If you’re a comic book fan, James Gunn’s take on Superman hits a sweet spot we never thought we’d get. Adapting the DC character — truly embracing every bit of who he is and has been — would have seemed like a risk. Under Gunn’s direction, David Corenswet’s Superman emphasizes the man over the super, but more importantly, emphasizes the man who tries to do the right thing at every turn.
Believe it or not, therein lies the conflict. The best takes on Superman have known this, and Christopher Reeve embodied it in two or so films. What makes this version so exciting is that we’re already in the middle of it. That shocking plummet into the antarctic snow at the beginning of the trailer? That’s the beginning of the film. Superman has been a public figure for 3 years, acknowledged as the most powerful metahuman of all (even though technically he’s not a metahuman). And we’re about to see his worst week so far.
All of it plays out in an absorbing balance of character moments and action. You want to see Superman fight a kaiju? You know it’s there. You want to see Superman go to extremes to save everything? Sometimes it might be silly, but it’s there. And this is what no live-action Superman (outside of Saturday Night Live, maybe) has done — embraced that sometimes comic books are downright silly. Let’s face it — Metamorpho, here played by Anthony Carrigan, was intended to be a bit silly by DC editors in the 1960s. So it’s silly. But I’ll argue sometimes so is life.
It’s no accident Gunn has used Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion) as the first Green Lantern we encounter in the new DC Universe. He’s good at being a Lantern, but he’s also the second silliest of them all. His presence provides a great counter to the other members of his current superteam — Mr. Terrific (Edi Gathegi) and Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced). Yet as annoying as Guy is, Kal-El embraces him as another fighting the never ending battle, if more sloppily. Superman still hasn’t joined this team — they’re not yet a Justice League — but he does consider them his super friends.
Basically, there’s room for a Krypto the Superdog, Creature Commandos, and just maybe as was hinted at in the first season of Peacemaker, a Bat-Mite someday. In the meantime, we’ve got a lot of believable down to earth elements, and not just in terms of a plot involving international unrest.
In Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor, we see a man who could be as great, but refuses to do the right thing unless the glory goes to him. Though Superman has a few echoes of 1978’s Superman the Movie, we’re not meeting a Luthor surprised that Superman exists. We’re meeting a villain who has spent time planning how to take him down. He’s also a man so sure no one could be his equal he dates only women he considers vapid and thus non-threatening; thus Superman the Movie’s Eve Tesmacher (Sara Sampaio) appears as his current “bimbo,” though she understands exactly what her role is and may be playing it more than truly being it.
Somewhere under the surface, there’s also an explanation for why Jimmy Olsen (Skyler Gisondo) can appear bumbling and yet insanely attractive to women. That explanation lies in the comics, which Gisondo perfectly embodies. Or perhaps it will come in a TV series which Gunn seems interested in doing. Which he should, because though perfectly cast and given perfect character moments, most of the Daily Planet staff feel like we could spend a lot more time with them. Beck Bennett so inhabits Steve Lombard that I almost like the character.
Then of course, Lois Lane. Rachel Brosnahan is one of the few actors both given the right script and bringing the right charisma to make you believe the strongest man in the world would fall for her. This Lois will challenge and support Superman, but get into plenty of scrapes she can get herself out of, thank you very much. Even Mr. Terrific respects her enough to heed her call for help, and Gathegi plays him just short of misanthropic, which is the right take for the driven genius.
Superman does have its rough corners. Sometimes characterizations waver for the sake of a joke, particularly with Robot #4 (Alan Tudyk). Supposedly unemotional, he sure is snippy. But he’s also entertaining, and we’re caught up in the sheer joy of this film. Superman isn’t just good; it shows us that being good isn’t a bad thing. And right now, we need that. Maybe we always will. Because it’s important to look up.
For more spoiler-free reflection, please check out my guest spot on the Wocket Launch podcast hosted by Sinohui Hinojosa.
