Superman
2.5 out of 5 stars

By J.C. Correa

Majestic, gleaming, and awe-inspiring. So rises the Fortress of Solitude like an Arctic Minas Tirith, revolving out of the ice in a way never before rendered so spectacularly. And yet, it seems instead to be located in Antarctica. If this little detail confuses some moviegoers well-versed in the Man of Steel’s cinematic exploits, it will be just one of several nuggets that are new, reworked, or ultimately reimagined in James Gunn’s latest reboot, Superman.

Let me get the obvious out of the way and acknowledge that relative newcomer David Corenswet does a swell job at playing the big man in the red cape. Unlike the chiseled, physically-perfect Henry Cavill, Corenswet is handsome in a boy-next-door manner, and exudes a tender and likable demeanor that gets us on his side pretty quickly. He doesn’t possess the stoicism of the late Christopher Reeve, but he is nonetheless cut from the same mold. And though we sadly only briefly see him don the Clark Kent disguise, a great deal of what works in the new film is mainly due to the young actor’s appeal. 

Corenswet is paired off with a feisty and purposeful Rachel Brosnahan as fellow reporter Lois Lane, and the movie establishes an interesting, fresh twist to their dynamic right out of the gate. Amusingly, they even debate who is the more punk rock of the two (a point that Gunn sets up for an eventual payoff). An early interview that Superman grants Lois goes wrong very quickly and ends up as one big argument, subverting expectations while also hinting at the existential crisis that is one of the picture’s biggest themes. The Daily Planet nucleus is rounded out by Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen (who has bizarrely traded in his photographer credentials for that of a lover) and Wendell Pierce as editor-in-chief Perry White. Pierce, a veteran of both stage and film is utterly wasted in the role.

Lex Luthor, once again, is the story’s chief villain. His modus operandi to destroy Superman is to turn the world’s public opinion against him by exploiting society’s fears around his alien status. Nicholas Hoult is curiously cast as the mad billionaire, and though his bald mug looks perfect for the part, he is not menacing enough in a way that the otherwise competently-written role requires. The late Gene Hackman may have once played Luthor for laughs, but you felt his threat when you needed to. Even Kevin Spacey, in 2006’s mostly-forgotten Superman Returns, brought enough of his own brand of creepy to the part to make it count.

Elsewhere, the script is populated by characters from DC’s Justice Gang like Green Lantern and Mr. Terrific. As the former, Nathan Fillion gets some good laughs, with the best being at the expense of his ridiculous bowl cut, while Edi Gathegi excels as Mr. Terrific through a cool and deadpan turn. A scene in which he has to single-handedly take out an army while also protecting Lois is a highlight, in part because Gunn expectedly does his thing by soundtracking it to “5 Years Time” by Noah and the Whale. But the real MVP of the flick, for most viewers at least, will undoubtedly be Krypto, the adorable superpowered canine who really does function as Superman’s best friend. He is a welcome addition to the mythology, if an overused one.

At its core, the film’s biggest gambit (and the one that is apparently angering some moviegoers with right-leaning ideologies) centers on its examination of what it means to be human; a point that it literally spells out at the end. But Gunn (who also wrote the screenplay) does dip his feet into the political swamp by centering this around a plot in which Superman prevents the invasion of a smaller country by one of the United States’ political allies. Understandably, both nations in question are fictionalized, but the greater statement on display is that this iteration of Superman stands for truth, justice and not necessarily the American way, or at the very least, not exclusively. While these are precisely the talking points that have some up in arms, they are also reflective of the fact that the film is very much of its time. In that regard I applaud it, as the requisite for great art is the aim to reflect the era that births it. Unfortunately, there are several things that prevent Superman from truly being superb, but its ideas and larger worldview are not among them.

Even with Gunn’s devil-may-care touch and emphasis on fun and humor – the monkey bots that trash Superman on social media is an inspired touch – this is a comic book movie after all, and nowadays that comes with certain requirements. Chief among these is a propensity for action that is so frenetic and visually chaotic that it robs the enterprise of its marvel and wonder, most of which gets lost in the high-decibel violence. As such, if you don’t care about the visual aesthetic of comic books and their reliance on highly-exaggerated action, it can often feel like a scavenger hunt to find things of real value in these pictures. 

In spite of its repositioning and attempt to establish something entirely new and fresh, Gunn still feels the need to honor the character’s cinematic heritage by way of John Williams and Richard Donner, the director of the 1978 original. The title font and end credits are a direct homage to Donner’s memorable stylings from that feature, while Williams’ music is so iconic and likely unsurpassable that the filmmaker and his composers, David Fleming and John Murphy, don’t even try. Though they score the flick in their own way, Williams’ fabled theme gets wedged in more often than not, with Gunn even making it a point to start everything off on that note. Nostalgic fans may likely appreciate this, but it is hard to deny that the movie’s aspirations for renewal get hampered in some way by this adherence to the legacy.

Finally, it is worth asking what is indeed Superman’s most breathtaking trait as a character. It surely, without question, has to be his ability to fly. It has been at the center of every single campaign around him, including this new offering’s. And yet, save for a minimal nod to its spectacle at the onset, the picture chooses to skim over it altogether. Maybe it is the fact that so many superheroes fly nowadays so as to render Superman’s special ability somewhat ordinary. If so, I consider that to be a real shame. Even though Gunn clearly has a different and more important agenda, nothing generates so much wonder, especially visually, as the act of man in flight. When asleep, children and adults the world over may not dream about having heat vision or barbaric strength, but all of us still inevitably imagine ourselves miraculously taking to the skies. Until jet packs are distributed like Social Security cards, it is a concept that will never grow old or lose its impact. And no film about Superman should ever lose sight of that.

Superman is currently playing in theaters.