Superman
Rated PG-13 for language, action and violence
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 85%
In Theaters
The original (or at least I’m calling it original) Superman, starring Christopher Reeve, was my first superhero movie as a child, and to this day, one of my favorite films. Since that 1978 classic, there have been tons of sequels and reboots, but none of them have really captured what we love about Superman.
In this new reimagining of arguably the most famous superhero of all, writer/director James Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy) has brought us a truly unique vision of Kal-El’s story with this thrilling new adventure. The film very wisely chooses not to go into another origin story, and instead begins as Superman (David Corenswet) is in the middle of a fight he is badly losing. We find out that for centuries, metahumans have been visiting our planet, and that Superman is one of these metahumans who has been on our planet for 30 years, making himself known to the world, and trying to do some good. But he’s also stirring up political trouble by stopping a war that would have changed the geopolitical scales while also killing lots of innocent civilians. So back to him losing a fight.
As he is lying near his fortress of solitude in Antarctica, so badly beaten that he can’t even stand, we meet Krypto, his new dog who quickly becomes one of the most important (and lovable) characters in our movie.  Krypto helps Superman get to safety and healing, and then the movie gets right back into the action. It’s a whacky beginning that immediately sets the tone for what we are about to experience. The story moves forward with Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan) attempting to get inside Superman’s head regarding the ramifications of his actions, while Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) makes every attempt to kill him, so that he can move on to his more diabolical plans.
Since James Gunn became a household name (for many) with Guardians of the Galaxy, we have been given some very outlandish, yet incredible and unforgettable storytelling for movies that would normally be missing these elements he regularly infuses into his craft. Just as with his work on his Marvel projects (and 2021’s Suicide Squad which was probably his DC working interview), he has created here a beautifully quirky picture, full of wonderful surprises and fantastically weird spectacles, all with a strong dose of humor. This all sounds like distraction from story, but it’s not. The characters, and overall universe, prove to be larger than life, giving Superman an uber-creative backdrop to hang his cape on. While there are some irritations, like people who don’t move when the world is crashing down on them (this has always been a problem), you merely go along with Gunn’s vision, gladly taking in what he is dishing out.
I expected to be wowed by Gunn’s imagination creatively, but I did not expect how overtly political the film would be in regards to foreign wars, how we treat immigrants and animosity towards crazy, dangerous billionaires. There will be some angry dissenters, but my prediction will be that these are largely universal beliefs that will satisfy most audiences. Politics aside, this Superman is different than anything you have seen before, and I can’t wait to see where Gunn takes the DC universe as he sets out to chart a new course. A
Danny Minton may be reached at danny@dannyminton.com.
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