**This review contains spoilers**

Whether it’s through text or subtext, I think if you’ve followed me for a while you could tell I’m not really a DC girl. I love a superhero movie, but I’ve always leaned more Marvel. And by that I mean I’ve committed half my life to watching every single Marvel property. With DC, I’m more of a casual fan. I debated if I was even going to see this movie, but James Gunn’s Superman became almost, to borrow a Marvel term, inevitable. The film, written and directed by Gunn, is the first in a brand new cinematic universe under the DC umbrella known as the DCU (DC Universe) of which Gunn is also the co-executive CEO. The more recent DC films before this were part of the DCEU (DC Extended Universe). While that seems confusing, all you really need to know is that this film is the beginning of a new world. No homework to do. With the state of the superhero movie on shaky ground these days and DC’s hold on their corner of the world in even worse shape, there was a lot riding on Superman. James Gunn has a great track record, sure, having directed all three Guardians of the Galaxy movies for Marvel to much critical and commercial success. But those were much lesser known heroes. He could shape them how he wanted. Superman has an extremely long and storied legacy to uphold and a fanbase that is much larger. So was James Gunn able to pull it off? Did he do Superman justice and save DC and the superhero movie in one fell swoop? Is he the true hero afterall? Well, no. That’s an impossible amount of stakes to put on one movie. It’ll take time to build his new DCU. But as for this movie, for Superman, I would say it accomplished what it set out to do. Positive reviews, over $600 million at the global box office, oh, and I enjoyed it as well! Check, check, and check.

Not only is Superman a big deal, it’s also a big movie. Almost too big for its own good. There are a lot of characters and a lot of ideas stuffed into a two hour film. It’s important to note that this is not an origin story. I spoke about this briefly with The Fantastic Four: First Steps as well. When it comes to classic characters that have been iterated on countless times, skipping the backstory is a way to set your story apart. It did strike me as an interesting choice not to begin the first movie in a new universe at the beginning of the story, but the title card catches us up to where we are. This is a world where superpowered beings, known as metahumans, exist on Earth. Clark Kent, aka Superman, is one of them. The most powerful of them all, actually. He officially became Superman as a public figure three years before the events of the film. The story starts shortly after Superman intervenes in a foreign issue between the countries of Boravia and Jarhanpur, sparking controversy around the world. He’s left dealing with the fallout of that when his arch enemy Lex Luthor recovers a video tape sent with Superman to Earth by his parents that urges him to conquer the planet and restore the Kryptonian race. The public turns on him in the wake of this and he is taken into custody by the U.S. government. Throughout all this, Clark is juggling his relationships with fellow Daily Planet reporter, Lois Lane (who knows about his alter ego), the Justice Gang, a team of heroes composed of Green Lantern, Mister Terrific, and Hawkgirl, and superpowered and misbehaved dog, Krypto. Like I said, there’s a lot going on in this movie. 

One of the main ideas the movie explores is: who is Superman? For a movie that’s meant to establish a franchise and universe, this seems like a pretty good place to start. When Lex Luthor publicizes the video of his parents, Superman has a crisis of confidence. He thought his purpose on Earth was to do good and to help people, but finding out his parents sent him there to be a conqueror rattles him. But it’s notable that his crisis of confidence isn’t over his physical abilities. It’s over his character and morals and purpose. The movie argues that Superman’s greatest superpower is his kindness. Even in scenes where Superman is trying to save Metropolis from a giant monster, the movie takes care to show us a moment where he stops to rescue a small squirrel. He cares about everyone and everything. It’s his decency, empathy, and heart that make him special. I like the message here and I think any hero whose powers are the most interesting thing about them are not all that interesting. But the movie does tip over into the overly saccharine from time to time, something I was warned about before seeing it. Superman/Clark is a little too goody-goody farm boy, often saying things like, “what the hay?” In the film’s climax, Superman tells Lex after defeating him, “That is where you’ve always been wrong about me, Lex. I am as human as anyone. I love, I… I get scared. I wake up every morning and, despite not knowing what to do, I put one foot in front of the other, and I try to make the best choices that I can. All the time. But that is being human. And that’s my greatest strength.” Again, I like the sentiment that Superman is just as human as anyone else and that’s what makes him great, but I don’t like when a film makes subtext into text this overtly. The points he makes are ideas we should understand from the actions and story in the movie, not because someone comes out and tells us directly. The script is definitely one of the weaker parts of the movie. Exchanges like Lois saying to Superman, “My point is I question everything and everyone. You trust everyone and think everyone you’ve ever met is, like… beautiful,” and Superman responding, “Maybe that’s the real punk rock,” stick out in particular. Someone in my theater actually snorted in response to that line. I cringed a little. But not all of the sweetness was bad. The last scene in the movie featuring Clark’s adoptive parents did get me. It was very cute. And I ultimately liked that goodness prevailed. In a complicated, overstuffed movie sometimes it’s as simple as that. Goodness triumphs over evil. An idea that’s nice to believe in these days.

