‘Superman’ Review: A Strong and Hopeful Start for The DCU

Just a few years ago the state of the DC Comics film universe was in complete disarray. The direction had us hurdling right for the phantom zone and the passion just wasn’t there. It was James Gunn who was the one holding the brand on his back from successes like The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker. When all was thought lost, the keys of the universal landed in Gunn’s lap with the opportunity to just about wipe the slate and start again. The labor of those efforts has begun with Superman, A silver-age showdown that takes the character back to his roots as a champion of the oppressed and the hero of a better tomorrow. Gunn provides a much more uplifting, hopeful, and emotional take on the character while maintaining the goofy and outlandish nature of his past projects, while also feeling much more reigned in when it comes to comedy. This take is

A True, Blue Super Man

Right off the bat, many were instantly smitten with the man of steel, a long favored pick for the blue boy scout since before Henry Cavill had even vacated the role. Whether or not Gunn saw that desire from fans, the choice was made and it has proven to not be an incorrect one. David Corenswet makes his first real DCU debut, if you don’t count his corpse in Creature Commandos, as Superman and instantly made the cape and crest something of his own. Corenswet flies into the role with grace, delivering a superman that is compassionate, caring, and concerned. He doesn’t skip a beat when it comes to protecting the inhabitants of earth, human or not.

The compassion in this Superman may be the most refreshing aspect of the take on this character, besides his sunny and idealistic demeanor, to see him going out of his way to save each and every living thing is just what people want to see. Everyone loves and enjoys a big awesome fight, but at the end of the day these characters are heroes who have to juggle saving the helpless while also fending off mighty foes. Many have made the comparisons with this film to Sam Raimi’s original Spider-Man trilogy and the similarities are there. What many of the films in the comic book genre have forgotten are the interactions between heroes and the civilians that they protect, they’re the heartwarming moments that we hang onto in these films. To see a Superman who even remembers the names of his the people he’s saved was quite affective. This may be one of the best characterizations of the Man of Steel ever, in a film full of near perfect characterizations of many beloved and lesser known characters.

The Lovers and The Haters

Superman is nothing without his supporting and un-supporting cast. Rachel Brosnahan and Nicholas Hoult make their DCU debuts alongside Corenswet as Lois Lane and Lex Luthor respectively. Unlike some previous iterations of Lois Lane that the writers didn’t really know what to do with, Brosnahan proves to be an incredibly capable reporter and asset to Superman. Lane often acts as the connecting bridge within the film with Brosnahan delivering a performance with determination and tenacity that rivals the might of Supes himself.

Hoult’s Lex Luthor takes the role of “hater” to a whole new level with what he has in store for the Kryptonian. At times maniacally unhinged, this Luthor still manages to be much more calm and collected than a previous cinematic adaptation that portrayed the character as more of a manic basket case than a genius sociopath. This Luthor is fully aware of what he is, admitting his overwhelming envy controls his every waking moment without hesitation. Hoult proves capable of managing all the different sides to Luthor but specifically how smug and controlling he can be. He’s ill-tempered, incredibly sure of himself, and always planning something in the back of his head.

Of The Cloth

An exciting surprise for many in this film? Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific, talk about a scene stealer. Gathegi gets his lick back after an early and untimely demise as the one X-Men who cant die in X-Men: First Class. Out of every supporting character in the film, Terrific gets the most screen time and the most to do and makes the absolute most out of every second of screen time that he’s given. To put it plain and simple, Terrific is just so damn cool. A character in the film underestimates him in one moment, dubbing him simply “the smart one” and Terrific seemingly takes that personal and proceeds to have one of the coolest fight sequences in the film. He’s an incredibly no nonsense guy who doesn’t like to waste time, possibly a side effect of his high intellect and intelligence.

Coming up behind Terrific is Nathan Fillion’s Guy Gardner, a casting that I can’t say I was a fan of at first and then was promptly shut up and proved wrong. Fillion absolute kills it as Gardner, a pitch perfect adaptation of the character with top notch characterization from Gunn. Unfortunately, Hawkgirl (played by Isabela Merced) draws the short end of the stick and really doesn’t get a whole lot of lines in the film, she may screech more than she speaks. She does get some cool moments, specifically one towards the end of the film that gets a lot of laughs but also gives a lot of insight into her character and her moral boundaries.

