Adam Foidart "Superman vs. the Elite" isn't entirely successful in its discussions on politics and the price of power, but it's a decent superhero story. The story concerns a new group of superhero vigilantes that call themselves "The Elite". Manchester Black (voiced by Robin Atkin Downes), Coldcast (voiced by Catero Colbert), Menagerie (voiced by Melissa Disney) deal with supervillains their way: by killing them. The world seems to embrace these new heroes and shun Superman (voiced by George Newbern) as "old fashioned" and "cheesy". The conflicting ideals of these heroes pit them against each other.The quality of the animation varies from excellent to just OK and while most of the story seems grounded in semi-reality, with the fantasy and "comic-bookiness" being reduced to create parallels to our world, a scene with giant mutant insect tanks is really glaring and doesn't fit the tone of the story. What works is the chemistry between Superman/Clark Kent and Lois Lane (voiced by Pauley Perrette), the themes and ideas brought up by the conflicts and the discussions between our characters spread throughout the film. Adults that are familiar with the debate, which essentially is that of whether or not the death penalty should be a form of punishment, will find that they don't last long enough but it's refreshing to see the film take a stand on an issue it really believes in and stick with it. For younger audiences that haven't seen this material before, this is a good starting point and a way to generate some great conversation. Superman believes that killing is wrong under any circumstances, but he's also nearly invulnerable so does he really grasp the danger these villains he goes up against regularly really pose? To what extent is it OK to interfere with another country's politics and disagreements when you have the power to do so? If it is OK to take the life of another person, who judges how much is enough? When accompanied with the special features and commentary the film is a more complete experience and a lot more satisfying than just the feature by itself so it's preferable to set a generous amount of time aside and enjoying the special features immediately after to complement the faults of the film. The film is only OK by itself, mostly because it doesn't really have as much bite as you wish it would considering the themes, but it's worth your while. (On Blu-ray, September 29, 2012)

TheLittleSongbird Superman vs. The Elite is certainly not a bad movie. I just found myself underwhelmed considering how great the premise was. I did think the character designs were flatly drawn and even goofy especially in the hands and facial expressions, Superman is no exception to this. The story is such a great idea but could have been explored even more, there are some compelling moments but overall the development feels too bland and black and white to me, especially in the villains excepting Manchester Black who's pretty interesting. I also had a big issue with Lois, she comes across as very stereotypical and bitchy, and her voice actress constantly sounds as though she has phlegm in her throat. The quality of the writing was mixed for me as well, there are some sharp and thought-provoking moments but also some that come across as stilted. There are however a number of redeeming qualities. The backgrounds and colours are fluid and atmospheric, and the music is hauntingly beautiful. The action sequences are well-choreographed and exciting, the Atomic Skull ones were especially brilliant. Superman is a charismatic character, and the voice acting is great. George Newbern is equal with Tim Daly which is high praise indeed. All in all, entertaining with some fine moments but some of the character designs, Lois and the rather black and white feel of the story and some of the characters gave Superman vs. The Elite a left wanting feel at the same time. 6/10 Bethany Cox

TxMike I found this 112-minute animated movie on Bluray at my public library. It isn't made with the super-realistic modern animation, but on Blu-Ray is super-clear and very enjoyable. I grew up in the 1950s and 1960s reading Superman and Superboy comics and this little animated movie was a nice blast to the past.They use unknown actors for the voices, but they are very good. George Newbern voices Superman and Clark Kent while my favorite was Pauley Perrette with her raspy voice as Lois Lane.The title comes from the group of 4 known as "The Elite", their leader is a British guy, Robin Atkin Downes as Manchester Black . When he told his genesis story, how he found out about his powers, he edited it to make it seem like he was just a good guy. But Superman eventually finds out he was not so good, and his plan was to take over enforcement for the world, using the approach "those who have the power make the rules", and that included killing those determined to be bad. Superman's legacy has always been to avoid killing, so it was opposing concepts and opposing forces that make this story. His task is to neutralize them, let them live but find a way to remove their super powers.It is a comic book story, nothing more, and it is fun to view for Superman fans.

Mohammed Baybars Mehdi The basic premise is Superman meets, allies and later battles against a new group of superheroes lead by Manchester Black who, as the name suggests, hails from Manchester - despite his confusing accent. A civil war between neighbouring countries Pokolistan and Bialyia serves as the backdrop. As Superman is saving lives of Bialyia forces under attack from the Pokolistani bio weapons, the Elite arrive to steal his thunder. Superman returns the favour and helps the Elite save civilian trains following a terrorist attack in England. Black interrogates the terrorists and is about to kill them when Superman intervenes and lectures Black on not operating above the law, passing judgement or whatever sanctimonious nonsense he said. The film falls down quickly at this point with Superman battling The Elite over their ideological differences. YAWN. The last 40 minutes or so really dragged.The issues highlighted in the film only serve to illustrate, pardon the pun, the sheer stupidity of comic book writing and the shaky moral stance of so called heroes such as Superman, Batman, the Avengers, that pansy Spiderman etc, etc - Superheroes who capture villains and then hand them over to the authorities only they invariably escape and KILL again. As The Punisher once said "Mercy is for the weak". Give me mass murdering lunatics like The Hulk any day. There's a real Superhero.The voice acting is good but the dialogue awful. The characterisation of Lois Lane is completely wrong, she could not be more unlikeable. The animation is also poor unless you're a fan of the tedious, angular Japanese style. The films only saving grace is the fight scenes, they're excellent especially those featuring the Atomic Skull.