By Désirée I. Guzzetta
When I was a kid, I got into my uncle’s stash of old comic books and immediately fell in love with the adventures of a big blue Boy Scout named Superman. Though a few of the books were from the Golden Age, most of his were from the Silver Age, when Supes was nigh invulnerable, but could also get into silly adventures thanks to the effects on him of Red Kryptonite or when he has to deal with Bizarro.
The comics were bright and fun, and I couldn’t get enough of them. Soon, I was collecting Superman comics on my own, following his adventures and other DC and eventually Marvel heroes (my uncle also had Batman and Fantastic Four comics that I couldn’t put down). But Supes was my first comics love, and the character I am probably most protective of whenever he gets adapted.
Which is why it gives me great pleasure to say that James Gunn’s “Superman,” the kickoff of the new DCU, is an excellent adaptation of Big Blue Boy Scout, a fun, bright, and colorful adventure infused with humanity and joy, while also being a potent political allegory for this time in American history.
Directing from his own script, Gunn never shies away from Superman’s innate goodness–this is a hero who stops mid-fight to make sure the people in danger from the villain are okay. Sure, Superman has superstrength, but his biggest strength is his capacity to believe in the best for everyone and do what he can to protect human beings the world over.
The film starts in media res. We’re told up front that metahumans have existed for centuries, and the world has known about Superman for years. Gunn throws us right in the action as Superman (David Corenswet) has just been beaten by a villain called The Hammer of Boravia. Because metahumans have been around for so long, it’s also no surprise to anyone in Metropolis when others show up–in this case, Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion) of the Green Lantern Corps, Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced), and Mr. Terrific (Edi Gathegi), who work with Superman sometimes and on their own others.
In a nod to current reality, many Metropolis citizens stand around filming the fights on their cell phones. Even archenemy Lex Luthor’s (Nicholas Hoult) girlfriend, Eve Teschmacher (Sara Sampaio), is a social media influencer. Hashtag Luthercorp, I guess.
Superman still works as a reporter at The Daily Planet under his alter-ego, Clark Kent, and he’s already dating intrepid fellow reporter Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan) and trading accolades with his best pal, Jimmy Olsen (Skyler Gisondo). Also in the continuity of the DCU, Lois has punk rock roots and Jimmy is a babe magnet.
Because Superman involved himself in a war the fictional country of Boravia is trying to wage, he’s in a bit of trouble politically, and of course, Lex is seething with jealousy and looking to take him down. I don’t want to get into the plot more than this. Suffice to say it’s a little convoluted, but also best if you go in knowing as little as possible so you can enjoy all the surprises “Superman” has to offer (and there are many, including some wonderful cameos and Easter eggs).
I’d rather talk about all the things in this film that work, which is just about everything, really. Corenswet and Brosnahan have buckets of chemistry, and their interactions as Clark/Supes and Lois ring true to life. Corenswet absolutely nails Superman/Clark’s looks and personalities, down to the spit curl/eye glasses and confidence/goofiness, while making his own mark on the character. Brosnahan also makes Lois her own–she’s confident in her skills but maybe a little less so in her love life. Hoult’s Lex Luthor drips with envy and insecurity, while Sampaio’s airy Eve is sympathetic and delightful. Gathegi shines as Mr. Terrific, known as “the smart one” in Gardner’s Justice Gang (not the official name, as Hawkgirl repeatedly lets everyone know), and Gisondo is charming.
Fillion is perfect as the overweening Gardner, and Sofia The rest of the cast, including Wendell Pierce as Perry White, Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho, and Beck Bennett as Steve, shines. And of course, Krypto, while mostly CGI, is based on Gunn’s own dog, Ozu, and is a very, very good boy.
The film looks great, from the bright sunny skies to the cold Antarctic environs of the Fortress of Solitude, from the colorful costumes to the more muted tones of the villains. There’s plenty of humor and pathos and action, too, and the score is fantastic (it doesn’t hurt that there are occasional threads of John William’s main theme from the 1978 “Superman”). Honestly, the film made me giddy. I didn’t even care the Krypto was mostly CGI because everything about him just worked.
Gunn knows comic books and he’s clearly not afraid to show a fondness for the spacier and more ridiculous aspects of superhero life (especially the powers of the Green Lantern here), as evidenced in his run at Marvel with the three “Guardians of the Galaxy” films and DC’s “The Suicide Squad.” The allegorical aspects of the plot, especially the political aspects surrounding Superman’s status as an immigrant (he’s from Krypton, after all), and Lex’s status as a billionaire pushing technological innovation perhaps too far, are powerful. Sure, it’s a comic book movie that has good vs. evil baked in, but the message of the evil here being greed and resentment enough to spill into a political conflict that could destroy more than anyone bargains for is more powerful than a locomotive.
What sets “Superman” apart from a lot of other superhero films, though, is its focus on Superman’s moral nature, something that he never loses sight of. His adherence to maintaining his virtues isn’t a weakness. Yes, Superman has the powers of a god, but that core of goodness in him, that guiding light of truth and justice, grounds him in humanity and its sometimes messy emotions in ways that make the film, “Superman,” a joy to experience. You will believe a Superman film can be bright and colorful again.
NB: “Superman” has one mid-credits scene and one after-credits scene
