Countdown to “Man of Steel”!
One of the many aspects of the Superman lore that director Richard Donner and screenwriter Mario Puzo touched on that really helps “Superman: The Movie” rise in to the pantheon of one of the best Superman representations is the dilemma of massive power. Superman or Kal El, is brought down to Earth and is stranded, left to the mercy of Earth’s denizens. It’s only by a miracle that he manages to come across a humble farm couple that not only discover him but take him in, in spite of his horrifying powers that allow him super strength and a plethora of other amazing abilities. What becomes one of the stumbling blocks in “Superman” is that Kal El, now Clark Kent, is tasked with the dilemma of being a God.
For fans tired of the R rated animated Batman films, DC and Warner team up with Lego (who takes a break from the awful “Ninjago” series) to deliver a G rated Batman adventure the entire family can enjoy! Based on the hit video game, Lego pays homage to many of the Batman tropes with a fun crossing of superheroes and supervillains for the fate of Gotham and the world. Lex Luthor and the Joker team up to take down Batman and Superman, when a robbery at a local awards dinner goes awry for the Joker and his team of super villains. Lex takes the opportunity to join forces with the evil Clown, as Batman learns the meaning of team work through his young ward, Robin, who encourages the Dark Knight to call for back up at every opportunity. Batman, of course, shies away from any and all help, even when in danger.
Apparently now there are multiple colors of the Lantern and multiple sources of emotions that can fuel power. And none of it has to do with merchandising. That bit if cynicism aside, Green Lantern gets his much overdue animated series from the Cartoon Network here in America and leads what is a pretty entertaining action science fiction series overall. It’s not as sophisticated as “Batman” or “Justice League” and rarely exciting as “Batman Beyond,” but as a Bruce Timm byproduct it serves its purpose as entertaining science fiction fodder that thankfully pretends the movie never existed.