Superman

“Your choices, your actions, that's what makes you who you are.”

Cosmic, hopeful and vibrant, James Gunn’s Superman is both timeless and timely, classic yet contemporary, bringing the Man of Steel into the modern era, without losing the iconic heart of the character and his selfless service of humanity. 

Discussion Points:

This is very much a James Gunn Superman film as he embraces all the pulpy comic book cosmic chaos that the source material contains. Watching this Superman, feels like you’ve opened a comic and had it explode colourfully in your face. Big intergalactic monsters. An ensemble of oddballs and misfits. And the big blue boy scout at its core is David Corenswet’s Superman / Clark Kent / Kal-El - it’s a triple masked balancing act that he really sturdily pulls off! His Clark feels hometown homegrown, his Kal feels cosmic and alien, and his Superman feels hopeful and altruistic. But Gunn adds a “pop punk” edgy twist here and there, that sometimes works and other times feels too irreverent. But bar some crass moments, Gunn still manages to deliver a film that feels quintessentially Superman right down to the iconic Williams score given a new twist. He fully understands the dynamic between Lex and Kal, and it’s that relationship, along with Clark and Lois, and Clark and his parents, that steers the films earnest heart and villainous passion. This is a film about how Superman relates to the world, how the world relates to Superman, and how the man of steel relates to those closest to him, and the broader story really takes a backseat to the focus on his character. The supporting cast are a fun mixture of faces, but as Gunn drops us into the story, we don’t get much context leaving the Justice Gang and Daily Planet staff as screen fillers with little to really do. But the same can’t be said of Krypto the Superdog who is an absolute scene-stealer! Whilst the visual effects are often impressive, the glossy and colourful chaos means the action often gets lost in the fray of swirling cameras and green screen fight scenes and set pieces. Overall, this is a fantastic Superman film that celebrates the character and his legacy, but that feels unanchored to the past and able to shine as a bright new start for the DC Universe, even if its story is a little muddled along the way, but the heart of the big blue boy scout shines through.