That being said, the movie did include some mirrors of the real world. The conflict between Boravia and Jarhanpur has clear overtones of Israel/Palestine and Russia/Ukraine. Boravia’s president (played by Zlatko Burić, who I know best as Yuri from the classic film 2012) is a Putin stand-in while Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor is Elon Musk. I understand and agree that movies like this (superhero movies and other fantastical stories) are better when they’re about more than just the story on the surface and when they have something to say. But at the same time, I’m so out on politics and politicians right now. Sometimes I don’t want to think about international conflicts and warfare or evil tech lord billionaires or the black hole that is social media. Especially when I’m seeing a fun, colorful action movie, I’m looking for some escapism. I want to forget about the real world. These details didn’t ruin the movie for me and I wouldn’t even say I think the movie would have been better without them. It’s probably better for it. Art is reflective of the time it’s created in. I just say this to say where it landed with me personally.

Casting a virtual unknown to play an iconic role is usually a good idea. It allows the actor to fully inhabit the role without audiences bringing in preconceived ideas. Like when Ben Affleck played Batman. It was impossible for me not to just see Ben Affleck (although some do think he actually did a great job in the role despite the movies around him being pretty terrible). Although that’s not the case with Robert Pattinson’s Batman, a performance I enjoyed despite having history with him as an actor (I was Team Jacob, though, thanks for asking). Superman is a character with a rich legacy and many people have strong opinions about what he should look like (my personal Superman is Tom Welling’s from the CW show Smallville, thanks again for asking… wow, I miss that show). But David Corenswet being shiny and new stepping into the role of Superman totally worked for the character. He looks the part (aka a large, muscular, handsome, All-American man) and brings the emotional vulnerability that fits the story of the film. Gone is the cold, steely Superman we saw Henry Cavill portray. Corenswet’s version is a little dorky, a little naive, but has the warmth and heart to prove every word of his speech about being human. A top criticism of the film and the character is that he gets beaten too many times. I don’t fully agree. Do I think we could have seen him get a few more wins early on in the film to establish the character? Yes. Do I think there are too many other characters or superdogs that save the day? Yes. But, ultimately, I don’t need my Superman to be invincible. I like seeing the vulnerability and internal struggles within him. And I thought David Corenswet did a fantastic job of bringing all of that to the screen. The joy and the strife.

I have loved Rachel Brosnahan since The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. I loved her as Lois Lane from the second she came on screen. She’s effortlessly cool and smart and no-nonsense. She’s not the damsel in distress, she can hold her own. Clark is the one who gets nervous around her. And Rachel’s chemistry with David was exciting and captivating. Superman’s other major counterpart, Lex Luthor, is more middling for me. Nicholas Hoult was fine in the role, but it just didn’t do much for me either way. As for the Justice Gang trio, Nathan Fillion was very funny as Guy Gardner/Green Lantern, Edi Gathegi was genuinely terrific as Mister Terrific (who I had never heard of before but was surprisingly a big part of the story), and Isabela Merced (who was incredible on the second season of The Last of Us) was good as Hawkgirl but wasn’t really given much to do. Also, I’m not sure what exactly her superpowers are, but the hawk noise she makes was awful. I didn’t realize Milly Alcock was going to be showing up as Supergirl (for a brief tease at the end), but seeing her made me very excited for her movie (coming next summer!). Bradley Cooper might be starting to give the king of cameos, Matt Damon, a run for his money after popping here as Superman’s dad. I could not figure out why he would be in this for a small bit part until I remember he worked with James Gunn when he voiced Rocket in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies. 

