Quartile rating: 6.5/10 · 1 rating
When LexCorp accidentally unleashes a murderous creature, Superman meets his greatest challenge as a champion. Based on the "The Death of Superman" storyline that appeared in DC Comics' publications in the 1990s.
Superman: Doomsday adapts the iconic 'Death of Superman' arc with reasonable fidelity but compresses the sprawling source material into a lean 75-minute runtime, which sacrifices character depth. The plot hits the key beats—Doomsday's rampage, Superman's death, and a darker clone resurrection—giving it a slightly darker tone than typical DC animated fare of the era. Voice acting is serviceable but uneven; Adam Baldwin's Superman lacks the gravitas the role demands. Animation is competent but unremarkable for a direct-to-video production, with action sequences that work but rarely dazzle. Novelty earns a mid mark for being the first PG-13 DC animated film and tackling genuinely weighty subject matter (heroic death and its aftermath), though the story was already well-known. The ending, dealing with the clone arc and ultimate resolution, is brisker than ideal but provides closure.