Superman/Batman: Apocalypse

Superman/Batman: Apocalypse (2010)
Directed by Lauren Montgomery

Great great great!
Plus great to finally watch the movie where the Handsome Face meme comes from.

So the Kryptonite meteor Batman destroyed in Public Enemies was carrying something more than Kryptonite. Encased inside was Kara, cousin of Kal-El (Superman). When her parents had heard that Kal's were sending him off in a ship, they did the same.
Kara's ship falls to Earth, landing in Gotham. In her disorientation she wrecks Batman's ship he's taken to investigate the crash site, and Batman begins to pursue her, eventually ending their chase by knocking her out with a piece of Kryptonite.
When she awakens she freaks out, trashes some of Batman's equipments and begins to fly away uncontrollably.
Superman grabs her before she gets away and calms her down in their native language.
Thrilled at what she says, he tells Bruce she says she's his cousin (and thus Handsome Face was born). Bruce, however, is wary of this random girl from the sky who can't control her power or remember much.

Batman no approve!
This shot totz looks like Superman and Kara are having a moment and Batman is a third wheel. (image from http://hagiblog.wordpress.com/2010/12/28/supermanbatman-apocalypse-2010-film-reel-reviews/)

After a short period of time in the Fortress of Solitude Kara explains she wants to go out and see the world, live like an Earth girl. Kal-El thinks shopping in Metropolis is a good way to start. However their day ends in misery as Wonder Woman launches a sneak attack on Kara in a park and she panics, going crazy with her powers and destroying a statue of Superman. Furious Superman tells Wonder Woman to back off. She retorts that if this had happened in the daytime when the park was filled with people it would have been a disaster. Wonder Woman has decided to take Kara back to train with the Amazons.
After a few months with the women, Superman wants to take her back. All the arguing amongst the 'grown-ups' causes Kara to put her foot down, saying she wants to make her own decisions, then flying off with best friend Lyla.

Batman and Superman are talking smack about Wonder Woman behind her back lol! (image from http://www.popscreen.com/v/6GyeU/Superman-Batman-Apocalypse-Movie-Animated-Trailer-HD)

When the two are alone they are ambushed by evil Darkseid's henchmen. Lyla is killed and Kara is kidnapped to be brainwashed and used by Darkseid.
To get to Apokolips where Darkseid resides Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman enlist the aid of Barda who had previously defected from Darkseid's army.
Once on Apokilips, the team gets right to work trying to rescue Kara who is under Darkseid's mental control. In order to release her Batman sets a storeroom full explosive to detonate shortly and will only disarm them is Kara is freed. Impressed by Batman's courage to bet the destruction of the whole planet against Darkseid, Darkseid releases Kara and the group returns to Earth.
Back on Earth Kara tells Kal-El that she doesn't want to be a hero. He decides Smallville will be a good and safe place for Kara to live her desired life as an Earth girl. Too bad Darkseid has other plans. Waiting for them at the Kent's farm, he strikes while Clark isn't looking and knocks him into space. Looks like Kara will have to use that Amazonian training.
Even though under his rule Kara could be one of the universe's most powerful beings, she explains that she doesn't want that because she wants to have a say in her own life. She kicks his butt for a while but eventually gets beat down.
Meanwhile in space, Superman absorbs some sunlight then goes back to work, trying to trash Darkseid as well.
After a short period of unconsciousness Kara waked up, and uses a mother box to create a boom tube that Superman pushes Darkseid through (a trick she learned from Darkseid himself). He ends up floating frozen in space.
After the fight, the Kent's pull up their driveway to find their farm and house trashed, and their son and some new girl staring at them.
The fight has changed Kara's mind and she knows what she must do with her powers.
Superman re-introduces Kara to the Amazons as Supergirl. The cousins fly off happily. Yay!

Very good stuff. Batman's design is also great; the way he stand covered with his cape when watching the Amazons train or at Barda's house just looks so cool! His cape is very long in this movie.

Diana is also extra hot in this movie. The animation really shows care when Diana starts the practice exercise between Artemis and Kara and when Diana steps backwards her hips sway.

The scene with the care to animate the swaying hips on the left. (image from http://fortresstakes.wordpress.com/2010/11/10/supermanbatman-apocalypse-2010/)

Also interesting to note is Summer Glau is Supergirl's voice for this movie. You may know her from a little movie called Serenity! Kevin Conroy, voice of Bruce Wayne from the 90's Batman show is Batman's voice here too. Director Lauren Montgomery is also the director of Green Lantern: First Flight, Wonder Woman, Superman/Doomsday, and Justice League: Doom just to name a few. Basically her track record as director is amazing to me (though she did direct a Scooby Doo show and I hate Scooby Doo... However her other work is so impressive that maybe this show is actually good).

