Superman, the hero and the movie, is a defiant symbol of hope, a rebel with a cause, and a beginning to a brighter future for DC Studios.

After finding success with The Suicide Squad under the DCEU umbrella, James Gunn was given the keys to the kingdom to the DC Comics sector under the Warner Bros. umbrella. Gunn and Peter Safran have been tasked to salvage the previous fumbles of the DCEU and reboot this comic book franchise as DC Studios. As one of the defining directors of the “MCU glory days,” maybe Gunn has what it takes to bring back that magic. Like Zack Snyder before him, this new era of DC is being kicked off with Superman, directed by Gunn himself and starring David Corenswet as the titular hero. Unlike the moody tone set by its predecessor in 2013, Superman shines as a bright beginning for the revamped DC Studios, a beacon of hope during a confusing period of the superhero genre. 

“Alright people, let’s do this one last time.” – Peter B. Parker (Jake Johnson), Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. This is the approach James Gunn uses to avoid a complete origin story of one of the earliest superheroes. Rather than seeing a baby Kal-El being shipped off from Krypton or a montage of Clark Kent growing up in Kansas, the movie starts with on-screen text in intervals of 3. 30 years ago to three minutes ago, audiences are caught up on everything they need to know about the Man of Steel before being thrust in medias res after Superman is injured and temporarily defeated. This is a Year 3 Superman, similarly to Robert Pattinson’s Year 2 Batman in The Batman. Because of this, Superman is given the breathing room to examine Superman as a man through the themes of identity, immigration, xenophobia, and what it means to be human. 

In recent decades, the character of Superman hasn’t been the easiest to adapt. As audiences have grown accustomed to the snarky heroes of a Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), the good-natured walking Boy Scout has grown less palatable. Plus, there have been many iterations of Superman, from Christopher Reeve to Brandon Routh to Tyler Hoechlin most recently. How would this version of Clark Kent/Superman fare? As the twelfth person to don the cape, David Corenswet finds that sweet spot of capturing Superman’s optimism and confidence that comes across genuine and authentic. 

Not only that, Corenswet brings an emotional depth to him as his worldview is flipped on its head. During the second act when he’s brought back to his childhood home, Clark is still wrestling with the knowledge that his biological parents weren’t as noble as he envisioned them to be. It shakes the core of who believed himself to be and has an identity crisis. While eating breakfast outside, his adoptive father, Jonathan, finds him and lovingly reminds him that parents are just a guide. The actions and choices you make daily are who you are. It’s one of the best scenes in the movie and that’s in large part to Corenswet and Pruitt Taylor Vince. 

Another character who brings out the deeper, vulnerable aspects of Superman is Lois Lane, played to perfection by Rachel Brosnahan. Anyone who has seen her Emmy-winning performance as Midge Maisel in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel knew she had what it took to make the quick-witted Lois her own. As an investigative journalist, by nature, Lois is always asking the tough questions. When she interviews Superman on the night of their three month anniversary, she isn’t afraid to get uncomfortable and ask hard questions to her boyfriend. In turn, she has to face her own vulnerabilities, unsure if a relationship with Clark can even work or if she can say “I love you” after he says it to her first. Lois struggles with emotional intimacy, and Brosnahan doesn’t cheapen this side of Lois’ character. 

Both Superman and Lois Lane stand tall on as individual characters and their specific arcs in Superman. However, the scenes between just the two of them are some of the strongest in the movie. They are each other’s counterpart– Clark reminds Lois it’s ok to be trusting of others, and Lois challenges Clark to look beyond his perspective with a critical eye. They are strong individually, yet they are at their strongest together. Romance isn’t the primary genre of Superman, but Clark and Lois’ relationship is treated as an important aspect of the movie. Corenswet and Brosnahan have chemistry for days, and they sell this relationship that grounds Clark and Lois in the midst of chaos.

“You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.” – Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), The Dark Knight. This quote sums up Nicholas Hoult’s road to becoming Lex Luthor. After playing Hank McCoy aka Beast in the most recent Fox X-Men movies, Hoult has auditioned for Batman multiple times; he even auditioned to play Superman for this movie. Yet here he is as one of Superman’s most infamous villains. Hoult channels the likes of Elon Musk to make a villain that’s unflinchingly real, not just a comic book character. He captures Lex’s single-minded obsession at the cost of everyone around him, fueled by unchecked envy. Speaking of which, his monologue in the third act regarding his envy is a highlight of Hoult’s performance, bringing an intensity at the cusp of his greatest victory over the alien. 

I don’t want to take credit for this observation (pretty sure Jamie Jirak said it first), but Superman is a heartfelt movie with humor thrown in, while The Suicide Squad was a humor-centric movie with some heartfelt beats thrown in. James Gunn, in previous projects, is known for throwing so many jokes at you per minute that it’s hard to keep up with at times. Yet with Superman, he pulls back the humor for the sake of the core of who Clark Kent/Superman is. Clark has his moments– it was genuinely funny watching him admit he reads the comments online– but the more laugh-out-loud moments are given to the characters around him, like Nathan Fillon’s Green Lantern or Skyler Gisondo’s awkward yet ladies magnet Jimmy Stewart or Alan Tudyk’s deadpan android, 4. Gunn isn’t trying to conform Superman to his usual brand of humor; in fact, it’s refreshing to watch everyone around Superman be transformed by his inherent goodness over sarcasm and quips. More on that later. 

It’s a truth universally acknowledged that if James Gunn is involved in a project, the soundtrack is going to be great. No joke. Each Awesome Mix of the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy is proof of this. He’s one of the few directors that understands the power of a good needledrop (Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino, Edgar Wright, and Wes Anderson are experts at this, too). Like the Guardians trilogy, The Suicide Squad, and Peacemaker before, Superman features a good mix of offbeat rock songs that seamlessly fits into the scene it’s dropped in. One of the best fight scenes, featuring Mister Terrific and Lois Lane infiltrating Lex’s desert base, “5 Years Time” by Noah & The Whale transitions from a diegetic song playing on a radio to the nondiegetic anthem as Mister Terrific takes out Luthor’s officers. It’s similar in nature to the “Come A Little Bit Closer” by Jay & The Americans sequence in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 when Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper) and Yondu (Michael Rooker) break out from the Ravagers. Gunn’s inner ear when it comes to syncing rock songs to action scenes is masterful. Also side note: Edi Gathegi is truly fantastic as Mister Fantastic (pun intended); he deftly flips between a deadpan demeanor with frustrated outbursts as comedic gold. Outside of the Big Three, Mister Terrific is easily one of the best characters of Superman.

When it comes to action, the action sequences of Superman continue to impress overall. For those complaining about Superman’s flying from the trailers, all of it works in the context of the movie. Pretty much all but one fight sequence is well-staged and easy to track the flow of action. There’s a rhythm to the action and cinematography that’s notably refreshing, in comparison to the look of average superhero movies in recent years. The one sequence that gets convoluted is the final fight between Superman and Ultraman. Without diving too heavily into spoilers, there is a poetic nature about this fight. Unfortunately, with the rips in the universe happening in the background, the significance of this battle falls to the waist side and into the folder of mediocre third act battles.

What holds this movie back from greatness is the third act itself. It’s a collision course of three plots fighting for dominance– The Daily Planet squad; the Justice Gang in Jarhanpur; and Superman vs. Lex Luthor and the rip in the universe. I’ve seen my fair share of superhero movies, I know how chaotic and overstuffed they can get. Superman isn’t the worst offender in this regard, but it does suffer from this trap, which makes you feel the full two-hour-nine-minute runtime (not complimentary). This isn’t James Gunn’s first rodeo with this, so he’s heard these complaints before. Therefore, it’s reasonable to expect more from this creative, dynamic director when landing the third act climatic battles.

I will admit Superman has never been my favorite superhero; same with Captain America for similar reasons. He is bright; he is trusting; and he has god-like powers. I am forever a Batman fan because I like exploring the dark edges of his character, as well as the detective side of him. There was a time where it was almost rebellious to prefer Batman over Superman. Yet the more I’ve contemplated this movie, the more I’ve realized that James Gunn is right: Superman is punk rock. 

At first, the Boy Scout trying to defend his music preferences as “punk rock” to Lois is played for as a joke. However, as the movie goes on, Clark’s actions continue to back up his punk rock claims in unconventional ways than audiences are used to. You see, nihilism has become mainstream. Sarcasm is the language of choice. Brooding is a constant state of being. Lois Lane’s worldview is the norm, not the exception. Therefore, it is rebellious to choose kindness over cynicism. It is countercultural to wake up each day and choose to do the next right thing, even if you’re scared or you mess up along the way. It is an act of defiance to trust others when it’s easier to question everything and everyone. 

I’m not suggesting we completely drop our defenses and not have a healthy skepticism, particularly with people in places of power and authority. We already know the world is dark. We already know there are monsters in the shadows, and there is catharsis in the redemptive violence of Batman punching the daylights out of some thug. However, I am saying that Superman is the hero the world needs right now more than Batman. He gets knocked down and he’ll keep getting back up again and choosing to help people, even when they’ve turned their backs on him. He will go out of his way to find Krypto, his cousin’s unruly super-pet, because he knows what it’s like to be lost and alone in the world. There’s nothing more metal in our postmodern world than being kind even when it doesn’t get you ahead or earn you anything. Gunn punctuates this theme by choosing to close out the movie with “Punkrocker” by Teddybears feat. Iggy Pop. Superman, the hero and the movie, is a defiant symbol of hope, a rebel with a cause, and a beginning to a brighter future for DC Studios.

Grade: B+

Oscars Prospects:
Likely: None
Should be Considered: Best Visual Effects

Where to Watch: In Theaters