REVIEW: James Gunn’s ‘Superman’ Superbly Captures the Essence of Superman
Superman returns to the big screen in James Gunn’s Superman, and may just be the refresh DC Studios needs to welcome fans back to the DC Universe. Directed by Gunn, this version of Superman (David Corenswet) finds the metahuman already established in the city of Metropolis. For the past three years, he has been saving lives and preventing wars all over the world, but now his choices may have consequences. After a message from his Kryptonian parents has been released globally by the dastardly Lex Luther (Nicholas Hoult), the trust the world had for Superman is threatened. With the help of his “maybe” girlfriend, Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan), Superman must unravel Luthor’s true plans before the world decides they no longer need Superman.
Unlike previous iterations, this is not a Superman origin story, but a story about whether the choices Superman has been making over the years are really for the good of the people. Opting to go this route with Superman’s story, Gunn, who also wrote the movie, had a challenging time getting the story going. The first half of the movie felt a little disjointed as the audience was introduced to Superman, the world Superman is living in, and the ensemble that stands alongside the Big Blue Blur. Nevertheless, once Gunn finds his footing, the movie soars. The last half of the movie plays as if it came straight from the comics or right from an episode of Superman: The Animated Series. Gunn’s take on the hero superbly captured the essence of Superman.
Add in the fact, that the story doesn’t get lost in the CGI. The flying scenes give the audience their first ever look at what’s it like to fly from Superman’s point of view, while the battle scenes hold up without feeling corny or fake. Though if I had one wish for the film, it would have been the music. Sure, hearing John William’s Superman theme song back on the big screen brought chills, but Gunn has such a way with using music to add another layer to his scenes that it would have been fun to see what he could have added to this story had be relingushed the reigns a little bit.
The biggest win of this movie though is the casting. Gunn and his team knew what they were doing when they cast the actors for this movie. Let’s start with Corenswet. He was made to play Superman. Corenswet brings to life Superman’s boy scout demeanor with ease, while delivering several wonderful one-liners. My only gripe, and it has nothing to do with Corenswet acting, is we didn’t get a chance to see him fully explore the role of Clark Kent when he is not around those who know his secret. We saw small blips of it, but I would have liked to see more. Brosnahan stars as the no nonsense, confident Lois Lane and knocks it out of the park. This is a character that got lost a little bit in the beginning of the movie, but once she steps into reporter mode, Brosnahan kills it. Add in the fact that she and Corenswet have off the chart chemistry, the audience is in for a treat with these two as leads.
Nicholos Hoult plays Lex Luthor, and dare I say, may be one of the best live-action Luthor’s to grace the screen. From the second he steps onto the screen, you hate him. Hoult beautifully brings to life Luthor’s obsession with Superman and his need for power. He has one particular scene at the end of the movie that will leave the audience with chills. Edi Gathegi steps in as one of three other metahumans we meet in the movie, Mister Terrific, and was one of the standouts for me. For a character that is not often explored on screen, Gathegi’s blunt take on the character will make you want to learn more. Nathan Fillion and Isabela Merced play our final two metahumans, Green Lantern and Hawkgirl. Merced plays the smallest role of the three metahumans, which is a shame because Hawkgirl is one of my favorite DC Comics characters. Fillion does well as Green Lantern, but Gathegi’s Mister Terrific is the clear win.
Whether you are a fan of Superman or not, this is definitely a movie you will want to see in theaters. The cast is impeccable, and the story is extremely entertaining. Gunn has created an ensemble piece which is what was so great about Superman comics. Sure, Superman was the main character, but it was the other characters in the comic, like Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen, which made the comics so good. And it is the ensemble that makes this movie so good.
Grade: A-