As I was watching “Superman” I was hit by the same feeling I had when watching Matt Reeves’ “The Batman”. I was witnessing for the first time the quintessential version of the character on screen. “Superman” written and directed by James Gunn, is brimming with optimism and joy. It takes itself seriously without being glib or too concerned with realism; rather it has a very hopeful quality to it. More succinctly put, the film is earnest and sincere in its tone.
The thesis of this film is that being kind and compassionate is not only cool, but necessary. When so much of the world and news cycle feels dominated by constant bad news, “Superman” is a massive dose of optimism to the soul. Gunn yet again delivers another high-quality comic book film. He manages to balance deep cuts from comics, introducing the audience to not only these new variations of the characters, but to a new cinematic universe as well, and offers sweeping visuals. Gunn’s take on the character spits in the face of the idea Superman is boring because he’s too nice.
Back of the DVD Summary: The film begins with a text crawl giving a brief breakdown of how long metahumans have been around and how long Superman has been active in the world. Unlike the first “Iron Man” film back in 2008 when Tony Stark was the preeminent hero, this new DC universe has most of its heroes already up and running. The world knows heroes and villains exist.
The film opens on Superman after just suffering his first defeat since he’s been operating. He’s trying to solve a conflict between the fictional Boravia and Janhanpur, which many, myself included, have compared to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine. Superman then finds himself embroiled in international politics all the while he’s trying, in his eyes, to do the right thing. Behind the scenes Lex Luthor is pulling the strings, hoping that Boravia’s victory means his domination of half of the conquered Janahpur. Luthor is hellbent on killing Superman and his reputation. The film then follows Superman as he tries to establish who and what he is to the people of Earth.
David Corenswet as Superman is perfect casting. He captures all of Superman’s strength and power, but never stops smiling. Never for a single moment does he let negativity or hurt get him down. He’s commanding and confident while in the cape and perfectly dweeb-like in his glasses. All of his action set-pieces are fantastic and filled with color and power. The rest of the cast too is equally well put together. Rachel Brosnahan’s Lois Lane is savvy and witty, a perfect complement to Corenswet’s Clark Kent. Their romance is a welcome addition as well and I bought the chemistry between them wholesale.
Other standouts in the cast were Nathon Fillion’s Guy Gardner and Edi Gathegi’s Mr. Terrific. Both played characters I had not previously heard of, but both of them got plenty of time to leave a lasting impression. Mr. Terrific has an especially outstanding action scene people will just love. Mr. Terrific, I suspect, will be a new fan favorite going forward. Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor was dynamite. His disdain for everyone and everything around him, while also being smart enough and cruel enough to contend with Superman was a highlight for sure.
While it worked for me, I could see how the breakneck pace this film runs at could make it difficult to follow and keep track of how the different plot points intersect with each other. The pace as well, didn’t allow for getting to sit down with any character for an extended time. Besides Superman and Lex Luthor, we’re not given enough insight into what the surrounding cast is like. I wanted to know more about Lois Lane and her relationship with Superman. The final battle was a bit uninspired on the whole –– it had its moments, however, the stakes didn’t feel real or pressing, despite what was happening on screen. I was more invested in Boravia and Janhanpur’s storyline than what was happening in Metropolis.
I really dug this film, it hit all the right notes and has me excited for what other films are coming to this new DC universe. I also cannot wait to see these characters again. As far as beginnings go, it’s hard to imagine a better start than this film. “Superman” is bound to delight most anyone who sees it.
