James Gunn’s SUPERMAN is a welcomed breath of fresh air into the superhero genre, which has been stagnant for way too long. As opposed to Zack Snyder’s darker interpretation of the character in MAN OF STEEL, this version of Superman is a lot lighter. Gunn leans into the character’s earnestness, his kindness, and his quest to find the humanity in himself through which he can encourage hope in the people of Earth. And believe it or not, Gunn finally allows Superman to show he has a sense of humor. But more than anything, I cannot get enough of the relationship between Lois and Clark… and of course my new favorite dog, Krypto.
30 years ago, Superman landed on this planet after his home planet Krypton was dying; we know the story. In the present, we meet Clark (David Corenswet) as he is juggling his job as a reporter at the Daily Planet and his responsibilities as Superman. This gets even more difficult when Superman gets himself in hot water after become too involved in a geopolitical conflict; without permission, he intervenes to prevent Boravia from invading its under-matched neighbor, Jarhanpur. This incident stirs concern in the Pentagon because Boravia is an ally of the United States—leave it to Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) to stoke that fire. Lex promises to use his enormous resources to get Superman under control, utilizing the mysteriously powerful metahuman Ultraman to act as Lex’s own controllable superhero.
Meanwhile, Clark and Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan) are trying to hide their burgeoning romance from colleagues; after all, they want to be seen as professionals. But this relationship is not going to stop Lois from being the best reporter in Metropolis, even if it means competing with Clark’s “exclusive” interviews with Superman. But as Superman starts getting more and more criticism from other press outlets, Lois wrestles with how her relationship may be conflicting with her journalistic integrity.
I was just as skeptical and upset as everyone else when Henry Cavill was not brought back as Superman; I loved him in the role. But Corenswet is even better, bringing personality and a truckload of charisma. He feels so natural in the blue tights and red boots, but more than that, he is just as good (and charming) as Clark. Usually people say they like Christopher Reeve’s Clark Kent and Henry Cavill’s Superman, but I honestly think Corenswet is the most well-rounded interpretation of both roles. So much so, I started to wonder retrospectively if Cavill’s performance may have been a little too stoic and robotic. Brosnahan is also fantastic, giving my favorite interpretation of Lois Lane yet. This film is as much hers as it is Superman’s. She embodies Lois’s intelligence, strength, and fierceness, proving a fun foil for Clark as he tries to balance his work as a reporter with what he does as Superman.
I love the relationship between Lois and Clark; it’s the reason I enjoy the Superman story so much. And if you haven’t seen so already from the press tour, Rachel Brosnahan and David Corenswet’s chemistry is off the charts behind and in front of the camera. You don’t even need the traditional build-up where Lois and Clark get to know each other and there’s the tension of her finding out Clark is Superman. From the beginning, their relationship feels lived in—so natural, so easy—you almost forget you are just meeting the characters for the first time. I know this isn’t a popular opinion, but if I am being honest, I would have gladly traded a lot of the action scenes and comic book elements to have spent more time exploring the relationship between Lois and Clark; I hope the inevitable sequel gives us more time with them.
As much as I enjoyed the film, there are some flaws… mostly in the second act when it delves a bit too long into the frays of the comic book pages. I’m not sure we needed the rest of the “Justice Gang” crew for this first film in the franchise, though Edi Gathegi’s Mr. Terrific was a delightful scene stealer. But SUPERMAN is the exact kind of entertaining summer blockbuster we need right now. It is heartfelt, vibrant, and really wears its heart on its sleeve. If you care about spoilers, make sure to see this in IMAX as soon as possible to avoid getting some big cameos and surprises ruined for you.
There are two credit scenes, including one midway through and one at the very end of the credits. So stay in your seats! And make sure you look out for a special cameo from Will Reeve, son of Christopher Reeve, who plays a news reporter in the film. If you haven’t seen the documentary SUPER/MAN he made about his dad, I highly recommend watching it (streaming now on Max).
My Review: B+
