_{By: Amanda Guarragi}

For over 80 years, Superman has always been a beacon of hope and purity. The appeal of Clark Kent’s Superman is that he is a wholesome young man who wants to do good for the people. His Boy Scout aura gives people the optimism that he will always make the right decisions. 

Creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster created an iconic hero with an impressive set of powers, beautiful optimism, and kindness. The most important aspect of Clark Kent/Superman is his heart of gold and love for humanity. 

Clark adapted to a new planet and people. He embraced their way of living and understood how humans work on a personal level. His greatest strength has always been his love for others. 

Clark Kent and Superman are the same. Even though Clark has a more reserved persona, the duality of his dutiful nature, which drives him to seek the truth as a journalist, shines through in his Superman.

In James Gunn’s Superman, David Corenswet shines as a new age of DC begins. He perfectly embodies the boyish charm and resilience of the Man of Steel. 

Regardless of how anyone feels about James Gunn’s past work, he is a master at adapting comic book films and has given fans some of the best films in the genre. 

Gunn takes an unconventional approach by beginning in the early stages of Superman’s legacy in Metropolis. He has a team of metahumans called the Justice Gang, consisting of Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion), Mr. Terrific (Edi Gathegi), and Hawkgirl (Isabel Merced), who are helping him out with the Hall of Justice already built in the city. 

The Justice Gang are all perfectly cast, with the veteran Lantern turning out to be hilarious and the underappreciated Mr. Terrific being the standout. Hawkgirl had her moments, but the metahumans working together made a true Justice League even more believable. 

Gunn dropping the viewer right into an already established Metropolis helped ease the comfort level with the world for everyone.

After decades of origin stories, Gunn crafted something fresh and unique for a superhero who has been reinvented multiple times for the screen. This film feels as close to an animated version of the DC hero, and that’s why it worked so well. 

Is it packed with many moving parts? Yes. 

The fast-paced nature of the film can also be seen as comic-book accurate, as it presents characters and new plot points. The quick editing between scenes, especially when cutting back to Lex Luthor, stylistically appeared as a Saturday morning cartoon. 

The first half is all set-up and rapidly shows the characters Gunn has decided to use in Metropolis. He doesn’t allow scenes to breathe at first, but once the pacing finds that sweet groove, the structure is snappy and entertaining. 

Our megalomaniacal villain, Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult), had an obsession with defeating Superman. Luthor’s plans have always been complex and completely eccentric. He always thinks five steps ahead and has multiple plans in motion. 

When Luthor clarifies his plan and how he has manipulated the ruler of Boravia. – Vasil Ghurkos (Zlatko Buric) – he uses an exterior threat to mask the pocket dimension that he has built underground. Luthor even manipulates the U.S. Government and public opinion to sway the perception of Superman. By exposing the true message from Superman’s parents in the Fortress of Solitude, Luthor turned everyone against him through the media in an instant. 

Let’s face it, when are Lex Luthor’s plans ever conventional? Gunn made Luthor the most comic-book accurate with his arrogant nature and pure hatred for Superman. He wants to be loved for his genius, and he sees Superman getting that recognition instead of him. We’ve known the Luthor/Superman tandem for decades, so it was beneficial to get right into it where Luthor had built Ultraman to counter his nemesis. 

It’s one of the most devilish engagements to watch as Hoult commanded the screen. Hoult and Corenswet played off each other well. And offered the best portrayal of the characters. Having a fully developed relationship between the hero and villain at the start of the new era works perfectly, as it allows you to see the best aspects of both characters. The slow build-up won’t work as well anymore because audiences have gotten used to the same formula. 

Similarly to Hoult and Corenswet’s chemistry and being thrown together in the middle of their relationship, Clark Kent’s relationship with Lois Lane was also perfect. 

Brosnahan adds some spunk to Lois and has a unique sense of humour. She’s fearless and outspoken except when it comes to love. The chemistry between Corenswet and Brosnahan was off the charts, and there are some lovely scenes shared between the two of them to ground their budding relationship in the chaos. 

Many comic book fans adore Lois Lane for her resilience. Lois was the only person to defend Superman after the news exposed Jor-El’s (Bradley Cooper) original plans for Clark. She was determined to save Clark and was fearless enough to rescue him and go into the trenches with Mr. Terrific. This was a unique action sequence to show off Mr. Terrific’s power set, as most audiences aren’t familiar with him.

As for the action scenes and overall visual aesthetic of the film, Superman combines all the best qualities from previous iterations.

For example, much of the slow-motion usage and mid-air fight scenes were similar to Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel. When Superman throws people from the sky or even on short flights to escape the incoming threat, Gunn used similar blocking, which worked well to show his tactics and strength. 

The Fortress of Solitude was beautifully constructed and had vibrant pops of colour surrounding Superman during his flight. 

The special effects for Superman’s abilities were spot on and straight out of a round of Injustice. It all just felt so effortless, and Gunn incorporated as much as he could with an already established Superman. He’s at full power and knows how to utilize it all. It’s remarkable seeing him in action as a fully formed hero instead of waiting for the build-up. 

That’s why Gunn’s Superman is now the definitive version of the hero.

From the moment Superman flies to Metropolis from the Fortress of Solitude with Krypto and the opening title card appears, it feels like a modern punk rock version of Superman. Thematically and narratively, it may feel rehashed, but stylistically it feels nostalgic yet advanced with Superman’s humour. 

Developing a new Superman is a challenging feat because of everything that has been created before. Gunn chose to incorporate similar thematic elements and narrative beats from previous Superman films, while modernizing the character for the new age of pop culture. 

It didn’t feel as if Gunn was uninventive, but more paying homage. Gunn has fallen victim to ripping through emotional beats with poorly timed jokes, but there’s a nice balance of levity throughout. 

It also wasn’t as corny as anticipated, considering how Clark Kent/Superman used to be perceived with Christopher Reeve. Corenswet delivered the corny Boy Scout lines with precision, and not once did it negatively affect the film.

Gunn’s Superman is a near-perfect adaptation. It accurately depicts the classic characters we have loved for decades. Gunn gave comic book fans a well-rounded Superman/Clark Kent, Lois Lane, and Lex Luthor. With the trio working so well and commanding the screen with their scenes, it’s enough to make this the definitive version of the characters. 

It can be seen as overstuffed and messy because it does jump from one thing to another without much explanation, but it almost doesn’t matter because Corenswet is superb as the title character. 

Normally, for Saturday morning cartoons, this is how they are edited and how Lex Luthor’s plans unfold. It’s never linear or fully explained; these things just happen. Much like Superman saving people, he’s on constant alert to even save a squirrel from being pummeled. 

It’s a fast-paced comic book film that beautifully captures the true spirit of Superman. James Gunn has built the foundation of uniting the DC comic book characters through Superman. Corenswet has solidified his place as a top-tier comic book character portrayal alongside Robert Downey Jr. and Hugh Jackman. With an anchor like Superman holding the universe together, Gunn has restored hope for the future of the DC universe and will present a new wave of favourite characters.