A Reel Review: SUPERMAN

Much like James Bond, Superman, the most iconic superhero of all time, is a character that is rich and large enough to earn a reboot/refresh/clean-slate every 10 years or so, with each era having its ups and downs. The late great Christopher Reeve started it all by playing Supes in 1978, followed by the good-but-not-great Brandon Routh in 2006, and most recently, the dour and joyless Henry Cavill era in 2013. Now, newcomer David Corenswet dons the cape and boots (and trunks) for a new flight in SUPERMAN. 

 

Superman/Clark Kent (Corenswet), has his reputation destroyed by the morally corrupt billionaire Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult). As Superman struggles to gain favor back with the people of Earth, he also finds his relationship strained with Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan) while a possible world-ending threat looms. 

 

Directed by James Gunn of Marvel fame, SUPERMAN is the first film in a brand-new line of continuity for DC Studios. Despite being the first film in this new cinematic universe, SUPERMAN mercifully, and smartly, forgoes any A-to-Z origin story; there is no waiting around 60 minutes to see our hero get into the blue suit. The film drops us right into a world already populated by super-powered heroes and super-powered threats. With that established, this version of Superman isn’t spending a lot of time chasing down bank robbers or kitties in trees…and is instead fighting threats equal to his great speed and strength. With the odds being even, this Superman takes a wallop more than once which is something new for us to see. 

 

With Supes taking a beating, the character is revealed as more human than ever. His struggles to win physical battles with galactic monsters, coupled with a startling mid-film twist involving his birth parents, allows Gunn to dive deep into the character. For once, the man in Man of Steel gets priority over the Steel. 

 

While Gunn is making Superman new again, he’s also crafting a film packed with excellent action, adventure, and romance. The action scenes are a thrill, and the emotional bits between Supes/Clark with Lois, his family, and his dog (!) really hit. The film is saturated in Superman lore, pulling from the comics and past films to help craft his new universe…and this time there is no need to keep it grounded with real-world logic or science. But despite the heavy sci-fi, the film draws from current events and it really works. The score by John Murphy and David Fleming is excellent, with new renditions of John Williams’ classic SUPERMAN theme from 1978. 

 

Also working well is the acting. David Corenswet is tremendous in the role. He spends a lot of time in the suit and not much as Clark, but he makes the most of his time when he has the glasses on. Rachel Brosnahan is a great Lois, and Nichols Hoult is one of the most evil versions of Lex we’ve ever seen. The show is nearly stolen by the Justice Gang (Nathan Fillion, Isabela Merced, Edi Gathegi), and watch out for some sneaky fun cameos. 

 

For the first film in a new universe, SUPERMAN delivers. The film’s focus on a human character makes a solid connection with us all, and we love him for his humanity, his morals, and his care for all living things; all the right pieces and parts for this new line of continuity to build on. This is the uplifting, inspirational SUPERMAN film that we have been waiting a long time for. DC has a reason to look up. 

 

BOTTOM LINE: See it