So, Superman was good.
That’s the short version. If you value a random stranger on the internet’s opinion, yeah, Superman was good, go see it.
The long version?
Superman is Hope, it’s bright, it’s beautiful, and it optimistically says seeing the good in people is Punk Rock.
Superman made me smile, made me laugh, made me cry, and most importantly, it made me hope.
Gunn’s Superman isn’t concerned with showing us Krypton, or baby Clark growing up in Smallville Kansas, rather it drops us into a world where meta humans, superheroes, and Superman are already established. It doesn’t waste time treading old ground. Instead it lets the breaks off and drops us into the world, and tells you to hold on. I’ve seen some reviews lambasting Superman’s plot as weak, nonsensical, or just plain bad, but I feel these reviewers miss the point of this story. The movie isn’t about watching the big muscle man punch bad guys, sure, there’s some of that, but at its core this movie is about Superman being a good man. This movie is less interested in the Super over all. Sure, there’s no shortage of super-heroics on display, but there’s a whole scene, backlit by what looks to be a spectacular fight against an impressive looking creature that Supes doesn’t even take part in, because he’s dealing with his own things. Sounds dismissive, but it works so well in characterizing Corenswet’s Superman.
Clark allows himself to sit this fight out because he trusts his friends (Guy, Mr Terrific, and Hawk Girl) to handle things. Now isn’t that a change of pace? A big muscle man hero not trying to do everything by himself, trusting his friends and allies to do their part? I want to talk about Corenswet’s Clark for a moment, because he and Gunn understand the character, and every moment of screen time is used to show that. There’s a speech Supes drops on Lex (a fantastic portrayal, very Musk-like) that brought tears to my eyes, it was so in the spirit of the character. This is a Superman who spends most of his fights trying to minimize collateral damage, to prevent casualties. This is a Superman who will take a hit to get a dog out of harms way. A Superman who, mid battle will still reach out to his opponent. This is a Superman who spurns the cheering crowd to high-five children. This is Superman.
Gunn and Cast do a spectacular job telling you who each character is within their first few seconds on screen, or barring that, their first few lines of dialogue. Even characters like Perry White, who get very little screen time overall are so well characterized, that by the end of the movie, you know exactly who they’re supposed to be. We know Guy is kind of an annoying self absorbed asshole. We know Mr Terrific is a cool, collected badass. We know Hawkgirl is a tough as nails badass. We know Lois is inquisitive and dedicated. We know Jimmy is earnest, and trying his damnedest to help. We know Alex is a petty narcissist. The only exception to this is Superman himself, and that’s for good reason. The movie is about telling you who Superman is, because just like Lois, we find it hard to believe that someone can just be that GOOD, that KIND.
This is a Superman who doesn’t swear in costume. A Superman who unironically says Golly and Darn, and Chum. This is a Superman who smiles, who cares.
Goddamnit, this is Superman.
I could go into the plot. I could talk about how the movie wasn’t afraid to be a bit campy or cheesy, or how it’s not written to be a head scratcher, or how it’s political themes are very thinly veiled. I could go on and on about the structure, the beat by beat synopsis, the effects, whatever, but at the end of the day, if that’s what you want to know about, just see the damned thing for yourself. What I was most concerned about, what mattered most to me was whether or not the guy wearing the costume was going to be Superman, and I’m so beyond happy to say that yes, David Corenswet’s Superman feels like Superman.
See the movie. You’ll believe a man can fly.
