'Superman' A Review

Superman is a superhero movie, the second reboot of the Superman franchise and the first film in James Gunn's DCU. The movie begins in media res with some title cards setting the scene- Superman came to Earth 30 years ago, metahumans have existed for hundreds of years- and Superman is losing his first fight. Superman(David Corenswet) recently stopped a foreign war and is getting flack from the government and the public, this effort spearheaded by techno-baron Lex Luthor(Nicholas Hoult). There are other superheroes, pocket universes, metahuman prisons, comments on fascism and cancel culture the movie is brimming with ideas and easter eggs setting the stage for the character and where the DCU will go from here.

Corenswet is a great Superman and a decent Clark Kent, although his time in that persona is minimal. He balances the power, nobility, and humanity pitch perfectly and it'll be fun to see where he takes the character from here. The cast is jammed packed with talent mostly all of whom are putting in great work- Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane is edgy and tough and a great foil for Corenswet, Edi Gathegi as Mr. Terrific steals the movie for the time Superman is sidelined- funny and thrilling, Nathan Fillion as Green Lantern and Isabela Merced as Hawkgril also great, Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen surprisingly fun. The list goes on and on. The one off-note is Hoult who plays Luthor with a slathering one-dimensional fervor that just doesn't really jive with the tone of the movie or what the rest of the cast is doing.

Visually the film is colorful and intricate and compelling with a rousing score, great costumes, and just clearly so much loving care and attention taken with the production. The action scenes are all really effective and feel motivated by story rather than necessity. They help tell the story which is a function not always met with superhero movies. As the first entry in James Gunn tenure as head of the DCU that movie does include a lot of, if not set up then, necessary worldbuilding and this at times makes the movie feel a bit over-stuffed, sacrificing streamlining of this movie to launch a greater platform on which future movies and TV shows will be built. But even then that aspect is actually kind of exciting rather than a drag.

Above all fun. A quality sadly in short supply with summer blockbusters the last several years.

Currently in theaters.

See It.