The thing about James Gunn is that he is always going to James Gunn. He is definitely a director with a signature style, one that can be divisive. While watching, I kept clocking choices you’ll find in any James Gunn movie. A fight sequence set to an upbeat song is #1. You see it in Guardians, you see it in The Suicide Squad, and you see it here. And I hate to say it works for me. I also really do like visual aesthetic. It’s a comic book movie that doesn’t shy away from that fact. It’s full of color and some gorgeous, cool shots as well as some really fun and interesting ones. Like a scene where Clark and Lois have a serious conversation in front of a window at night while an alien fight is happening in the sky outside behind them. They barely acknowledge the action, but the spectacle provides beautiful lighting for their intimate moment. Or a shot in a different fight sequence where someone is punched in the mouth and a few teeth fly out and bounce off the lens of the camera with a plink. Some viewers felt like that moment was trying to be too cute, but I think it’s a shorthand way of saying, “We’re not taking ourselves too seriously. This is supposed to be fun.” And it was. And while a James Gunn script might not be the strongest when it comes to more sincere moments, it’s safe to rely on the humor being pretty strong. What doesn’t work for me in a James Gunn movie, however, is his constant need to put animals in danger to emotionally manipulate his audience. Guardians of the Galaxy 3 was one of the worst experiences of my life because of what he did to those fictional alien animals and I still have not and will not forgive him for that (you can read my full hysterical thoughts on that movie HERE). And he did it again, granted to a lesser extent, with Krypto the superdog. Do not put an animal on my screen if you mean it any harm. 

Superman making a big deal out of rescuing Krypto (as he should, for the record) reminded me of John Wick, a movie famously about a man seeking revenge on the people who killed his dog. I found myself spotting references to other films throughout the movie as well, intentional or not. When Lex broadcasts the message from Superman’s parents across the globe, Superman is standing in a crowd of people when they all start to see it pop up on their phones and everyone just stares at him. I was immediately reminded of the end credits scene from Spider-Man: Far From Home when The Daily Bugle reveals that Peter Parker is Spider-Man while he is standing with MJ in the middle of Times Square. Or when Clark’s father gives him an emotional speech to remind him of his character and says, “Your choices, Clark. Your actions. That’s what makes you who you are.” This is nearly identical to what Dumbledore tells Harry in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: “It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” But the film also pays homage to the history of its own franchise, incorporating John Williams’ iconic theme music (which sounds great) and reviving the laser block lettering of the 1978 Superman. It can recognize where it came from while still trying to be something new.

Superman has officially become the highest grossing Superman film ever in the U.S. Grossing $331 million domestically, it passed Zack Snyder’s 2016 Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice which made $330 million. The film also notably outgrossed Marvel in their head-to-head battle at the summer box office with The Fantastic Four: First Steps making $270 million domestically (the same holds true at the global box office with Superman making $615 million and First Steps making $450 million). So it seems like a clear win for DC! I really liked the movie. Despite having quite a lot going on, it manages to inject real emotional stakes in between moments of zany action and comedy and chaos. I think this movie sets up a promising future for DC, but one successful movie doesn’t make a franchise, let alone anything close to the empire Marvel has created. It will take time to fully build up and develop a consistent world. But I guess I’m invested now in seeing where it goes. DC hasn’t fully won me over yet, but Superman was definitely a step in the right direction.

2025 Count: 54 movies, 36 seasons of television, 4 specials