Superman: Rise of Brainiac

***Superman: Rise of Brainiac*** is a 2008 superhero film, a sequel to *Superman*and *Justice League*. It is the eighth installment in the DC Cinematic Universe.

It was directed by Andy Tennant and stars Henry Cavill as Clark Kent/Superman, Amy Adams as Lois Lane, James Marsters as Brainiac, Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor, Diane Lane as Martha Kent, Richard Schiff as Emil Hamilton. The third film in the series, *Superman: Doomsday* was released in 2011.

## Plot

In 1983, Jor-El and Lara Lor-Van place their infant son, Kal-El, in a ship as their planet is about to explode. Near them are Jor's brother and his wife, who place their twelve-year-old daughter, Kara, in a ship to look after Kal on Earth. The kids' pods fly away as the planet explodes. However, Kara's pod is knocked off course and ends up being taken by a mysterious ship.

In Present Day, Metropolis is still reeling from the attacks on Gotham, their neighboring city. Clark Kent still acts as a reporter for the Daily Planet while acting as Superman when his city is under attack. A blackout occurs in the city as well as any technology not working; planes, phones, cars, etc. Clark suits up just in time to be attacked by an unseen force. He is brought to a ship where the attacker reveals himself as Brainiac, who can tap into any technology. Clark escapes and reunites with Lois Lane. At the Daily Planet, new reporters Jimmy Olsen and Lana Lang are brought in while the entire staff uses typewriters to report stories. Lana is also Clark's childhood crush.

Clark and Lois discover the blackout ends exactly where the borders between cities are. With it having been two days since the technology surge people begin walking to other cities to wait it out. However, due to this, walls around the entire city are mysteriously brought up from the ground. Clark realizes this is Brainiac's work and finds his ship at the center of the city in the sky. He attacks Brainiac and finds a mysterious woman in a chamber. He gets her out but she attacks him. She realizes he is not working for Brainiac and stops. She reveals herself to be Kara of Krypton and Clark learns she is his cousin. They reunite but Clark wonders why she has barely aged. They learn the chamber she was kept in could not keep her from aging but slow it down, explaining why she has aged only eight years in twenty-five.

Clark introduces Kara to Lois and Kara begins to use her powers to stop criminals using the blackout to commit crimes. Clark and Lana continue to bond once again; culminating in them having sex. Clark wakes up the next morning to realize Lois must be worried. Lana, however, convinces him to stay. He stays there for the day until finally Lois walks in on them having sex and breaks up with Clark. Clark ends things with Lana. Lois takes comfort in Jimmy, having sex with him. Kara tries to mend things between Clark and Lois but fails. Brainiac finally takes action and Kara and Clark suit up to stop him. However, he captures Kara and Clark is left broken after he finds what he thinks is her body.

Weeks later, Metropolis is still under attack and the citizens have gotten used to life without technology. Lois has given Clark her blessing to be with Lana. Clark proposes to Lana just as Kara returns as Brainiac's brainwashed henchwoman. Clark and Kara fight, ending with Lana discovering his secret. Lex Luthor announces his product to bring back technology and begins to sell it for enormous prices. Clark manages to get Kara to remember and together they destroy Brainiac's ship, depleting him of most of his power. Technology is brought back and the walls are brought down. Lex's product is deemed useless and he is thousands of dollars in debt.

Clark learns from Brainiac that Checkmate in 1982 discovered Krypton and signaled Brainiac to come down. They used him to find that the Kryptonians could possibly be dangerous and assigned him the job of destroying the planet and all life on it. Clark realizes that at the time Lionel Luthor was leading the agency and goes to Lex. Lex reveals he knew all along and Clark destroys all of his research before killing Brainiac. Lois moves to Smallville while Clark leaves Metropolis for a while, breaking up with Lana. Jimmy is appointed Perry White's assistant editor while Kara goes to work for A.R.G.U.S.' alien research division the D.E.O.

In a mid-credits scene, a third pod is seen leaving Krypton just before it's explosion. In a post-credits scene, Lois is attacked by a monster.

## Cast

* Henry Cavill as Clark Kent/Superman
* Amy Adams as Lois Lane
* James Marsters as Brainiac
* Melissa Benoist as Kara Zor-El/Kara Kent/Supergirl
* Kristen Kreuk as Lana Lang
* Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor
* Michael Cassidy as Jimmy Olsen
* Richard Schiff as Emil Hamilton
* Russell Crowe as Jor-El
* Diane Lane as Martha Kent
* Laurence Fishbourne as Perry White
* Ayelet Zurer as Lara Lor-Van
* Robert Gant as Zor-El
* Erica Durance as Alura

## Reception

### **Critical reception**

The film received mostly positive reviews. The review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes reported that 67% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 188 reviews.