Movie Review: Superman

For my money I don’t think there is a director working today who has a better handle on how to properly craft a comic book movie than James Gunn. Mixing just the right amount of stylish, high-impact action, knowing camp, creative design, and genuine heart, he “gets” the genre more than anyone else and has been remarkably consistent in his ability to produce the best and most memorable entries within it. Thankfully for audiences, his Superman reboot is no exception.

Gunn’s script wisely decides to forego Superman’s (David Corenswet) origin story, correctly assuming that we are all well aware of it by now and instead uses a brief and cleverly structured bit of onscreen exposition to bring us up to speed before launching into a world in which our hero is not having an especially good day. He has just lost his first fight to a mysterious enemy and needs his (adorable) dog Krypto to hurry him back to safety so he can heal. Unknown to the world, the enemy is actually Ultraman, operating under the direct control of billionaire Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult), who is hellbent on destroying Superman.

Once healed, Superman returns to his regular identity as Clark Kent, where he is already in a relationship with Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan), who works alongside him at The Daily Planet newspaper and also already knows who he actually is. As Superman continues to try to fight various threats around Metropolis and the world, she and her coworkers begin to piece together Luthor’s involvement with both the threats our hero is facing as well as his meddling in the escalating tensions between US ally Boravia and its neighbor Jarhanpur. As the danger escalates, they are forced to work together with the corporate-funded “Justice Gang”, composed of Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion), Mister Terrific (Edi Gathegi), and Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced) to put a stop to Luthor’s plans before he destroys everything they hold dear.

While Gunn brings plenty of his trademark weirdness and humor to Superman, it’s somewhat subdued compared to his prior films, as befits the tone of the character and story. After several misguided attempts to inject some Batman-esque darkness into the Man of Steel mythos, here we return to a kinder, nobler version more in line with the original movie from 1978. Speaking of which, Corenswet and Brosnahan deliver the best portrayals of their characters since Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder originated the roles, sharing a similar believable chemistry with each other and standing out among the talented cast. It will honestly be hard to picture anyone else playing any of these characters going forward after the stellar performances delivered here.

Gunn’s use of a classic comic book style story to comment on everything from the immigrant experience to current geopolitical events and even internet trolls adds some heft to proceedings without getting too preachy in its messaging. Moreso than any of that though, this is a story of self-discovery and the real meaning of family, as Superman learns more about his origins and purpose leading to a few surprisingly emotional moments.

Serving as the launching point for Gunn’s relaunched DC Universe, there’s a lot riding on this movie, so it is surprising and encouraging that he seems to have been largely left to tell the story he wanted to tell without studio interference. The result is an action-packed blast, full of hope and kindness, that reminds us why we fell in love with the character in the first place and doesn’t shy away from portraying what makes him “human”. If the rest of the forthcoming DCU projects are this “super”, we are all in for a spectacular ride. This is exactly the sort of Superman we all need right now. ★★★★★