Luthor and Amadi's Martian Manhunter being the two standouts. After so many movies of listening to Rainn Wilson's nasally, whiny Luthor, it's nice to hear a more well-rounded yet still arrogant rendition of the character. Criss, for his part, is adept at playing Superman as a younger, inexperienced hero who hasn't yet gained the confidence of his various animated counterparts. Flynn is pitch-perfect as Pa Kent, though he only has a handful of scenes. Daddario is the one real disappointment, unfortunately. Her Lois often sounds listless and bored, which really doesn't help sell the friendly rivalry that develops between Lois and Clark. 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