 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Superman: Doomsday
- PG-13
- Genre: Science Fiction
- 2007
Common Sense Media says
Violent cartoon spinoff with classic superhero.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this is a Superman story pitched on a more adult level. In addition to rampant violence and mass destruction of cities and machinery, people are killed (even animals and children, off-screen). Characters swear, at PG-level. Superman and Lois Lane have been "more than friends" (as Lex Luthor puts it), though we don't see them having sex. There is, er, super-nudity in a clinical setting, but shadows and amusing obstacles block our view of the, um, super-gear.
What's the story?
A feature successor (but not a direct continuation) of the most recent TV Superman cartoons, SUPERMAN: DOOMSDAY adapts a big-selling DC Comics cycle of the '90s that made headlines for Superman dying (apparently), and the tangled events that result. This is a more streamlined retelling -- no Wonder Woman or other DC icons in the mix. As this opens, Superman and Lois Lane are already together. Lois is about to get Superman admitting his Clark Kent identity as a symbol of commitment when an emergency strikes. Lex Luthor's illegal mining operations unearth an alien craft holding a genetically engineered "super-soldier." Superman's fight in Metropolis with the relentless, merciless foe seems to end with the Man of Steel giving his own life in the final effort. Even ruthless arch-enemy Lex Luthor feels cheated, but it gives him the opportunity for an extreme power grab.
Is it any good?
Early on Superman laments he can only save people through his strength, but not through intellect (it's suggested Luthor, hoarding various medical miracle cures he's invented, does have that brilliance). And sure enough, super-beat-downs predominate. Short-attention-span viewers of all ages never need to wait long for another super-fight that destroys whole skyscrapers at a time. But the script takes time now and then to put some real thought into fundamental questions of what personality traits make Superman the intrinsically good guy he is -- and where that could go wrong, in a super-substitute.
There is also the intriguing (but short-lived) depiction of Metropolis without Superman, and how his absence affects longstanding characters in the series. This makes Superman: Doomsday a distinct level above lots of video releases of the older TV Superman cartoons. If only the music score was more orchestral, not a cheap-sounding synthesizer.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about the different viewpoints of Kal-El (AKA Superman) we get here, chiefly from Luthor and Lois, especially when a wannabe tries to take his place. What is missing from the substitute Superman? Do you prefer characters like Batman and Superman as simple do-gooders of yesteryear, or the more complicated ones of today?
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AGE
veeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeey violenet but awsome
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AGE
Over-Hyped Kids Flick
This movie is not much different than "Justice League" and "Superman: The Animated Series". Don't buy the hype that it is anything different. It was boring and not worth the 78 minutes. As usual, the redeeming factor is that Superman is a great role model for kids.
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AGE
Good film but not for young children.
A good story but a little too violent for younger kids.
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Kid, 12 years old
March 25, 2011
AGE
NOT FOR KIDS
Pg-13? What? Superman is beaten to death,people die,people get shot, a version of superman kills toyman and blood is shown, Super Man Cuts His Freakin Head Open. Who thought this movie should not be pg-13?
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AGE
I thought this was too dark for a superman movie. It was too violent and the idea of
superman dying is not good for young children. It was not a very good movie.
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AGE
A violent movie that is not for kids.
I hated this movie. It was really violent for a PG-13. Superman is brutally murdered. A young girl is brutually murdered and a clone of Superman brutally murders a creepy version of the villian Toyman. The movie is hideous as they changed the style of animation from the kind I saw in Superman The Animated Series and Justice League. The movie has lots of terrible things in it like drug and blood. I think this movie almost ruined the Superman franchise.
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AGE
Violent movie.
This is a really violent movie. Heck, Supes even vomits blood. This film was pretty edgy.
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AGE
Violent
Awesome adaptation that is violent for kids
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| Topics: | superheroes |
| Studio: | Warner Home Video |
| Director: | Bruce Timm |
| Cast: | Adam Baldwin, Anne Heche, James Marsters |
| Genre: | Science Fiction |
| Run time: | 78 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | September 16, 2007 |
| DVD release date: | September 17, 2007 |
| MPAA rating: | PG-13 |
| MPAA explanation: | action violence |
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