There’s power in sincerity. It’s easy to dismiss such raw plaintive emotions as corny or cringe but, if done well, being genuine can move millions of people. That’s kind of always been Superman’s true superpower and, to a greater extent, filmmaker James Gunn’s, too. The writer/director behind the “Guardians of the Galaxy” trilogy, “The Suicide Squad,” “Super” — hell, even “Slither” and his scripts for the “Dawn of the Dead” remake and the “Scooby-Doo” live action movies — constantly delivers real pathos. (Maybe not with “Tromeo & Juliet,” but he’s grown since then.) His films always boast big set pieces and gnarly violence and puerile humor… but also actual heart. You care for these characters, no matter how flawed or goofy they are; he finds a way to make them utterly endearing and human (even if they aren’t actually part of the species). While it may have seemed a bit odd for Gunn to take on the Big Blue Boy Scout with “Superman,” in retrospect and seeing what he emphasized in his version, it makes the most sense.
“Superman” is an interesting starting point for the new DCU (the new version of the expansive cinematic and television universe that Gunn is now overseeing) because it’s not an origin story. It starts en media res, not just in terms of action happening with Superman, but also this particular comic book universe as a whole. Superman (David Corenswet) has been in the public for three years now, saving the planet countless times. Most of the usual supporting cast of characters’ relationships have previously been shaped and established. Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan) has been dating Superman for three months now. Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) hates Superman and is working on various schemes in order to destroy the Kryptonian. There are other metahumans — like Mr. Terrific (Edi Gathegi), Green Lantern Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion) and Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced) — who have a team and occasionally interact with Superman amidst the many challenges he faces. This is a lived-in world that Gunn is portraying and it’s essentially a look at a week in the life of this chaotic and crazy world that surrounds an incredibly decent person.
A lot of “Superman” wouldn’t work if it wasn’t for the pitch perfect cast. Literally everyone from top billing to featured extras does superior work, but high praise should especially be given to the three leads of Corenswet, Brosnahan, and Hoult. Clark Kent/Superman is more than just looking the part, as many have proven over the years; there needs to be a cleaving of the personas — something that separates the two but also fundamentally unites them. Corenswet captures it well (though admittedly he’s very infrequently Clark) and exudes a genuine humanity that’s a push/pull of contradictions: caring but never seems weak; brimming with gravitas but never untouchable; joyful but not callous; concerned but not brooding. Brosnahan seems like a real journalist with an actual brain, but also a beating heart, who challenges Superman in interesting ways while also being easy to fall for. Hoult is a terrific villain who embodies the envy and fury at the heart of Luthor that feels grounded and real that makes him sinister and threatening in a uniquely engrossing way.
The comedy in “Superman” is delightful, rarely in the “so that happened” quip way to which some comic book movies have succumbed. Everyone gets a moment to shine and a good line at some point which helps navigate the insanity of the story. And it is a rather crazy story that has a lot in debt to Silver Age comics with pocket universes and sudden onset kaiju, but also more modern tales with exploring geopolitical conflicts as well. And with a cast as spread out as this, and a story as far reaching as it is, some things end up feeling a bit rushed. There are reveals that happen too off handedly or incidents are resolved very quickly that doesn’t always make for the most satisfying narrative experience. And while there’s lots of great work by DP Henry Braham and the entire design team, with cool imagery, costuming, pops of color, and more, the action being depicted isn’t always that engaging either. There are attempts at impressive spectacle with these action sequences, but none are particularly memorable. Though, to be fair, if your dialogue and relationships are what outshines your action, it’s not the worst offense of a blockbuster.
“Superman” is a battlecry for the sincere. It’s saying that against impossible odds, you find a way to do good because that’s what we all want for each other. And you won’t get everything right and you can’t be perfect, but you can try. Not everything works in Gunn’s film, he drops a couple of the many, many balls he chose to juggle with this feature. But that muddled success is still a success because “Superman” still inspires and touches viewers’ hearts. The movie, like its titular character, remains a symbol of hope that amidst our darkest moments, light can come forward somehow, and it can be joyous. It won’t be easy, but kindness is rarely easy in this often-cold world. People often talk about “truth, justice, and the American way” with Superman; but until this film, it was probably lost what “truth” actually meant — living one’s own truth no matter what others say or what box they try to put you in. “Superman” proves that being your sincere self isn’t just liberating — it’s heroic.
4 / 5 Stars
Starring: David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult, Skyler Gisondo, Edi Gathegi, Nathan Fillion, Isabela Merced, Sara Sampaio
Director: James Gunn
