Movie Review: Superman: Red Son

Superman: Red Son is an animated film I“d been looking forward to for quite some time. Red Son was originally an Elseworlds graphic novel, set in a world where Superman“s rocket landed in Soviet Russia instead of Kansas. Mark Millar, Dave Johnson, and Killian Plunkett told a story about a Superman who struggles with deep moral choices, and about the consequences of using superpowers to rule the world. When I heard that veteran comics writer J.M. DeMatteis was involved with this project, I was curious to see what approach this team would take with this modern Superman classic.

The answer resulted in perhaps one of the best DC animated films in recent memory. While Red Son is not a perfect adaptation or one that strictly adheres to the comics, it is remarkably faithful to the themes, ideas, and story beats of the original. Moreover, this version even improves on the comic in some notable ways. For instance, one point that I greatly respect about this screenplay is that DeMatteis directly addresses the brutality of Stalinist Russia, and he brings this world“s Superman into conflict with historical reality. Even though this Superman was raised as a good Communist, he still has the idealism of Superman, and that comes across very well in those scenes. Moreover, DeMatteis wisely uses this to set up Superman“s fall in later chapters, keeping it thematically faithful to Millar“s work in the comic even though it is a departure. The soul of the original Red Son is very much intact, even if the animated film changes the details.

The voice talent attached to Red Son is likewise quite impressive, bringing in several recognizable names in addition to veteran voice talent. Jason Isaacs is well known for his villainous roles, but he“s a good choice for a Soviet Superman. The Russian accent is plausible, but more to the point, Isaacs conveys the nobility of Superman with his every line. Diedrich Bader is a skilled voice actor, as he“s shown on many DC animated shows (such as Harley Quinn), and he captures the ruthless intellect of Lex Luthor quite well. Amy Acker, best known for her work on Angel, is an excellent Lois Lane, conveying the deep strength of her character in a more expansive role than the comic offered her. It“s also good to see Vanessa Marshall as Wonder Woman; she captures the strength of Diana, but she also gets across the deep emotional pain of the Red Son version.

While most of the changes to Red Son are usually positive, such as the new approach to Bizarro and the handling of the Green Lanterns, some of them may not work for everyone. While it makes sense to establish Diana as a bisexual (which she is in the comics), her arc makes more sense if there“s a romantic attachment with Superman as it was in the original story. Diana“s tragic ending is much more bittersweet as a broken love, and the reveal in this version comes across as forced and unnecessary. There are also some definite moments that reference current-year events and undercut the narrative, mainly with Bizarro, though they“re fortunately infrequent. While I think expanding Lois“s role in the story was a wise decision, it also portrays Lois and Luthor as having a happier marriage, which makes less sense. This version downplays Luthor“s obsession with destroying Superman, which was a major source of strain between Lex and Lois and added depth to that relationship. It“s also regrettable that this film leaves out the original ending to Red Son, which showed the kind of world Luthor would have built without a Superman after achieving his ultimate victory. All that said, these are mostly small quibbles rather than real problems with the film, and mostly this adaptation succeeds beautifully.

On a whole, WB succeeded in presenting a version of Red Son that is enjoyable for both newcomers and fans of the original classic. While I would direct fans to the comic first, Superman: Red Son is a loving adaptation that honors Mark Millar“s work while adding to the foundation. Everyone involved has done a wonderful job of bringing this story to life, and it“s a good addition to any Superman fan“s video library.

Score: 4.5/5

Director: Sam Liu
Screenplay by: J.M. DeMatteis (based on a story by Mark Millar)
Starring: Jason Isaacs, Amy Acker, Diedrich Bader, Vanessa Marshall, Phil Morris, and Paul Williams

Trailer:

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Steve Sellers

Steve Sellers had been a fan of superheroes ever since Superman: The Movie. But it took the JSA, the Legion of Super-Heroes, Dragonlance, Lord of the Rings, Twilight Zone, and Chris Claremont's legendary run on the X-Men to make him a writer and a longtime fan of comics, fantasy, and science fiction. Steve is the co-creator of WHITE DRUID & MICHAEL NERO and GUARDIANS OF ELAYIM for Omen Comics, and he is also the creator of BLITZ and SHOCKWAVE for Revelation Comics (an imprint of Omen Comics).