Superman Review

Three years after Superman revealed himself to the world as the most powerful “metahuman,” he is still figuring things out. He has made friends in the community, among the other superheroes, and his co-workers at the Daily Planet. However, he has also made enemies of Lex Luthor, foreign adversaries, and metahumans who view him as a competitor.

When Superman single-handedly stops an invasion between two countries, it sets off a political firestorm. Under whose authority did he do it? Did he do the right thing? Did he save lives or make the situation worse? Even Lois Lane questions the wisdom of his actions.

But Lex Luthor uses the controversy to sway the U.S. Government into taking action against him. The Pentagon can’t have a rogue metahuman living in their country, and Lex claims to be the only human with the capabilities to bring him under control.

Utilizing The Engineer and Ultraman, Lex Luthor begins his campaign to discredit, imprison, and eventually kill the Man of Steel. But Superman is going to need a little help from his friends and his loyal foster dog, Krypto, in order to save himself and his new home planet.

After seeing what James Gunn has done with several comic book movies, you start to learn where his strengths lie. One of those strengths is taking D-List characters and making them the stars of the show. He’s done it again here in Superman. Most people may not know who Mr. Terrific is, but Edi Gathegi quickly makes him a standout in the movie.

He’s a great straight man who you can pair with any character in this universe, and you have comedy gold. Whether he’s teaming up with Lois Lane or Guy Gardner, the end result is guaranteed amusement. The same goes for Isabela Merced as the sassy Hawkgirl or Nathan Fillion as the moronic yet powerful Guy Gardner. Even Skyler Gisondo gets unexpected moments to shine as Superman’s pal Jimmy Olsen.

But among the D-List characters, the real scene stealer is Krypto. He brings laughs in every scene he’s in, then frequently steals the scene. James Gunn really captured the character and mannerisms of an untrained dog.

Every dog owner who watches this will see some characteristics of their beloved pet in Krypto. Considering Krypto hasn’t been featured in a live-action film before, it was a risk to include him. Yet you walk out of the theater pretty much wanting to see a Krypto solo film. Is Streaky the Super Cat next?

But supporting cast set aside, David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan are worthy actors to take on the iconic roles of Superman and Lois Lane. When watching Brosnahan in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, I specifically remember thinking she’d be a perfect Lois Lane. Fortunately, she delivered to my expectations. She’s smart, funny, driven, and yet still flawed.

David Corenswet is also solid as Superman. Besides having the looks, I think he’s the most human and relatable of the Superman portrayals to date. When you put Superman and Lois together, they have a realistic relationship. It’s not all romantic flights and mid-air kisses. They argue, are competitive with each other, and still maintain a functional relationship. They come across as a team working together rather than Superman and a damsel in distress. In fact, I don’t think Lois is ever in distress in this film. It’s a fresh take on the classic characters on the big screen.

James Gunn‘s other strength is comedy, and he delivers here as well. This is probably the funniest Superman since the original. There are little bits like Lois Lane commenting on an agonizingly slow garage door or her ongoing frustration about Clark being too trusting with his secret identity. Then there are big jokes related to Krypto doing what dogs do, but with a super-powered twist. There’s humor here for everyone, and it definitely makes it a crowd-pleaser.

Gunn also recognizes that the original DC Comics could be exceedingly absurd, yet he fully embraces it. The very presence of Krypto is proof of that, but it goes way deeper. There are references to Superman’s “hypno-glasses,” the introduction of Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho, and more. While the MCU generally has a degree of realism to it, this DC world really feels like any insane thing could happen, and you’d just accept it. It gives the filmmakers a bit of freedom to mine the comics for ideas they might not have had otherwise.

There are also several cameos in the film. John Cena, as Peacemaker, understandably gets a brief moment to appear. We also get our first look at Milly Alcock as Kara Zor-El, aka Supergirl. But more on that later. There are other cameos by comic characters and friends of James Gunn, but some are more subtle than others. Keep your eyes open.

While James Gunn is to be commended for foregoing the obligatory origin story and heading straight into the adventure, it does leave the viewer reeling a little. Rather than being introduced to this world a drop at a time, we’re given the firehose. It, unfortunately, makes the first 45 minutes or so a bit frenzied, like Krypto after a squirrel. I found myself about an hour in thinking, “I still can’t tell what the plot of this movie is.” However, it does eventually settle into a focused narrative, and when it does, Superman feels like it’s firing on all cylinders.

This reboot is also a bit all over the place in tone. There are elements clearly intended for children, like Krypto, numerous shots of kids hugging Superman, and other wholesome stuff. In fact, a big chunk of this film feels like a Saturday Morning cartoon.

But then there are other portions that are way more adult-oriented. There is a lot of language that you probably wouldn’t want your kids repeating. Supergirl’s brief appearance includes a lot of adult themes and language, to the point where I wonder what the impending film will be like. And Lex Luthor kills a person in cold blood, which was more suitable for a Zack Snyder film than this one. In the end, it feels like Superman was trying to please everyone yet did not entirely do so.

The pacing of Superman is so fast that it doesn’t feel like it lingers long enough on the more interesting parts. The gang at the Daily Planet is given just enough screen time to realize they have potential, but the story moves on quickly. Lex Luthor is given plenty of time to rage against Superman, but not enough time is spent on why he hates him to begin with.

The relationship between Lois and Clark is one of the more engaging parts of the film, but they have a surprisingly low amount of time on screen together. If Gunn had focused more on certain characters, it might have served the film better.

I had other gripes about Superman. I felt the CGI was just a little too cartoony for my tastes. From a kaiju that looks like a parade balloon to an alien baby that looks like it’s from a cartoon, I would have liked for it to feel a bit more living and breathing.

I was also unhappy with the music. The slow electric guitar version of John Williams’ Superman theme just did not do it for me. It was akin to the disco version of the Star Wars theme – it doesn’t compare to the timelessness and grandeur of the original.

And while the movie was funny, there were several jokes that were done to death (the “Justice Gang”) or were straight stolen from The Avengers. You’ll know it when you see it. Finally, there is an end credits scene, but it delivers only a small joke, not a big teaser of what’s next. It may fall short of audience expectations.

Superman is a fun popcorn flick that will entertain summer audiences, especially as Krypto steals the show. But it is such a dramatic change in tone from Man of Steel that audiences may have whiplash from how campy it is. Adjust your expectations accordingly.

SUPERMAN REVIEW SCORE: 7 OUT OF 10

Opening on Friday, July 11, the Warner Bros. Pictures release has been rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association for violence, action, and language.