Superman Review: A Bold Reboot That Flies High but Carries Too Much

Warner Bros. Discovery’s second attempt at building a coherent cinematic universe around DC, led to a series of events that made James Gunn the DC Studios’ big boss. James Gunn’s DCU officially begins with Superman, a fresh take at the iconic character that brings back the era of hope, gleeful optimism, and a whole lot of heart.

Superman follows the aftermath of Superman’s decision to get involved in an international conflict between Boravia and Jarhanpur, a decision that arms billionaire Lex Luthor with the opportunity to destroy Superman’s reputation. Superman must learn to come to terms with his heritage, while racing against time to clear his name and save Metropolis with the help of Krypto, the Daily Planet Crew, and the Justice Gang.

Written by James Gunn, the story throws the audience right in the middle of the action, skipping the well known origin story, and taking you on a two-hour journey that swift by faster than you can blink. There are a lot of things to love about this story, especially the conflicts that Superman experienced – the difference of ideology between him and Lois, the struggle of coming to terms with the kind of man/hero he needs to be, and the journalistic ethics that involves him writing stories about himself. Sadly, none of these are fully fletched out, or properly resolved.

The pressure of kick-starting a new cinematic universe is very obvious in this film, instead of getting a story that strictly explores Superman and Lois journey, like we were sold, what we get is a clustered insertion of too many characters, that makes it hard to really care about any of them in the two-hour movie. Amongst these characters is the Daily Planet crew, majority of which served no specific purpose to the story or its resolution, and the Justice Gang (a working name), a team of corporate superheroes – Guy Gardener, Mr. Terrific, and Hawkgirl – that adds nothing substantial to the story, bar Mr. Terrific, outside of being comic relief.

The idea behind the story is a brilliant one, but the short run-time restricts it from fully reaching its full potential, allowing for unresolved plots, poor character growth, and low stakes in the characters journey. The dialogue is a step up, James Gunn’s efforts is noticeable, and in the few moments when dialogue drives the story, you really get to see the characters shine, especially, Superman and Lex Luthor.

Superman soar in its casting department, which is arguably the best part of the movie, it’s rare to see a movie where majority of the characters delivers a powerful performance. Leading the charge are David Corenswet (Twisters), Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), and Nicholas Hoult (Nosferatu), the trio embodied their characters remarkably. Corenswet is Superman, he delivers a Superman with more than one emotion, in a performance that can be compared to the iconic Christopher Reeve’s. His different mannerisms of Superman and Clark is so perfect, you almost believe the hypno glasses are real.

Brosnahan plays Lois Lane as the comic gods intended, with wittiness, curiousity, and a sense of adventure. Lois Lane’s investigate journalism side is barely present in the film, but when it is, you can see Brosnahan’s masterful interpretation. Hoult is arguably the best of the bunch, his portrayal of an egomaniac filled with envy and hatred is so real, you can feel it in the cinemas. Other standouts includes Skyler Gisondo’s Jimmy Olsen, Edi Gathegi’s Mr. Terrific, and of course, Krypto.

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The cinematography brings the comics to life as we finally get a Superman movie that is not afraid to be bright and colourful. The Fortress of Solitude and Kent’s Farm scenes really shine, as that’s where the colours fully pop. The VFX is beautiful – kudos to the team for the beauty that is Krypto – and the flight scenes are superb, you really feel the intensity in every second he’s flying. John Murphy’s score shines as it elevates the scenes and characters, allowing the audience to immerse themselves fully. The costume designs is another strength of the movie, every character’s costume is fitting to their personality.

James Gunn’s Superman is a beautiful start to the DCU, and a much needed reinvention of the iconic character, but like the critics say, story is King, and the movie fails to deliver an extraordinary story. It makes up for this in every other aspect of the movie, and I had a good time with a huge smile on my face at the end. The fans will have a blast with this one.

7.5/10