'Superman' Review

Superman returns, this time to his roots

There’s a line from Superman that’s stuck with me for a few days now, in which Lois Lane is helping Superman make sense of an internal struggle that surfaces.

“You think everything and everyone is beautiful.”

This internal conflict of wanting to do good and be good, even when the world rejects it, is one that even resonates in me. Being well intentioned in a cruel world can leave one without hope. My dad has told me several times in seasons of frustration or injustice, “Sometimes you’re just too good, but don’t let that stop you.”

I know I’m I’m far from the only one that sees Superman as a personal and relatable character, or grew up donning the cape and trunks as a kid. Needless to say, though, my anticipation for this newest iteration of the man of steel was higher than any other release in recent memory.

I’ll first start by saying, this is undeniably a James Gunn film, for better or worse. His witty writing and creative quips work tremendously in the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy and The Suicide Squad. And even though it’s significantly toned down in Superman, I did feel there were a couple of jokes that didn’t quite land, or took the wind out of an otherwise emotionally gripping scene. Aside from this, my only other qualm is that an additional 10-15 minutes in the runtime would have helped to flesh out some key plot points that I felt were rushed.

Now for the positives: the casting for this was about as good as it gets. David Corenswet delivers a hopeful and optimistic portrayal of Superman. Rachel Brosnahan was a perfect Lois Lane by being inquisitive and sincere. Nicholas Hoult was diabolical as Lex Luthor, reaching levels of hate unmatched by anyone online (or even his own army of online trolls). The rest of the supporting cast also delivers in their respective roles, and I’d be remiss without a shoutout to Mr. Terrific for stealing the show in a couple of scenes.

l was also pleasantly surprised with how incredible the action sequences unfolded on the big screen. It quite literally felt like diving into a massive comic book, jumping from panel to panel. It was a unique approach that Gunn took, and I can’t wait to see this similar style play out in future DCU projects.

Perhaps what I appreciate the most is that Superman stays true to the character’s simple nature. He doesn’t have ulterior motives or political agendas. There are no grandiose allegories or comparisons being made here (even though I appreciated the unique Christ-like symbolism shown in Man of Steel, while flawed). He’s just a young man from Smallville who simply wants to do good and be good.

When this film takes the time to show him saving lives during battles, showing mercy to his enemies, or even sweeping a squirrel out of harm’s way while fighting a colossal kaiju-like monster in Metropolis, it’s Superman at his purest.

In short, Superman hit all the sweet spots I was looking for. The hallmark of a great superhero movie is one that can make you wonder again, and one that can make you feel like a kid again. Even if it’s rough around the edges and could use some polishing, I had a true blast with this movie and will continue to do so upon inevitable rewatches to come. And even though this punk rock Superman may not be everyone’s cup of tea, it certainly reminded me of why I love this character in the first place: because he is simply good.