How do you make Superman — a character who is an invulnerable, unbeatable, unshakeable force for good that can do seemingly anything — interesting?
Director James Gunn’s “Superman” aims to give an answer to that longstanding criticism of the character.
Where previous adaptations tried and often failed to answer that question — whether by focusing on his relationships, setting up some sort of crisis of character or attempting to reinvent him in some way — Gunn finds his answer by rejecting the premise of the question altogether and making Superman … vulnerable.
“Superman” follows the Man of Steel who, having operated publicly as a superhero for a few years, suddenly finds his reputation under fire due to his alien heritage. As various foes led by villain Lex Luthor step up to try and destroy him at his lowest point, Superman must learn to stand tall and let his actions define him instead of the expectations of others.
The film’s first scene introduces us to a Superman that bleeds both literally and figuratively as he constantly puts himself on the line in the pursuit of protecting those around him, no matter the condition he is in. His Boy Scout-like personality and almost naive resolve to always see the best in people comes off as extremely endearing and makes for a character that is surprisingly fresh and compelling.
Undeniably one of the highlights of the film, this characterization of the Man of Steel immediately sets it apart from other movies in its genre. Gunn’s repeated focus on showing Superman going out of his way to save people in the midst of battle — something that has been notably absent in recent comic book movies — is a clear example of this.
Superman’s unwavering commitment to doing good and protecting life found in these scenes stems directly from the beliefs his adoptive parents, the Kents, instilled in him from a young age. It’s refreshing to see a major Hollywood blockbuster place such importance on family, and this emphasis goes a long way in selling Superman’s character and motivations.
David Corenswet shines in his stellar performance as the Man of Steel, where he humanizes the character in a way that is reminiscent of the way Christopher Reeve did in the original 1978 adaptation. Their excellent portrayals should come as no surprise though, as both actors graduated from The Julliard School — one of the most prestigious performance arts colleges in the world.
The rest of the cast steps up to deliver a wide range of fantastic performances as well. Standouts include Edi Gathegi’s cool and collected Mister Terrific, Rachel Brosnahan’s witty and tenacious Lois Lane and of course Nicholas Hoult’s power hungry and sociopathic Lex Luthor.
All that being said, while the film nails the characters and their portrayals, there are other aspects of the film that hinder the plot.
One issue the movie runs into is how it avoids certain superhero genre tropes, which then causes it to suffer from the lack of framework that structure often provides. It’s all well and good to avoid rehashing an origin story for the millionth time but completely skipping certain aspects of worldbuilding can leave audiences feeling slightly lost later on.
Additionally, Gunn develops a habit of breaking the “show don’t tell” rule of filmmaking. The most obvious example of this comes at the very beginning of the film with a few lines of expositional text onscreen. Though there’s nothing wrong with things like that conceptually, in practice, they often result in audiences not fully grasping something in later scenes.
A more subjective criticism has to do with Gunn’s direction for the film’s cinematography, which can be a bit inconsistent. Some shots are incredibly beautiful, with lighting, color and compositional choices that reflect the tone and emotion of the scene in breathtaking fashion. Other shots seem to lack that same level of quality and cinematic vision even within the same scene.
These criticisms aside, though, “Superman” is an extremely thrilling first installment into DC Studio’s new cinematic universe. Made for casual moviegoers and comic nerds alike, Gunn’s film is a presentation that viewers are bound to enjoy. Its next installment, “Man of Tomorrow,” has already been announced and is scheduled to be released in 2027.
Humphrey is a feature writer for the Liberty Champion.