Superman must reconcile his alien Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing as reporter Clark Kent. As the embodiment of truth, justice and the human way he soon finds himself in a world that views these as old-fashioned.
Chuck says:
There’s a great deal riding on James Gunn’s “Superman.” Not only is this the initial entry of what promises to be a revitalized, expansive cinematic universe featuring the DC Comics’ characters, but it is also an opportunity to remind people what the Man of Steel represents. Gunn has stated the timing couldn’t be better for this, what with our country’s internal strife and the violence playing out on the international stage. The writer/director takes Superman seriously and is intent on reenforcing his image of protector of all, despite race, creed or religion. That this might be an unpopular stance for some tells you where we’re at.
That message is present in the new film, but it’s in competition with a great many other factors vying for screen time. “Superman” is a busy film with a capital “B,” an at times overwhelming experience that goes out of its way to move, impress, amuse and surprise its audience, so much so that at times it moves too quickly to fully digest what’s just occurred. Gunn also seems intent on cramming in as much of the Superman mythos as possible, touching on every era of the characters’ career. In doing so, he gives us a movie of disparate tones that, at times simply don’t come together. As scenes in which our hero fight a goofy giant Kaiju butt up against those dealing with real-world human rights violations, you begin to wonder just what this movie’s all about.
Gunn wisely wastes no time with an origin story, throwing us into the action from the word “go.” Supes (David Corenswet) has suffered his first defeat at the hands of the Engineer (Maria Gabriela de Faria), a metahuman employed by Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) to bring down the Last Son of Krypton. This is just the first salvo the billionaire throws at our hero, intent not only on killing him but in ruining his good name. He embarks on a smear campaign, saying he has evidence Superman is here to conquer us, something the ever-gullible public buys into. There’s just enough validity to the claim that even our hero begins to question himself.
This existential crisis holds no water and winds up being the weakest aspect of the movie. That Clark would be unable to look at the many good deeds he’s accomplished and discount this claim makes no sense while highlighting one of the weakest aspects of this version of the hero, his naivete. Having been on the superhero beat for three years, his gullibility to certain aspects of that trade and human nature are hard to accept.
Also troubling is the bloated plot, Gunn unable to avoid what has become a problem with the genre. The third act crises are protracted and ultimately tedious, while the various plotlines leading up to it are so numerous, it’s difficult to become invested in any of them. One gets the impression Gunn feared he’d only get one shot at making a “Superman” feature and felt compelled to cram in everything he could regarding his history and the variety of his adventures. As a result, there are touches of the hero’s sci-fi adventures from the 1950’s, characters from Richard Donner’s 1978 classic, the comic book sensibility from “The Adventures of Superman,” while other incarnations of the character are drawn from as well.
Still, there’s plenty to like. I’d be hard-pressed to think a better cast could have been assembled to take on these iconic roles. Though Superman is written as naïve Corenswet brings a sincerity that has us believing even his corniest lines of dialogue. Rachel Brosnahan is perfect as Lois Lane, smart, sassy, sexy and every bit a match for Clark. Hoult holds nothing back as Luthor, at times suave, at others raving, always menacing. If the intent was to make the character a truly reprehensible villain, the actor and Gunn have succeeded handsomely.
Nathan Fillion, Edi Gathegi, Isabela Merced and Anthony Carrigan as the heroes Guy Gardner, Mr. Terrific, Hawkgirl and Metamorpho respectively make up the Justice Gang, a corporate sponsored supergroup, that comes to Superman’s aid. The antagonism existing between them provides some genuinely funny moments. They need their own movie as soon as possible. And who would have thought Jimmy Olson (Skyler Gisondo) and Luthor’s main squeeze Eve Teschmacher (Sara Sampaio) would steal every scene they’re in?
However, looming over it all are the characterizations of the two adversaries. As he has been since his debut in 1938, Superman is presented as a paragon of goodness, the living embodiment of the Golden Rule, uncomplicated in his intent in helping everyone. The fact that he’s an immigrant is also emphasized, especially by Luthor who underscores his alien status at every turn, casting him as a threat due simply to his otherness. That the tech billionaire manipulates the media, has the power to sway the masses with his hysteria and has aligned himself with a world leader intent on invading a less powerful neighboring country surely has no correlation with anyone who might be on the world stage at the moment.
Though Supergirl’s brief appearance at the end hardly proves enticing where next year’s upcoming feature starring her is concerned, overall, there’s plenty to build upon here. Gunn’s enthusiasm for and knowledge of these characters is extensive and undeniable, while his respectful approach to them and comic sensibility is refreshing in light of Zack Snyder’s overly serious take on the characters during his tenure. In the end, he provides the possibility that Superman and his peers will regain their status as the symbols of hope they were always meant to be and that’s enough.
3 Stars