Can Krypto be considered “of the cloth”? well, he wears a cape, and that is some sort of cloth, so yes! Shockingly, Krypto isn’t in this film nearly as much as people expected him to be. That ends up making his appearances all the more special as the dog never feels overused. Gunn gets a lot of flack for his use of animal characters and companions in his projects but when it stops working so damn well, you can start complaining! Krypto makes for some fun gags in the film and often helps Superman lay down the law and kick some ass here and there. I hope everyone at DC Studios knows they can’t get rid of Krypto, ever.

‘Superman’ is Faster Than A Speeding Bullet

The total runtime of the film comes in at 2 hours and 9 minutes, the shortest Superman film since the days of Christopher Reeve’s and could probably use a runtime more akin to Henry Cavill’s Man of Steel. Superman is an incredibly fast paced film. There are only handful of moments that really slow the film down and have it ponder and explore its moments and message. Like Gunn has stated, the film drops you right into the action as Superman crash lands in the artic, suffering his first loss in his now three-year career. From their movie throws you right back into the fight as Superman tussles with the Hammer of Boravia across the Metropolis Skyline.

With a movie as fast as this, and with a somewhat short runtime, no room is left for a lot of characters because it has to focus on its leads the most. This leaves a lot of characters in the dust like The Engineer, Hawkgirl, Metamorpho, Ma & Pa Kent, and even the Daily Planet crew can get lost in the scale of the film or just not get enough time to shine. In any other film it may be because the potential is recognized in them but they aren’t given enough time to really show off. Here the issue is that these characters that we meet are great, their fun and interesting and you want to see them in action more, Specifically the Justice Gang who appear here and there when needed. Towards the end of a film during a larger conflict aside from the main one, the the Gang shows up and you think you’re going to be getting a good chunk more of them but only really get a side dish of action.

Having seen the film twice now, I can say it definitely does flow better on a second watch and A lot of that has to do with the films unique narrative structure. Throwing your audience right into the conflict can be a bit jarring, and on first watch I certainly felt a bit out of the loop but able to catch up pretty quickly. Going back into the film you know what to expect and you understand the flow of the film better and are able to match up with its story beats. Some have said that the second act can drag a bit for them, with Superman being rather contained and stationary for most of it but it never totally dragged for me. On a second watch I found myself even more interested in it even.

Kindness is The New Punk Rock

The themes of Superman are incredibly simple, yet just as effective. In a solemn moment shared between Clark and Lois, the two of them debate what constitutes being punk rock. Superman grappling with a recent revelation claims he is punk rock, even if Lois contests that thought, he makes a claim that maybe kindness is the new punk rock. He recognizes what the world is like, how quick people can be to aggression and turning on others. He can see the turmoil and outrage across the world, especially due to his recent intervention in a foreign conflict simply because he wouldn’t allow innocent blood to be shed if he was able to do something about it.

There’s been critiques that either Superman isn’t in the movie enough or that he doesn’t “resolve any conflicts” which could not be further from the truth. Much of the movie focuses on the effect that he can has on those around, how he inspires them. Most of Clarks inner turmoil in this film is the point of his place on earth, and how he’s used this chance that his parents gave him to do what he thought was right and to use his powers for good. In an emotional moment with Pa Kent, he tells Clark that parents are not there to dictate what their children become or do, they’re there to offer them the tools to figure it out on their own and in that moment Clark is able to realize who he truly is. Simply put, Superman is in the movie whether he’s physically on screen or not, his character shines through those around him, those that he has inspired and others that have come to understand why he does what he does. He sets a shining example for those “of the cloth.”

‘Superman’ – Final Thoughts

James Gunn’s Superman is an exciting and hopeful start to the DCU. David Corenswet delivers a career-making performance with a role that will absolutely go on to define his career and status as the best man of steel. Alongside Brosnahan, Hoult, and Gathegi, this cast is absolutely unstoppable and deliver unique and fantastic performances across the board. While at times the film may get lost in its own haste and sideline some characters, it makes up for it in heart and lasting impact that may have you leaving the theater wanting to be a better to those around you than when you entered. Gunn tests his own limits as a filmmaker here and tries a lot of new things as someone whose worked in the genre for over a decade now, its refreshing to see him continue to develop his style and expand his capabilities as a storyteller beyond the misfits and the anti-heroes.

James Gunn’s Superman is now playing in theaters. Check out a trailer below: