Superman has finally hit theaters, marking the beginning of James Gunn’s new DC Universe. This has been long-awaited and highly anticipated, both for its potential to reverse a generally disappointing run for the genre and to help DC continue its climb out of the live-action purgatory they landed in the last time they tried this.

Superman Review

The character may not be in the public eye quite like Batman or Spider-Man are, but that maybe ought not to be. He represents the best of humanity, always has. Or he’s supposed to, anyway. That isn’t always the case, as some representations of the character have done some damage to its interpretation, but this movie sought to fix that and more.

It stands in direct opposition to the previous Superman film, Man of Steel. For as decent a film as that is, it fundamentally misrepresents Superman as a character. The Biblical allegory, including positing Superman as a sort of Messianic figure himself.

That is not who or what the character is or has ever been. This movie takes that idea, which is a misguided but respectable attempt to be different, and turns it back on its head. Instead of positioning the titular hero as the world’s savior that should be worshipped, it paints him as one of us that just happens to be powered enough to serve.

That very idea is what causes the world to change its mind about our hero and allows Lex Luthor to get the upper hand. It’s perhaps not subtle, but it is an effective way to distance this movie from the previous regime. The DCEU failed for many reasons, perhaps none more glaring than the simple fact that it did things with the characters that the general audience didn’t like.

To that end, this version of Superman is a refreshing return to what makes the character so great. He represents hope. It’s the symbol on his chest. In James Gunn’s latest effort, he represents a little more: humanity. This has always been a staple of the character, and it’s really nice to see it back on the big screen. For far too long we’ve been without a Superman that really reminds us what it’s like to be human.

That’s not to disrespect Henry Cavill, the former actor who played this character, for his faults lie primarily in the character’s writing. But on the same note, David Corenswet embodies the Kryptonian better perhaps than anyone ever has, and it’s because of the vulnerability. This version gets angry, he gets frustrated, he gets defeated, he gets broken. But he gets back up, and he is undeniably human, no matter where he comes from.

For a big-budget blockbuster, this is surprisingly politically relevant. Gunn again forgoes the subtly in favor of directly communicating his take. There’s a geopolitical conflict that is pretty much one-to-one for another geopolitical conflict going on today.

His take is plainly clear, and it’s one that some actors and actresses have been dropped from projects for (looking at Melissa Barrera and Scream 7, specifically). So, to kick off a new franchise that’s supposed to effectively be the new MCU with such a bold, pointed political take is brave and welcome. It’s not a sanitized movie in any way.

Kryptonite

There are a few downsides. Think back to when Iron Man kicked off the MCU. It was just Iron Man and at the very, very end (the end of the credits, kicking off a trend that is still going 17 years later) Nick Fury arrives. That was it. It was his movie to kick off the franchise, but in this case, there are tons of DC characters undoubtedly set for returns in various of their own projects at some point.

That makes it a little over bloated, and it’s a little disappointing that one particular aspect of the final climactic conflict doesn’t even involve Superman. For all his involvement with that side of things during the beginning of the movie, his inability to be there at the end, which was a deliberate plot choice, is a bit frustrating.

There are also a lot of big ideas going on. There are tons of themes and plot points present, and they don’t all come together perfectly. Some of them are a little half-baked just by virtue of a two-hour movie not having enough run time to adequately explore every layer.

Additionally, there’s a “plot twist” of sorts regarding one of the antagonists that feels a little lazy and ham-handed. It fits within the story and doesn’t create a plot hole, but it’s something that’s been done before and warrants a small eye-roll. You’ll know exactly what it is when you see it.

But for all those issues, Superman makes up for it in spades. The cast is excellent. Corenswet bears mentioning again because he’s just that good, but Rachel Brosnahan puts most other Lois Lanes to shame. Nicholas Hoult might be the genuine standout, though.

His Lex Luthor is perfectly evil, bordering on cartoonish but never dipping too far. He’s vile and full of hatred that drips through the screen. Skylar Gisondo, Nathan Fillion, Isabela Merced, Edi Gathegi, and Frank Grillo all put in really solid supporting work.

The score is good, although the existing Superman themes help make John Murphy’s work a little easier here. The CGI is mostly good, with only a few unfortunate-looking moments. Plus, the fact that a Superman film is bright and colorful and not bleak and dreary is a huge win.

Up, Up, and Away

Ultimately, while Superman might not be the genre-saving (as if comic book movies truly need saving, they just needed to be good again, which they seem to be with this and Thunderbolts*) film people had hoped, it does set things up really nicely for DC. It might have taken them 17 years, but they might finally be able to rival what the MCU did. That, and restoring the character of Superman to his rightful place and with the right messaging and imagery, is what makes this movie more than worth the price of admission.

Score: 4.25/5