Superman vs. The Elite (2012 Video)
9/10
Best Superman Film I have seen
13 October 2012
Superman is a walking atom bomb. This movie shows all of the themes that comic book writers have swept under the rug for years including the scope of superman's powers, the collateral damage associated with him cutting loose, and the absolute necessity of his moral restraints given that his unintentional motions could have devastating consequences for others. Superman is capable of fulfilling all of his desires instantly including his desire for revenge. This movie begins to explore the depth of his restraint and why this makes him the best superhero as well as why others who are not as stubborn in their unwavering morality can't be trusted in similar positions of authority. The difference between Manchester Black and Superman is the difference between Emperor Marcus Aurelius Antoninus and Emperor Commodus.

A serious battle between Superman and an aggressor would have devastating consequences for his surroundings. If he moved at his top speed his surface temperature would bake his surroundings (an SR-71 blackbird has some areas on its surface at 1000 degrees at mach 3 and superman can move at 880991 times that). He can easily cause earthquakes, tsunami's and hurricanes when his various abilities are used at their full strength and I like to imagine that unleashing his heat vision at maximum intensity could roast the surface of the earth. When you have this level of power absolute restraint is necessary to avoid upsetting the fabric of human society. Because of this it is almost certain that one day his powers will be the source of a natural disaster when fighting off one of his tougher opponents. This is an untapped source of endless potential drama.

What if he accidentally caused a tidal wave that wrecked a certain community? What if he accidentally destroyed one of the fleets of the US? How would the US respond given that it is the job of all military organizations to develop contingency plans against potential threats? What would be the geopolitical impact of Superman in a world like ours if he chose to intervene in world affairs? He easily has the power to do so given that he has intelligence gathering and processing abilities as well as the ability to project force on par with the strongest of modern nation states. He sees everything and can hear everything and is therefore privy to the most sensitive of information. His alien origins give him surpassing intelligence so he is capable of processing this information as well as retaining it because he is not subject to human limitations. How Superman chooses to direct this force as well as how powerful organizations respond to it would be a very interesting storyline. Given that he can see and hear all there is also tremendous potential for social commentary with the character.

I like to think that Superman is a force for good because he is not subject to human limitations. He has no need for food, air, sleep, power, security, shelter, or money and is therefore free to direct his efforts to the benefit of others. There have been many morally despicable actions taken out of ugly necessity such as Diocletian's razing of a city in the south eastern Mediterranean (I'm pretty sure it was in Egypt and I think it was Alexandria but I'm not quite sure). In order to preserve the foundations of Roman power he made an example of the city. In order to secure a living wage salesmen routinely lie in order to rip off customers. Superman is not subject to any of these constraints. Therefore he is free to be a positive influence.

All of these themes are present in this video and although they aren't very developed I am absolutely thrilled that they have been discovered. Collateral damage is present in the final sequence and his intervention in world affairs is a theme present in Bialia and Bocolistan (apologies if I spelled them wrong). Restraint is present in the beginning and final sequences.

I understand that some want more and think that this line of thought requires more exploration. I couldn't agree more but animation is not the medium to do it yet (this film alone cost 3.5 million dollars). Given the constraints involved this movie was masterfully made and Superman fighting the elite choreographed together with tragic music and Manchester black's monologue is one of the best sequences I have ever seen. People who rate it lower than 9 don't know what they are talking about.

I had the good fortune to be able to watch the film with the commentary of Joe Kelly and the director and it shows that a great deal of thought and skill went into the development of the scenes. This movie is an absolute triumph and is not only the best Superman film that I have seen but the best animated superhero film that I have seen ever. Watched it. Appreciated it. Loved it.
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