Director: James Gunn
Cast: David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult, Edi Gathegi, Anthony Carrigan, Nathan Fillion, Isabela Merced
Screenplay: James Gunn
129 mins. Rated PG-13 for violence, action and language.

I don’t think it’s hyperbole to note that Superman is very much the most important franchise tentpole of the year. After the shuttering of the DCEU just a few years ago when James Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy) and Peter Safran took over DC Studios and wiped the messy slate clean. While the recent Max Original series Creature Commandos was the soft introduction to a new cinematic universe, James Gunn stepped behind the camera for the big plant-your-flag start with Superman, a delightfully weird and wonderful action fantasy film that is exactly what the world of superheroes desperately needs.

It’s been three years since Kal-El (David Corenswet, Pearl) revealed himself to the world as Superman, the strongest of the known metahumans. Using alter ego Clark Kent, he’s been working as a reporter at the Daily Planet and kindling a romance with Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan, The Amateur). While he is not the only powerful being on Earth, his love of humanity and his own overconfidence in his abilities have put him at the center of a conflict between two nations that has been controversial. In trying to juggle his various duties, he’s unaware that the rich and scheming Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult, Nosferatu) is attempting to overthrow the public’s confidence and trust in Superman.

I didn’t discover the Superman movies until I was a teenager, but I hold Richard Donner’s 1978 film as my favorite superhero film. For my money, James Gunn has gotten as close as could be at capturing a modern version of the tone and energy of Donner’s film. The tricky thing about reaching that tone is leaning into the saccharine without falling headfirst into self-parody, and Gunn’s script along with the principal cast portraying these characters almost perfectly encapsulate the mood and feeling of the classic Superman that I fell in love with all those years ago. Some, particularly those who decided months ago to hate this movie, may not enjoy the more upbeat vibe, but it worked wonders for me.

David Corenswet is a great Superman and a great Clark Kent (though I wish we got a bit more time with him as Clark), and he portrays this still quite young and reckless Kal-El very comfortably. His ability to use words like “golly” and “gosh” with complete dedication is admirable and he fits in strong opposition to Green Lantern Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion, Monsters University) and the suave standout Mr. Terrific (Edi Gathegi, Twilight). I also found him to have the emotional range for the more serious notes.

Brosnahan’s take on Lois Lane may just be my favorite interpretation of the character put to film. She takes a lot of cues from previous performers, most notably Margot Kidder, but she’s given a wider range here than in most other films. We see a lot of reporter Lois early in the film, and her performance feels authentic to the world that Gunn has built. Lois is so focused on being the cunning reporter that, when she gets in that mode, nothing else really matters. While it could cause strife, especially in an early interview scene with Superman, she also has terrific chemistry with Corenswet, and the romance between the two sets the stage nicely for what’s to come.

There are a lot of laughs and excitement for the supporting cast, including a great turn from Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen and the various other heroes in the film, but what stood out to me most from the smaller players was a perfect moment from the underutilized Pruitt Taylor Vince as Pa Kent in one of the film’s most beautiful sequences. Every Superman has his Pa Kent, and while we didn’t get to see his origin this time around (a very smart decision very quickly mentioned at the film’s start), we did get the defining father/son moment that will shape Clark Kent’s journey going forward, and hearing from Gunn that fathers and sons was an important motif for him makes perfect sense in the finished film.

From a production angle, the movie looks incredible. These are very classic interpretations of the characters and locations. Metropolis looks great, and the Fortress of Solitude inspired awe. I also liked the reworking of the classic John Williams theme. Normally, for a reboot, I find it best to try out new musical themes, but that 1978 Superman theme is almost as iconic as the caped hero flying by.

If anything, the film’s biggest flaw is that I simply wanted more. I wanted more time spent on Lex’s backstory would have helped me as a viewer to see how that anger toward Superman developed (though explained in the film, I think more is needed). I wanted more time to build the relationship between Superman and the other heroes. I wanted more development on some of the wilder “inside baseball” elements of the mythology. For all the complaints of movies being too long nowadays (and they are, make no mistake), Superman is a movie that could’ve benefitted from…more.

I’d love to tell you all the other bits that I loved about Superman, but they would dip into spoilery territory, so I’ll say this: from Krypto to Metamorpho, from Ma and Pa Kent to Guy Gardner’s haircut, this is a special kind of movie with enough heart to fill the Fortress of Solitude, a hefty dose of classic James Gunn weirdness, and an experience that felt like a warm hug and gave me hope for the future. Some of the CG is a little gummy and some of the dialogue dipped a bit too much into sugar-sweet, but these are minor nitpicks in an otherwise delightful fantasy that I can’t wait to see again.

4/5
-Kyle A. Goethe

For my review of James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy, click here.
For my review of James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 2, click here.
For my review of James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad, click here.