The film is a scathing critique of demagoguery. Luthor doesn’t attack Superman with kryptonite; he attacks him with public opinion. He uses fear of an asteroid to justify fascism. Watching bounty hunters turn on their heroes feels painfully relevant.
Jeph Loeb’s comic had a melancholic undercurrent—Superman feeling betrayed by the world, Batman sacrificing his reputation to help his friend. The film rushes through those beats. A subplot about Batman trusting Superman with his identity is touched upon but never explored. The final scene, where the world thanks Superman, lands with a thud rather than a catharsis. Superman Batman Public Enemies -2009- -tmdbid-2...