Parents' Guide to

Superman Batman: Public Enemies

By Will Wade, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Framed superheroes fight back -- and fight some more.

Movie PG-13 2009 75 minutes
Superman Batman: Public Enemies Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 12+

Based on 4 parent reviews

Nathan R.
Nathan R. Adult
April 20, 2017
age 11+

Superman/Batman: Public Enemies

TimTheTVGuy
TimTheTVGuy Adult
October 16, 2012
age 7+

Don't listen to the parents!

OK,I understand CSM wants their kids lives to be safe,but it just gets ANNOYING! This was an awesome,action packed movie!
See all 4 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Capitalizing on economic and social upheaval, supervillain Lex Luthor rides a wave of populist anger into the White House. President Luthor's first job: frame Superman for murder and order his arrest. But the caped crusader won't be taken easily, and his pal Batman has his back. Every hero in town tries to enforce the arrest warrant, and when Luthor announces a $1 billion reward for Superman's capture, the supervillains are eager to jump into the fray. Can Superman and Batman fend off all these attacks and prove the charges are false? And in the meantime, who's going to stop the massive kryptonite asteroid that's on a collision course with Earth?

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (4):
Kids say (8):

SUPERMAN/BATMAN: PUBLIC ENEMIES starts off with a bit more depth than the average superhero yarn. When Superman protests his innocence, other heroes are forced to takes sides. Should they obey their orders, from the president no less, or should they defy the commander-in-chief and help the caped crusader? And this isn't the only thorny dilemma: twice, superheroes must take on extremely dangerous tasks, possibly sacrificing themselves, to save others. These are tough moral questions, but the film doesn't delve too deeply into them.

Instead, it focuses on the action when Superman and Batman are attacked by dozens of superheroes and supervillains. The second half of the movie is near-nonstop combat, and some of it is pretty intense. The fight scenes aren't bad, but they aren't anything that hasn't been seen before either. Still, it's interesting that an animated film aimed at younger viewers would even try to introduce such weighty issues.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about following orders. Should superheroes always obey the president's instructions, even whey they are told to arrest Superman? What do you think of Power Girl's decision to question these orders?

  • What kind of crises would prompt people to elect well-known super-villain Lex Luthor President of the United States? How does his rise to political power parallel other elections throughout history? Can you think of other movies that feature evil people who are elected to high office?

Movie Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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