3.5 out of 5.0 stars
“Superman” is a firework, bringing new excitement into the oversaturated superhero genre. It is a fresh and hopeful take on one of pop culture’s most iconic fictional figures, launching a whole new saga of superhero fare akin to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Despite these lofty aspirations — or maybe because of them — “Superman,” for the most part, works.
As the first of, hopefully, many movies featuring this new iteration of Superman — played by David Corenswet — the story jumps three years into his career, skipping over his origin story. Writer and director James Gunn acknowledged that audiences have seen Superman’s background rehashed countless times and said he felt no need to retell it yet again. The movie is better for it, opening with the Superman Man of Steel crash landing in Antarctica, beaten and battered from his first-ever loss. The story does not let that defeat linger, devoting not a single minute of reflection to Superman’s unexpected circumstance. “Superman” lacks those slow reflective moments, opting to fill its runtime with many plot points and a copious roster of characters: Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) and his supporting villains, Mr. Terrific (Edi Gathegi) and the “Justice Gang,” Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan) and her fellow journalists at the Daily Planet, Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult), “The Justice Gang,” Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan), Krypto the Superdog and many more. With so much to cover, some moments feel skimmed over and not given proper room to breathe.
The actors work wonders, all fitting right into this wacky comic book world. Corenswet embodies Superman with a combination of undampened love for life and charisma, always finding time to save people or animals, no matter who or what he is fighting. He stays true to being a boy scout with a cape and superpowers, delivering some powerful monologues along the way. Brosnahan is fantastic as Lois, an admirable, ambitious journalist whose electric chemistry with Corenswet blazes across the screen. Playing Lex Luthor, Hoult channels pure disdain for those he sees as lesser. He is so easy to hate. The rest of the cast breathes life into underappreciated comic book characters, like the hysterical Mr. Terrific (Edi Gathegi) and the adorable Krypto.
Gunn, famous for taking the “Guardians Of The Galaxy,” a lesser-known team of heroes, and making them renowned with witty comedy and charm, turns to a much bigger task: reimagining Superman. But without the Guardian’s goofiness, “Superman” sometimes over-relies on one-liners and antagonistic banter. Many genuinely emotional scenes are interrupted with humor that inspires laughs from the audience, yet feel misplaced. At one climactic moment, Superman is in a tense argument with a villain when Krypto interrupts and beats him up. It is funny, but unsatisfying.
Occasionally, the comedic antics are dialed down to allow for greater dramatic impact, but not always. Some themes, like xenophobia and interpreted anti-Zionism, come across powerfully, while others miss the mark. At one point, a female character portrayed as a “dumb blonde” proves otherwise until her achievement is undercut by silliness. For a movie that’s been dubbed “Superwoke” by Fox News, the treatment of her character feels quite the opposite.
The film’s stances on immigration and ethnic cleansing, although sensitive, are executed with care. Lex Luthor and the governmental agencies he partners with do not trust Superman. He is an alien to them, an outsider in their world. At one point, he turns himself in and is still slammed into the ground before being restrained, echoing today’s commonplace police brutality.
The film’s primary sideplot uses two nations, Boravia and Jarhanpur, which have been interpreted as stand-ins for Israel and Palestine, respectively. mass tragedies in Gaza. Boravia is led by a maniacal president who wants to ethnically cleanse Jarhanpur and invade its territory, evoking similarities to the ongoing tragedies in Gaza. In a tense scene, the two nations are seen in a standoff: Boravia’s soldiers with tanks and modern weaponry against Jarhanpur’s civilians wielding shovels. It is clear how immoral and unfair this fight is, yet Superman is one of the few characters who call it out.
The pacing slings through the runtime, rarely slowing down. There are few character-building moments in this action-packed movie. Superman’s secret identity, Clark Kent, gets the short end of the stick with only a couple of opening scenes before he is never seen again. Side characters beyond Lois, Lex Luthor and Mr. Terrific also have little time to develop and grow.
Gunn’s “Superman” is not a perfect movie, but it is a movie that delivers a perfect hero. Superman exudes hope, justice and the power to stand up for those who cannot stand up for themselves. He never loses sight of the stray dog about to get crushed by an imploding building or the lone woman in a car seconds from falling off a bridge. They are always saved. This might not be the Superman movie everyone wants, but it is the Superman movie everyone needs.