Lolz for u!!

Batmance

Just silly gifness with screenshots from Batman/Superman Apocalypse.
Oh the things the Internet will do when you make  exploitables. Had to share this with you guys.

All-Star Superman

All-Star Superman (2011)
Directed by Sam Liu 

Superman is awesome. He's an incorruptible force of good. I bet him, Jesus, Buddha, and Obi-Wan would be bffs given the chance.

So we open with Superman doing his regular super thing, saving people: he's flying practically into the sun to rescue the first manned flight to the sun because one of the scientists on board has gone nuts from being controlled by Lex Luthor back on Earth.
Of course Superman saves Dr. Quitum and the other crew that Luthor hadn't yet killed with his puppet. However, Luthor being the actually intelligent villian that he is, has just done this as part of a long term plan to kill Superman.
Being so close to the sun has basically over-charged Superman and his cells are exploding. He's dying (I don't believe the movie ever actually says how much time passes, but from what I understand it's supposed to be about a year between the Sun rescue and the end).
So there's a bunch of awesome little adventures that Superman has for his last year, the most memorable probably being a super day with Super Lois. As a gift to Lois, Superman created a serum that will give the consumer all of Superman's powers minus vulnerabilities for 24 hours (he also makes her a cute super outfit too). They have an awesome day, though I don't think Lois really needed to be so flirtatious with the time travelers than pop in to try to win her away from Superman.
Anyway, in prison Luthor is sent to the chair. For his last wish he asks for a special cocktail. They then flip the switch and fry him.
Or so they thought. Dun dun duuuhhhh!!!
The cocktail Lex had was the same as Lois had previously received. He breaks out of prison to have one final battle with Superman. Before the two fight, Lex has asked 'friend' Solaris, a giant sun eater of sorts to mess with the Sun, sending out red solar energy, so Superman goes to take care of that first.
Superman comes back to Earth for the next fight. Superman shoots Lex with a gravity gun, ending Luthor's 24 hour super day early. However his time with those powers leaves him enlightened and wanting to save the world. Unfortunately he has to got back to prison for his crimes, PLUS before Solaris was defeated, he foiled with the Sun, putting it in a dying state as well.
Unlike Superman though, the sun is 'under-charged' while Superman is 'over-charged'. For his last deed he kisses Lois, professes his eternal love for her, then flies into the Sun, just in time for him to more or less explode, giving the Sun back the power it needs to continue to support life on Earth.
Time passes and we see Lois in a park. She's approached, 'He's not coming back.'
She replies something to the effect of 'No, he's just fixing the Sun. He'll be back when he's done.'
In prison Lex passes notes to a visiting Dr. Quintum. They're for creating baby supermen. 'They always wanted children.'
Back in the Sun, Superman has become a 'solar being' and is working on... Sun stuff I guess.      
Thank you, Superman.

Yes, I cried.  

So, have you seen Handsome Face, you know, the meme(Superman/Batman: Apocalypse from 2010)? Well All-Star Superman's Superman is very reminiscent of Handsom Face Superman. I would attribute the similarities to the fact that Sam Lie directed All-Star Superman and was a character designer for Superman/Batman: Apocalypse (a lot of the crew worked on both animations, but I think that one is key).

I did not read the comics this is based on, and trying to fit 12 issues into 1 movie can be tricky. In other words, the pacing was kind of weird in the movie, where as if I had read the comics beforehand I wouldn't have been so confused at some parts. Mainly Lois' paranoia seems to come out of no where and I found myself speaking out loud when she shot Superman, "HGBEOIJGPOTBHNBLVMF FIOCJ0UHBD0 Y???!!!!!"

The other part where things were awkward was when Superman fell back to Earth when just before that he was saying 'I've found a suitable planet for this tiny city and its inhabitants that I've been keeping in my layer thus far. I'm going to go drop them off, however it'll take so long to get to this place that I may not be able to make it back to Earth to see you ever again, Lois. You know, since I'm dying and all." I just found that to not fit well because there wasn't really anything between Superman saying goodbye to him returning to indicate time had passed. When he crash landed I thought at first he had crashed on the planet where he was dropping off dat tiny city.

 dem lipz son (image from http://irfree.net/threads/391363-All-Star-Superman-%282011%29-%E2%80%93-1080p-%E2%80%93-500MB)