Superman Review
James Gunn has revitalised interest in the DC Universe (DCU) with the movie ‘Superman’, kicking the start of this new era for the brand into high gear. It’s a fantastically entertaining film, with David Corenswet donning the cape and trunks of the loveable alien. While it’s a movie that ers on setting up a bit too much of future content, the overall package delivers some amazing spectacle, heart and humour that gives a lot of optimism into this age of DC films.
Corenswet is a great Superman. He’s still a new Superman, making mistakes and bumbling about, but far more endearing than Henry Cavill’s interpretation. Gunn thankfully skips the origin of Superman and moves right into telling an interesting story with the character, but it’s clear he’s still inexperienced as the Man of Steel. Corenswet’s Clark Kent is similarly endearing and bumbling, even more so than Superman as one would expect. Kent doesn’t have many scenes as Superman, though that’s not a bad thing. Superman isn’t on his own for his quent of truth, justice and the American way, as he’s got his loveable dog Krypto with him. He’s such a good boy, and has misbehaving puppy behaviour all across the film, though that comes in use later on. How Gunn managed to pull off this good boy convincingly is one of the film’s biggest strengths.
Nicholas Hoult plays Lex Luthor in this film, and he’s one of the best parts of it. Hoult infuses his interpretation with such charismatic, visceral hate, as he uses his charm and big brain to pull Superman down. He’s so gloriously evil, and drips with aura, Hoult’s acting makes Luthor the best version of the character audiences have seen to date. Shame his girlfriend is so vapid and irritating. Rachel Brosnahan is a brilliant, independent Lois Lane, who has believable chemistry with Corenswet’s Superman, a couple who’ve gotten over the first awkward, early steps of their relationship and are getting into the middle phase.
The film is jam packed with characters from the wider DCU, such as the Justice Gang. Made up of Nathan Fillion’s Guy Gardner, Isabela Merced’s Hawk Girl, and Edi Gathegi’s Mister Terrific. The gang are mainly there for comedic relief. Gardner and Mister Terrific excel in this area, though Hawk Girl is unfortunately just there for action and not much else. Anthony Carrigan plays Metamorpho, who has a small role, though again comes across as likeable, but doesn’t leave a lasting impression unlike the others. But they’re all likeable, and a spin-off with them would be fun to watch, as they’re able to lean more into the comedy and stylised action Gunn is known for. On Luthor’s side there’s Ultra Man and María Gabriela de Faría’s The Engineer, but they’re little more than evil henchmen.
The biggest flaws of the film are twofold and interconnected with each other. While the film is filled with characters that audiences will want to see more of, this film sacrifices time to building all of them up, time which should have gone to fleshing out more characters associated with Superman, like those at the Daily Planet, more of the Kents, and more of the Lex Luthor Superman relationship. This want for more time with the core characters is heightened by the fact that the film chucks the audiences right into act two of this world, expecting them to pick everything up quickly. While this might not be a flaw for avid comic book fans, to a more casual perspective who these characters are seems alien. An origin story isn’t required to do this and avoiding that was certainly the right choice, but with this crazy world already in the middle of even more bonkers events, it’s all a bit much too fast. In some moments of the film Gunn fails into the trap of setting up the future while sacrificing the present.
Audiences don’t get much of the stylised action that they know Gunn is capable of. There is a brilliant and humorous scene with Mister Terrific taking out goods from the perspective of a terrified but protected Lois Lane, but otherwise there’s nothing else that stands out. There’s one sequence that overstays its welcome in the mid part of the film during an escape in a pocket dimension, with the CGI unfortunately not holding up to what’s being asked. But that’s the only area in the film where the CGI falls below a usually high standard, with Superman flying and other action beats looking stunning. Gunn infuses the screen with bright colours that pop off, a distinct departure from the drab and dark colouring of past DC films. It’s to further convey a sense of hopefulness, something that was lacking in the Zack Snyder iteration of the character. That tone is consistent across the film, along with Gunn’s trademark for sillness, but it can sometimes clash with the darker moments that go on.
Whle there are parts of this film that don’t work quite as well as they possibly could have, Gunn successfully kicks off this new chapter for the DCU with a new Superman that feels far more earnest and hopeful than the prior iteration. The supporting characters can feel overbearing at times, but the characters are generally likeable and have things to do and will have audiences excited for where they go next. Gunn uses the film to also set his vision of the DCU apart from what’s come before tonally too, with it being a more vibrant, colourful, and fun take on the source material. Overall ‘Superman’ is a success, and while it can feel overcrowded and overwhelming, it’s a hopeful start to the new DCU.
