I may be in the minority, but I rather enjoy Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel (2013). It takes the director’s signature dark, gritty, and “realistic” approach to his films and melds it with the iconic DC Comics hero’s mythos we’ve grown familiar with. Michael Shannon’s portrayal of General Zod is a highlight for me, and the intro sequence showing the destruction of Krypton is one I always rewatch. Henry Cavill’s portrayal is great, but falls victim to issues outside of his control as an actor. Snyder’s style hasn’t aged very well. The subsequent films in the DC Extended Universe burned fans the world over. I accepted defeat; I was alright with leaving it at Man of Steel. Then James Gunn came along and showed me how wrong I was.

James Gunn’s Superman releases today, July 11, but I was able to see an advance screening ahead of the wide release. This screening was hosted by Milk-Bone, which is fitting given the amount of plot prominence Superman’s hairy pal Krypto the Superdog has. But no spoilers, I’ll try to keep them as light as possible.

Easier on the Eyes

Superman is a much brighter, colorful, and lighthearted depiction of the character compared to Man of Steel, with a certain level of campiness we’ve seen in comics like Grant Morrison’s All-Star Superman, which this film takes inspiration from in many ways. The best thing about this reboot is that it trusts the audience and doesn’t feel the need to hold your hand. Gone are the days of full-length superhero origin stories, and I say good riddance. Gunn delegates the last 300 years of DCU history to a thirty second dump of exposition text right at the start before jumping straight into the action. The general audience already knows Superman’s whole spiel, and while the movie does take some time to explain some of this new universe and world-build, I’m glad it isn’t the main focus of the story.

It doesn’t waste time explaining Lois and Clark’s already blossoming relationship. It doesn’t tell us that Ma and Pa Kent aren’t Superman’s biological parents. Instead, these details are present and the movie expects you to understand it.

A New Era

Here’s the gist of the plot: Superman has spent the last three years in the public eye, where he’s garnered equal shares of supporters and doubters. One such doubter is the billionaire Lex Luthor, Clark’s longtime arch nemesis from the comics. Before the start of the film, Superman single-handedly stops an outbreak of war between the fictional nations of Jarhanpur and Boravia. Lex takes this opportunity to show the world the amount of power Superman truly has. He makes it his mission to regulate the population of Metahumans on Earth (and kill Superman) in the name of the preservation of humankind. Of course, Lex has nefarious intentions and is one bad day away from snapping.

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, It’s…

Superman is filled to the brim with characters from the comics, like some of the Daily Planet crew who felt a bit shoehorned in. Having Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen, and Perry White in this film is crucial for the plot, and honestly it wouldn’t be a Superman story without those first two. But including Cat Grant and Steve Lombard was fun but pointless, and served as nothing more than a “look, it’s these people!” moment for me. The same can’t be said about the Justice Gang (they’re still finding their footing in the DCU). There’s Green Lantern Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion), Mr. Terrific (Edi Gathegi), and Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced), whose purpose is to show the world how Metahumans can use their powers “correctly”, i.e. as corporate assets.

I find it odd that the ongoing “Justice Gang” gag is even a thing. In a world where we accept that flying hawk people and pocket universes are commonplace, we can’t just have the Justice League?

From Zero to Hero

James Gunn has the uncanny ability to turn even Z-list heroes into bad asses you should care about. Mr. Terrific isn’t necessarily Z-list, but you’d be hard pressed to find a casual comic book movie fan who has heard of him. Edi Gathegi’s portrayal of the tech genius was great, albeit stiff, but it fits the character’s emotionless persona. Anthony Carrigan’s Metamorpho is another welcome inclusion, and I’m sure we’ll see more of him moving forward.

The most crucial aspect of any portrayal of Superman is, well, exactly that: his portrayal. I’m happy to report that David Corenswet was born to play Superman. Aside from his looks (even as the clumsy oaf version of Clark at work, he nails it), he has the goody-two-shoes boy scout personality of Superman down to a T. There’s a scene where Superman is fighting a towering monster with the help of the Justice Gang. The trio of heroes are fighting to kill it, while Clark is more concerned with stopping the beast without harming it, wanting instead to send it to an interplanetary zoo to study it. Suspension of disbelief, people, it’s a comic book.

“It’s Krypton that makes me Superman. But it’s Earth that makes me human”.

A major point of contention for Clark throughout the film are his struggles with his identity and purpose on this foreign planet, and it’s moments like these (with help from Pa Kent) where he learns his actions are what make a person who they are. This theme is very interesting when applying it to Lex Luthor, as well. It can be argued that his intentions are noble in that he wants to protect Earth from alien and Metahuman threats, but his methods of doing so are violent, immoral, and greedy. Nicholas Holt’s incredible portrayal helps sell this, and I genuinely hope we get to see more of him in the future.

Verdict

James Gunn’s Superman lifts off the new DCU with a resounding sonic boom. With a style and tone that better matches the vibrant, colorful world the campy Kryptonian hails from, this felt significantly more like a comic book than depictions we’ve seen over the years. It’s a welcome change, and thanks to the well-paced plot that refuses to hold your hand, it’s an extremely fun time. Despite the inclusion of a few too many characters that don’t seem to add a whole lot to the story, the performances were solid across the board, and David Corenswet’s performance as the big guy is one of the best.

Score: 8/10