Cast: David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult, Edi Gathegi, Anthony Carrigan, Nathan Fillion, and Isabela Merced
Director: James Gunn
Rating: ★★★.5
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's Superman, saving the day once again! And this time, he is not battling an assortment of evil villains. He is battling something much darker - superhero fatigue. And he is winning, for sure. James Gunn's Superman reboot is no perfect cinema. It is childish, goofy, and tends to overuse absurd humour even in moments that require emotional calm. Yet, it is enjoyable. Superman is fun in a way that superhero movies, barring Deadpool and Gunn's own Guardians of the Galaxy, have not been in decades. And that is the bottom line: when you are having fun, you can look past the cracks!
Superman movie review: David Corenswet stars in a fun new adaptation of the world's most recognisable superhero.
The plot
Superman spares us one of the most well-known origin stories. There is no Krypton, no flashbacks, and no Clark Kent as a baby. We begin in media res, with Superman (David Corenswet) - three years into his crimefighting career - getting his butt kicked for the first time. He recently intervened in an international conflict, saving the people of Jahranpur from an invasion by Boravia, a US ally. The Pentagon doesn't like him. And Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) wants to use this to subdue or kill him, using his own metahumans. But Superman has public support. And he is also friends with the Justice Gang (worst team name in comic book films ever), a privately owned, popular superhero team. So Luthor's job is cut out! Yet, the smartest man on the planet won't give up. And Superman must now come to terms with a revelation about his past and save the world while dealing with this identity crisis.
Where Superman soars
Superman has heart! And that alone makes him and the film likeable. Not since Brandon Routh's misunderstood Superman Returns (and Tyler Hoechlin to an extent) have we seen such a nice blend of Clark and Supes in one body, the way David Corenswet does. He embodies the big blue's innocence and optimism well. In a world where being hopeful is considered being silly, Superman's positivity is jarring. His black and white way of looking at the world is simplistic. But it is a return to the comics' (and Christopher Reeve films) way of looking at the character. He sees good in everyone, and that is his greatest strength. The way the film drives home the point of empathy being good is not soppy or cliched in any way. And that saves Superman from becoming a formula film from the 80s.
This is a young Superman, just three years into owning his powers in front of the world. James Gunn and Corenswet do well to bring the character's inexperience and naivete to the fore. You realise that he may be the most powerful being on the planet, but he is also a lost and confused Millennial (almost a Gen Z even), dealing with the same issues of love, career, and identity.
Nicholas Hoult is the other star of the show. Even though I prefer a more authoritative and older Luthor (blame the DCAU for that), Hoult brings a new flavour to Superman's nemesis, capturing his jealousy and self-righteousness perfectly. He also brings Luthor's arrogance and viciousness to the screen beautifully. It is a marked improvement from Jesse Eisenberg's polarising portrayal of the character. But if talking of improvements over Snyderverse, Gunn's biggest victory is Lois Lane. Rachel Brosnahan is the investigative reporter we never got Amy Adams as. She balances being a journalist and Superman's love interest without ever having to retreat into one role at the expense of the other.
And one cannot praise Superman without a thought for Krypto, the annoying yet adorable pet our titular superhero has. The dog, 'not even a very good one', in Superman's own words, exemplifies why the film works. It is annoying, funny, and yet warms your heart.
The music is also another aspect where Superman scores (pun intended). The new Superman theme, an ode to John Williams' classic, is inspiring and stirring at the same time. But even apart from that, the score screams hope and justice, the motto Superman stands for.
Gunn knows that in a Superman story, there is no place to brood. Even when faced with a life-altering truth about his past, Clark is despondent, but not hopeless. The words of Ma and Pa Kent are enough to bring him back to the light. The film never lets go of the idea of Superman, and stays fun throughout.
Nicholas Hoult's Lex Luthor is a winner.
Where Superman loses flight
But the fun gets a bit too much at times. James Gunn's penchant for being frivolous to the point of being irreverent gets to the viewer, eventually. There are several scenes where the campy and goofy humour gets too much, particularly one poignant scene between Lois and Superman, which, for some bizarre reason, has an interdimensional monster fighting the Justice Gang in the background. The film is relentless in its fun element, which often does not allow the viewer to truly care for the characters more deeply. It is all on the surface, mostly.
Don't get me wrong. I really liked Superman. But I realise there was scope to love this film, this adaptation of the beloved character. To Gunn's credit, Superman is one of the toughest characters to adapt to the screen. Donner and Reeve left a strong blueprint. The character can get a little too goody two-shoes, and he is all-powerful. All of that leaves little scope for drama. Gunn fills in those gaps with fun and frivolity. And he succeeds in parts, but just gets the balance a little off.
Can DCU fly up, up, and away?
Superman works because it is a film that knows its core audiences—comic book fans, kids, and people looking for a fun time at the movies. The film is light but includes sombre moments, including character deaths. If this is the direction the new DC Universe is taking, then Gunn is the best man to lead them there. They will have an interesting time trying to balance this fun approach with some seriousness that will be needed as the stakes get higher.
Abhimanyu Mathur is Deputy Editor, Entertainment at Hindustan Times. With almost 15 years of experience in writing about everything from films and TV shows to cricket matches and elections, he inhales and exhales pop culture and news. Currently, he watches movies and TV shows and talks to celebrities for a living, while occasionally writing about them as well.
A journalism graduate of Delhi College of Arts and Commerce, Delhi University, Abhimanyu began his career with Hindustan Times at the age of 20, swapping classrooms for newsrooms at an early age. He began his journey in the early days of digital journalism, later switching to the madness of print journalism.
Work has led him to far off places like Japan and Jordan, as well as to the interiors of Haryana and the Indo-Pak border. He dabbled in city reporting in places like Meerut, Gurgaon, and Delhi, covered the Olympics and Cricket World Cups, before finding his calling in entertainment and lifestyle during the pandemic. A Rotten Tomatoes Certified Film Critic, he is equally at home covering stories on ground as he is interviewing celebrities and studios, and sometimes prefers to shepherd teams in delivering traffic through the day.
Even as his role has evolved from reporter to supervisor over the years, his first love remains writing (and of late, talking on camera). With a good understanding of cinema and its trends, and a keen eye for detail, he continues to spark conversations around showbiz for readers around the world.Read More
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