With Its Hopeful Comic Book Heart, Superman Makes For A Lot Of Fun

Superman feels like a throwback to the time when comic book movies were supposed to be fun.

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There’s no superhero or even comic book character more iconic than Superman. He’s the blueprint fr. And over the decades, movies, whether live action or animated, have depicted the iconic hero in all sorts of ways. So, for James Gunn’s reboot of the hero to start the era of DC Studios, the director had the unenviable task of reintroducing the hero to a new generation. So what did he do?

He went back to basics for a movie that holds its comic book heart on its superpowered sleeves. This is a comic book fan’s comic book movie, and that might sound unappealing to some, but it actually makes for a film that doesn’t take itself too seriously, and more importantly, is lots of fun. If nothing else, it’s entertaining, and shouldn’t it be that way for blockbusters? 

A HERO FOR THE NEW AGE

While the movie is technically a reboot, this is not an origin story. Instead, the film’s opening moments reveal that it’s set in a universe where metahumans are already a known presence. Superman is already, well, Superman, working at The Daily Planet, dating Lois Lane, and has already established his Fortress of Solitude. With that out of the way, we get into a story of Superman coming to terms with his past as he faces his biggest threat yet in Lex Luthor, a tech billionaire genius with an open hatred for Superman and other metahumans. 

Admittedly, the story does approach bloated territory at some points, but, for the most part, the plot keeps things brisk, blending the action scenes with the more personal moments. To some, it might be jarring to watch the movie go through its story without stopping for backstories and origin plots, but that aids in Superman’s charm. Without being saddled with “how X character became Y” plotlines, you get a functioning narrative that starts strong, ends nicely, and all while still making room for future sequels. 

Superman operates with the core tenets of its story already established. You’re entering a world that already existed before the audience came in, and it’s quite refreshing to come into a lived-in world where we aren’t saddled with too much backstory and exposition. 

This also means that we meet a handful of characters who are already established in the canon. There’s Krypto (who is technically Supergirl’s dog that Superman is watching while she’s away), the Justice Gang composed of Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, and Mr. Terrific, and other appearances we won’t spoil. All these characters and plotlines can come off as overstuffed at times, but thanks to the writing and acting, we still get a sense of who these heroes and figures are. 

WE LOVE FUN COMIC BOOK MOVIES

Speaking of acting, that’s one of the movie’s best aspects. David Corenswet brings a mature naivete to Superman in a sense that he’s experienced at what he does, but he also sees the world without nuance, which actually leads to one of the film’s conflicts. His version of Superman is strong and powerful yet optimistic and hopeful, believing that anyone is worth saving. No scene depicts this more than when Superman and the Justice Gang face off against a giant monster destroying Metropolis. While the trio is busy fighting the monster, Superman is saving everyone in its path, including a squirrel. He even chastised the group for killing it instead of taking it somewhere safe. 

Rachel Brosnahan gives Lois Lane that journalist smarts she’s come to be known for in the comics. She’s a go-getter who doesn’t fold easily to threats, yet we still see her humanity in her relationship with Superman.

Nicholas Hoult, meanwhile, is devilishly good as Lex Luthor. His take on the villain checks all the boxes, and what makes his portrayal scarier is that Lex is evil, not just for the sake of it. He has motivations behind his hate, and worse of all, he and his followers have an unshakable conviction in thinking that they’re right for hating Superman. It’s that conviction that what he does is correct is what makes Lex so evil, and Nicholas’s acting is so effective. Lex, when we see you on the streets, it’s on sight.

Everyone and their mother seems to have an opinion on the movie’s color grading, but the finished product works fine. It’s honestly a nice change of pace to see a comic book movie move away from a drab, muted, and dark art direction. Yes, we want color and style in our movies that make sense in their stories’ fiction.

James Gunn did a good job of giving Superman personality and a sense of purpose. There’s a comic book spirit that runs throughout the movie, and that is not a bad thing. It gives the film a POV that’s refreshing in today’s current crop of comic book movies. That also extends to its action scenes, which gives Superman (and a few of his friends) more than enough room to flex his powers through a handful of fun setpieces. 

The movie’s greatest strength, though, is how it makes you leave the cinema feeling good. In an era where comic book movies just want crossovers and multi-verse adventures (which, to be fair, this movie hints at), Superman, at its core, is a story of an alien who can be as human as anyone else and should be given a chance to do good and prove themselves. This message of seeing people for who they are, regardless of where they come from, hits particularly hard in today’s climate. 

Superman has always been a hero of hope, and that’s the essence this reboot captures. We meet a powerful af hero who will defeat you with quickness, but also shows that embracing kindness and compassion is not a weakness (the ending… IYKYK). The movie harkens to an era of comic book movies, most notably Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy, that feel fresh, optimistic, and not burdened by multiversal plots and cameos for the sake of setting up other movies. And as a movie in general, Superman delivers as an enjoyable two hours at the cinema. There’s a lot we can learn from this new Superman, and we can’t wait to see more of his adventures in the future.

Superman is now showing in cinemas nationwide.

Photos courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures.

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