Film

All Star Superman

Name: All Star Superman
Genre: Animation, Science Fiction, Action, Adventure
Released: 2011
Cast: James Denton, Christina Hendricks, Anthony LaPaglia, Ed Asner, Linda Cardellini

A love letter to Superman dressed as a tragedy. This animated adaptation of Grant Morrison's landmark comic strips away the caped crusader mythos to its essence: an alien god trying to live as a man, running out of time. It's visually stunning, emotionally mature, and treats its source material with rare intelligence. For anyone who thought Superman was boring.

TMDb rating

3.5

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you love a big, sincere superhero story told with gorgeous, stylised animation and a real appetite for wonder, the kind that finds its emotional weight in quiet moments rather than in punch-ups.

Skip it if you want a fast, muscular action film, because this is unhurried and talky in places, and its gentler, more philosophical passages may feel slow if you came for spectacle.

What it asks of you: About seventy-six minutes, so it is brisk and compact, but it wants you to sit with its ideas and read its images closely rather than scan for the next blow.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Batman: The Animated Series1992

The gold standard of superhero animation. Sophisticated storytelling, an art deco world that feels lived-in, and a Batman who's neither grimdark nor campy. If you loved All Star Superman's respect for its material, this is essential.

But It's episodic rather than epic, so there's no single payoff. The first season especially has lower animation budgets that show their age.

Superman: The Animated Series1996

Bruce Timm's earlier Superman show shares DNA with All Star Superman: bright, earnest, visually gorgeous. It understands that Superman works best as a character defined by what he chooses to do with his power, not what he's forced to do.

But It's a Saturday morning show, so it's constrained by network standards. The episodic structure means fewer chances for emotional crescendos.

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 12012

Frank Miller's Batman as a grim, aging brawler—the animated adaptation is brutal and uncompromising. Like All Star Superman, it treats a superhero property with the seriousness usually reserved for literature. A masterpiece of visual storytelling.

But It's relentlessly dark and nihilistic. If you wanted All Star Superman partly for its moments of grace and hope, this will feel like the opposite end of the spectrum.

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1 poster

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from All Star Superman

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Samson and Delilah1949

Both use genre and spectacle as a Trojan horse for genuine emotional devastation. The superhero film and the art film are asking the same question: what does it mean to love someone you cannot save?

An Aboriginal Australian film where two young people fall in love while living rough in the outback, with minimal dialogue. It's visually stunning and heartbreaking. Like All Star Superman, it's about love and mortality and what we leave behind—but told through poetry rather than spectacle.

But There's almost no plot. It's a mood and a visual experience. If you need narrative drive or dialogue-heavy storytelling, this will feel slow.

Wonder Woman2009

Same animation studio, same approach: taking a superhero icon seriously and finding the tragedy in invincibility. It's energetic and sweeping, with genuine emotional stakes. A companion piece to All Star Superman.

But It leans harder into action than character study. The love story, while present, isn't as central as Superman's relationship with Lois.

Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths2010

A thoughtful ensemble superhero film that explores duty and sacrifice. Beautifully animated with a voice cast that clearly understood their assignments. Proof that DC's animated films can be smart without being cynical.

But It's a quieter, more philosophical story. If you're coming for action set pieces, you'll find them but they're not the point.

Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths poster

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse2018

A film that loves superhero stories and animation as art forms equally. It's visually inventive, emotionally genuine, and treats a teenager becoming a hero with the same weight All Star Superman gives its god. Pure joy.

But It's chaotic and stylistically dense. If you prefer straightforward storytelling, the multiple universes and aesthetic switching can feel overwhelming.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse poster

Watchmen2009

Zack Snyder's faithful adaptation of Moore's deconstruction of superheroes. Like All Star Superman, it asks hard questions about what it means to be a god among men. Visually audacious and morally complex.

But It's bleak, sexually explicit, and glorifies violence in ways that might alienate you. The ending is nihilistic in a way All Star Superman deliberately avoids.

The Incredibles2004

Brad Bird's superhero film about a family grappling with power, duty, and identity. It has the same emotional intelligence as All Star Superman—it understands that what matters is who you are, not what you can do.

But It's a family film, so its scope is intimate rather than cosmic. If you wanted more of the sci-fi grandeur, this might feel small.

Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker2000

A Batman story about legacy, identity, and what happens when you can't escape your past. Gorgeously animated and surprisingly moving. Proof that animated superhero films can carry real weight.

But It assumes familiarity with Batman Beyond's TV series. The story is darker and more violent than some superhero animation, which works against its emotional impact.

Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker poster

Arrival2016

Both are science fiction stories that use their high concepts to explore what matters: connection, sacrifice, and accepting loss. Both end not with triumph but with grace.

A science fiction film about a linguist who communicates with aliens, learning their language changes how she experiences time itself. It's intellectually rigorous, visually beautiful, and heartbreaking in ways that sneak up on you. Denis Villeneuve at his best.

But It's cerebral and meditative. The stakes are quiet rather than cosmic. If you want Superman-scale spectacle, this trades action for philosophy.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind2004

Both understand that the greatest power is love, and that love's true tragedy isn't separation but the knowledge that all things end. Both are about choosing to hold onto someone despite knowing it cannot last.

A film about a man who has memories of his lover erased from his brain, then tries to preserve them before the procedure completes. It's visually inventive, emotionally devastating, and philosophically ambitious. Kaufman and Gondry made something that shouldn't work but transcends.

But It's a indie film, not a superhero film—no action, no spectacle, just two people and their regret. It's challenging to follow and intentionally non-linear.