The DC Universe Awakens with Soaring ‘Superman’ | Review

A Silly and Bombastic Romp Heavy on CGI and Empathy

The Snyderverse is dead. Long live the DC Universe. The road to get to these words is a long and bizarre one. To kick things off, I’d like to provide a primer that summarizes the events that have led us to this point for those who might be out of the loop or confused about why there’s a new guy wearing the red cape.

In 2010, Warner Bros. hired filmmaker Zack Snyder, of 300 and Watchmen fame, to helm their upcoming Superman reboot following the conclusion of Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight trilogy. This Superman origin film would be the first in a series that would culminate in an Avengers-style “Justice League” team-up movie, and continue henceforth, ideally mirroring the success of the juggernaut that was the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Despite its divisive reception, 2013’s Man of Steel, starring Henry Cavill, ultimately paved the way for a shared universe of DC films, colloquially known as the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). Still, a lack of a cohesive structure, drastic reshoots, and underwhelming box office and critical performance ultimately doomed WB’s answer to the MCU.

With this knowledge, welcome to the new age of DC Comics on film. Enter: James Gunn’s Superman. As a comic book/superhero nerd who appreciated some of what the DCEU did, but was mixed on the pulpy action and humor of Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, I was hesitant to join the movie’s hype. With the film’s announcement, I was skeptical of the idea of a lighter tone for DC adaptations that would potentially pander to the MCU audience, despite that franchise starting to decline. Needless to say, I was exhausted by years of constant DCEU controversy and WB’s poor management and longed for a reboot. Once it was announced that Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, The Amateur) had been cast as Lois Lane and Nicholas Hoult (Juror No. 2, Nosferatu) had signed on to play Lex Luthor, however, the light began to appear to me.

Those casting choices, along with the then-unfamiliar David Corenswet as Clark Kent/Superman, convinced me that this new outing had potential. Brosnahan is an adaptable actor with great comedic ability, which suits Lois Lane perfectly, since her wit is just as important as her grit. Lex Luthor, being a slimy, cruel, rich bully, was a departure for Hoult, but he has a career going back to his adolescence (see 2002’s About a Boy) that showcases his range. These crucial decisions make all the difference, especially in a film based on characters with storied histories and strong visual identities.

Superman opens with a brief text summary of the world state, giving the audience the rundown on why we’re about to see our hero crash into the snow and call his unruly dog, Krypto, for help. This immediate choice to tell rather than show makes a strong impact when people are so familiar with the concept, and from there, a consistently entertaining and heartfelt film follows.

Taking heavy thematic inspiration from the beloved Christopher Reeve Superman films of the 1970s, and light narrative inspiration from Snyder’s work, Gunn creates an all-encompassing, familiar but fresh Superman that feels like the formula has been perfected. Corenswet is undeniably charming in this role, not only being a physical match for the character, but embodying the sweetness and resolve that defines Clark Kent/Superman. Pair that with his exceptional chemistry with Brosnahan and you have a Clark and Lois for the ages based on acting alone.

We learn that Lois and Clark have only been dating for three months, and in one of the film’s best scenes, Clark allows Lois to interview him as Superman. It’s the kind of scene that actors live for, and Corenswet and Brosnahan are at their absolute best under the emotional strain of this tense clash of business and personal. I greatly appreciated Gunn’s interest in allowing Superman to be frustrated with both the world and himself, which calls back to Henry Cavill’s take on the character in the Snyder films, but Gunn also makes him wholesome, which harkens back to Christopher Reeve tremendously. This balancing act is reminiscent of the Superman from DC’s early 2000s animated series’ Justice League and Justice League Unlimited, and as someone who has always held a deep reverence for those works, I was absolutely thrilled to see it play out in live action.

The plot is less remarkable, but still completely serviceable. Gunn wrote the script in addition to directing, and I think his experience thus far lends to the quality of the pacing and the movie’s ability to juggle many elements. You will be pelted with CGI action sequences and copious destruction along the way, and if you haven’t already reconciled that that aspect of superhero films is here to stay, you might be a masochist. That isn’t to say the action isn’t exciting, as there are some solid anime-esque fights. On the other end, you have a compelling story about Clark’s struggle to come to terms with who he is vs who he needs to be, And while Man of Steel explores this quite well, and honestly, catches more flak than it deserves, I think it is more powerful in Superman, because we see it through the eyes of Clark Kent, the human instead of Kal El, the Kryptonian.

Musically, the soundtrack is typical James Gunn fare. Gunn is a self-proclaimed punk rock music nerd, and you will hear many, many songs in this movie, many of them likely unfamiliar to you. It’s one of those directors’ signatures that can work really well sometimes, and fall a bit flat other times. Take that as you will. John Murphy’s score calls back proudly to John Williams’ iconic theme from the Donner films, but I wasn’t amazed in all honesty. While the title track in particular is excellent, I think the score is eclipsed by Hans Zimmer and Junkie XL’s brilliant work for the DCEU, and I hope to see bolder choices made for future films.

In writing this review, it was difficult to avoid spoiling this movie’s “twist,” and I will keep my word and let you experience that for yourself. However, I want to note that the twist plays into the dominant theme of the movie, which is ultimately the importance of empathy. Clark’s mission in life, while centered around heroic feats and saving lives, is really about being kind to others, be they human, alien, superdog, or giant monster. This is a movie about the power of helping someone, simply because you can. It’s the character's greatest strength, but also the movie’s.

As I watched this movie, I sat in awe of one of my favorite characters brought to life yet again, not just because of the epic battles or the easter eggs, or the massive IMAX screen, but because I saw something real life rarely offers us. I saw a powerful person empathize with his enemies. I saw Superman save the world with kindness, in addition to his great strength. I saw Clark Kent fight evil, all in the name of doing the right thing. I think that now, possibly more than ever before in our lifetimes, this message of empathy is needed. I think that is why this movie has resonated so deeply with so many people. I did not expect to get misty-eyed during this movie, but I’m not ashamed to admit that I did once or twice.

It’s a silly and bombastic comic book romp, packed to the gills with characters and references. It’s messy sometimes, and triumphant most of the time. What this movie truly excels at, though, is showing us the impact of empathy. We get to see the kind actions of a nice person from a small town who isn’t always sure of himself, but is sure that he wants to do his part to make his world a place where people are free from fear and persecution and pain.

That’s who Superman is, after all. What more could I ask for as a lifelong DC fan who just loves to see his heroes fly?

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Superman is rated PG-13 for violence, action and language. Now playing in theaters.