Superman: Unbound (2013)

Superman and Supergirl take on the cybernetic Brainiac, who boasts that he possesses "the knowledge and strength of 10,000 worlds."

Director:

James Tucker

Writers:

Bob Goodman, Geoff Johns (graphic novel: "Superman: Brainiac")

Stars:

Matt Bomer, Stana Katic, John Noble

3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Matt Bomer	...	Superman / Clark Kent (voice)
Stana Katic	...	Lois Lane (voice)
John Noble	...	Brainiac (voice)
Molly C. Quinn	...	Supergirl (voice) (as Molly Quinn)
Diedrich Bader	...	Steve Lombard (voice)
Jason Beghe	...	Terrorist Leader (voice)
Frances Conroy	...	Ma Kent (voice)
Ian James Corlett	...	Kryptonian #1 (voice)
Melissa Disney	...	Thara (voice)
Alexander Gould	...	Jimmy Olsen (voice)
Sirena Irwin	...	Alura (voice)
Will Yun Lee	...	Parasoldier Leader (voice)
Andrea Romano	...	News Anchor #2 / Superman's Ship (voice)
Stephen Root	...	Zor-El (voice)
Wade Williams	...	Perry White (voice)

Storyline

Offering herself as a hostage, Lois Lane is caught in an aerial confrontation between her terrorist captors and the unpredictable Supergirl before Superman arrives to save the day. Soon after, knowing Superman's civilian identity, Lois attempts to get Clark Kent to make their relationship public despite his fear of the consequences, but their argument is halted by a Daily Planet staff meeting before Kent leaves when they are being alerted to a meteor. Intercepting it, Superman learns the meteor to be a robot and that he promptly defeats before activating its beacon and taking it to the Fortress of Solitude. With help from a fear-filled Supergirl, Superman learns the robot is actually a drone controlled by a being named Brainiac, a cyborg who was originally a Coluan scientist who subjected himself to extensive cybernetic and genetic enhancements. As Supergirl reveals from her experience with the monster, Brainiac seized and miniaturized Krypton's capital city of Kandor prior to the ...

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Plot Keywords:

alien superheroine | supervillain | teenage superheroine | male kryptonian | cyborg supervillain | 

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Taglines:

The machine is coming

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Genres:

Animation | Action | Adventure

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for sequences of violence and action, and a rude gesture

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 May 2013 (Russia)

Also Known As:

Superman: Unbound

Company Credits

Production Co:

DC Entertainment, Warner Bros. Animation, Warner Premiere

Technical Specs

Runtime:

75 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Stana Katic voiced another DC Comics character, Talia al Ghul, in the video game Batman: Arkham City (2011).

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Goofs

While in Kandor, Superman smashes the ground several times in order to get Brainiac's attention. He lifts a huge chunk of ground to throw at one the robotic guards but, not only is there no hole where the chuck has come from, the ground beneath and around him shows absolutely no sign of damage.

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Quotes

Terrorist Leader: You know, the cops didn't seem to like you that much, Miss Lane.
Lois Lane: Occupational hazard.
Terrorist Leader: You and me both.
Lois Lane: So, which are you guys angling for, life in prison or, you know, blaze of glory?

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Crazy Credits

If you stay past the credits at the end of the movie, you will be treated to a special treat: You will see the "real" fate of Brainiac.

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Connections

Version of Supergirl: Endurance (2013)

User Reviews

"Superman Unbound" features an entertaining showdown between the Man of Steel and Braniac

For the past eight years, Batman received all the love at the movies when it comes to DC Comics' characters. That's all about to change on June 14 when "Man of Steel" hits theaters. DC and Warner Premiere aren't going to settle for TV commercials and trailers to get people pumped up. Two new comic books and a DC Universe Animated Original Movie entitled "Superman Unbound" are keeping the super hero fresh on everyone's minds as well.

"Superman Unbound" serves as a tasty appetizer for the main meal coming up. The Man of Steel joins forces with his cousin, Supergirl, to battle Brainiac after the super villain shrinks down Metropolis and adds it to his collection of cities from different planets he's destroyed. Superman must find a way to keep Braniac from destroying the Earth and save all the captured cities of the universe, including Krypton's capitol Kandor.

As is usual with the DC animated movies, "Superman Unbound" is loaded with action from the beginning to the end. Director James Tucker and writer Bob Goodman know how to keep the pace moving at a breakneck speed and demand the audience's attention. You take a 128 page graphic novel and shove it into a 75 minute film. There's no time for the viewer to get distracted or for the movie to lose steam.

The animation for "Superman Unbound" differs from what we've come to expect from the DC animated features. It varies in style greatly from "Superman vs. The Elite." One example is the Man of Steel's facial features. The other characters look different as well.

"Superman Unbound" is definitely a PG-13 movie. There are scenes of Braniac changing himself into a cyborg that would freak out little kids. His robots drill into the heads of their victims, which splashes a lot of blood around on screen. Lois Lane also flips Braniac the double birds in one scene. Superman even says a bad word at one point. There are also some light sexual references most kids won't pick up on, but they're still present.

"Superman Unbound" is a super tag team smack down with none of the heavy-handed social commentary or politically correct propaganda we experienced last time around.