Official Synopsis: Superman, about to finally divulge his identity and his feelings to Lois Lane, suddenly finds his mighty hands full when Brainiac, a powerful computer, bent on universal domination and Lex Luthor team up to defeat him. Armed with new weapons and a special strain of kryptonite infused in his body, Brainiac becomes the most powerful enemy The Man of Steal has ever faced. When Lois Lane is critically injured by a force beam that was intended for him, Superman must race into the mysterious Phantom Zone to find a cure. Brianiac, believing Superman to be dead, betrays Lex Luthor and begins his attack on the city of Metropolis and ultimately Earth. Will Superman survive the Phantom Zone in order to defeat his deadly foes, save Lois and Metropolis?
Review by Zach Demeter
Superman: Brianiac Attacks arrives on Blu-ray, just in time to be an impulse purchase for those looking for more Superman action after seeing the summer flick Man of Steel. Since this review is set to focus more on the actual release, more in-depth thoughts on the main feature can be found here, but we all know how pretty....awful this movie is. Perhaps the really younger, younger kids can get something out of this, but fans of Superman: The Animated Series, Justice League and the like...it's best to avoid this movie. Yes, they use the familiar "DCAU" designs, but this movie is completely not in continuity (something this very website confirmed via the movie's writer) and has no bearing on the other shows. A shame, too, since the animation is actually pretty nice.
In terms of the actual Blu-ray release, well, it's pretty much as barren as you'd expect. Remember how barebones the original Brainiac Attacks DVD release was? Well, it's the same here. Outside of a handful of trailers, including an outdated trailer for Green Lantern: The Animated Series, Young Justice and Batman: The Brave and The Bold DVDs and one for the amusing Lego Batman: The Movie - DC Super Heroes, there is no bonus content whatsoever. Just a selection of trailers - six or so in total.
The audio and video is pretty solid, save for a few minor issues. The video is pretty solid, save for a few problems that seem to be the result of the actual source material than the transfer. There's some macro-blocking and color-banding present, and yes, it is distracting at times. Still colors are nice and bright and blacks really solid - it's a good transfer. As for the audio, it sounds pretty dynamic and powerful. While mostly centered, the entire sound system should get a good workout with the excessive amount of action found in the movie. Every punch, explosion and laser shot sound robust, and none of the quieter moments are lost in the mix. A fine showing. To note, the back cover packaging incorrectly lists both the film's aspect ratio and available audio. The film only contains English and Spanish audio and subsites, and the film is in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen.
Overall, if you want Superman: Brianiac Attacks on Blu-ray, here's your chance. Honestly, given the insanely low prices I've seen it for, it's even worth upgrading from its current DVD release. You get a nice high-def widescreen transfer and...well...that's it. But still, it is more than what the DVD offered. If you're a die-hard fan of Superman, or want to own this movie for whatever reason, then you might as well pick this release up. Given the quality of the main feature and barebones release, I can't really recommend this Blu-ray, but if you want to own the movie on Blu-ray, here's your chance, and it's worth it for that reason. |
